TWO ROMANTIC MARRIAGES.

Evening Star, Issue 12764, 17 March 1906, Page 12

TWO ROMANTIC MARRIAGES.

If within five years Count Francis Eras- | mus Erbach does not take steps to dissolve ; ! his marriage, ho will be disinherited by his j family and barred from all the privileges pertaining to his rank. ' A tender love story lies behind this an- 1 nouncemeut, made not long ago. Count J Francis is the eldest son of the reigning count, and was heir to all the wealth and . * honor- of a famous German family. When ; eighteen years old he became a student at \ Bonn University, and soon after, riding ' alone in the forest at Erbach, he saw for the \ first time the young girl who has now be- ‘ come bus wife. She was attractive, intel- ' ligent, but of lowly parentage. Her parents : were peasants in a neighboring villa.e, but ' this fact did not deter the count from wooing her in spite of the opposition oi her father and mother, and later on the determined resistance of his own family The girl’s father, writes Mr Curtie Brown, who relates the story in the ‘Buffalo Express,’ first heard the rumor that she was keeping company with the young nobleman. Happening to meet the count, on a country road, the sturdy peasant accosted him and said; “My neighbors tell me that your serene highness haunts the neighborhood of my cottage when I am away from home in order to pay attentions to my daughter Anna. Ido not want any fine gentleman pursuing my daughter, win* is a good girl and will marry a man in her own station of life. I must therefore beg your serene highness to be good enough to cease your attentions, and not to turn her head by flatteries, but to leave her in peace.” Count Francis Erasmus, who was considerably dis oncerted by this unexpected attack, replied that he was deeply in love with the girl, and that he saw no reason why be should not continue to see her. A scene occurred, in the midst of which

Anna’s brother appeared to back up his father. Ihe result was that the reigning count heard of the affair, and demanded explanations from his sou. A. violent quarrel ensued, in the course of which Count Francis Erasmus informed his infuriated parent that he was fully determined to marry the washerwoman’s daughter as soon as he came of age. During the whole period of her attachment to the young count Anna Schulz continued to work in her mother’s little village, bnt drew down on her devoted head the suspicion and envy oi her lenow-vil-lagers, as well as the anger and resentment of her own parents. Count Francis Erasmus was boycotted not only by his own relatives, but by the members of the other ari tocratii families in the neighborhood. On two occasions this social boycott involved the sJf-wilhd young nobleman in duels with other young aristocrats, whose neglect to i treat him with the ordinary marks of respect irritated him to such an extent that he challenged them to combat. The second | duel was fought under the most severe con- | ditions. The combatants took up their ! stand opposite one another at a distance of I fifteen paces, and it was agreed that -they ] should exchange shots with pistols until ; one of them was disabled. As in the hint affair, Count Francis Erasmus emerged from the encounter a vutor, having disabled his opponent by a well-directed shot which lodged in the right shoulder. The sodai boycott, however, which continually intended, caused hiiS much inconvenience and annoyance, and at times made life almost unbearable, but never for one moment diu

he wavex 1 in his devotion to the peasant’s daughter. As soon as he had attained hk majority Count Franck Erasmus began to consider definite plans for marrying Anna Schulz. In his own neighborhood he found the obstacles to be insurmountable. In Ger- ' many a multitude ol documents are necessary before a marriage can be solemnised, and thi young count was unable to obtain the necessary papers. He was also ruiabie to find a clergyman who was willing to marry h.m. He soon decided that the marriage could be arranged in Engl-’A ••-■Hi less difficulties than elsewhere. He walked out of the ancestral oastie eailj v...v . ; - ing and announced that he was going on a hunti expedition, so that he would not return home until late at night. An hour later he met Anna Schulz at an appointed place in the forest and proceeded with her | to a village a few miles away, where a motor car was awaiting the fugitives. Mounting an automobile, they sped on in ! the direction of the French frontier. Count | Francis Erasmus chcoe this method of sec- ! ret flight because he feared that if his de-

; sign were prematurely discovered the power- | fed influence of his father might cause forI midabie measures to be taken for his dei j tention. Before sunset the lovers had ■ : crossed the French frontier and proceeded j by tnjjin to Paris, whence they crossed to ■ I London. After a residence in London of • ; three weeks they were able to be married ii by special license. The reigning count, on > ' receiving the news of the mesalliance, called i a family council to consider the question, ‘ Without any ado whatever this family i i council resolved that Count Francis Eras- - mus must be disinherited and regarded a:- [ , a social outlaw unless the marriage was an- ' nulled. Count From is Erasmus, the hus ■ band of the washerwoman’s daughter, ha; 1 been reduced to an annual allowance of - £2OO. By his marriage he has sacrificed not only one of the foremost positions in Europe, but also an annual income esti-

mated at £200,000. Questioned on his re-1 turn from London bya "newspaper inter- j viewer, Count Francis "Erasmus said: “I do not ior a moment regret the step I have taken; on the contrary, we are- perfectly • happy. I intend to work for my living, and I hay© already taken stops to find employment. I am not sure, yet what form of work 1 shall obtain, but I believe I shall choose the newspaper field. After undergoing a course of training in a newspaper, office in Germany I believe I shall go to Paris or London as a correspondent of a leading German newspaper.” “ Lit© wiment love is not worth living,’ wrote ex-Archduke Leopold to an intimate friend on the eve of his marriage with Fraulein Adamovics. Holding high rank in the proudest Court of Europe, and related to the Emperor of Austria, ex-Arcb-duk© Leopold renounced his titles, rank, and wealth in order to marry the woman of his choice. It was in a little garrison town some years ago that ex-Archduke met Fraulein Adamovics—a petite, fascinating figure, with large dark eyes and pearly teeth—who was acting in a travelling company, and he fell madlv in love with her. At first nobody took “ the affair ” seriously, but when it was realised that both the persons concerned in the romance were in earnest, “ the powers that be ” bestirred themselves. The greatest pressure was brought to bear upon the royal lover to make him give up the young actress, but in vain. The exArchduke was transferred to a regiment stationed at Vienna, and a strict watch was kept upon his movements and correspondence. A charming young princess from a neighboring State was invited to the palace. Nothing, not even the Emperor’s anger, would change the determination of the ex-Archduke Leopold. For several years he kept up a secret correspondence with Mdlle Adamovics, and persuaded her to abandon the stage and return to her parents. In justice to the actress, it must be said that when she discovered her lover’s position she wished to free him from his promise, but failed. Everv means was emnloyed to persuade Herr Wolfling to return to Vienna and take np his former position, but he refused every compromise. “ Give me a small allowance and my •liberty,” was his ultimatum, and eventually he obtained b- th,

after a heated interview with the Emperor ! Francis Joseph. Herr Wolfling was given 1 an ample allowance on the express conditions that he renounced his titles and rank and never again sat foot on Austrian soil. 1 ;On the day that he signed these harsh | conditions he applied to the Swiss Go- I vernment for citizenship. The culminat- ipa ing of the romance took place almost im- | , mediately, when Herr Wolfling, a natu- | I raldsed subject of the Swiss Confederation, j i was married to Fraulein Adambvics in the | ■ quaint little church of Vevrier, near Ge- j ; neva. The ceremony was a simple one. I » The bride and bridegroom, dressed in or- | 1 dinaxy clothes, and accompanied'by four | - friends, walked to the church from their j i hotel near by. and the same day left Ge- 1 - neva for Zong, where Herr Wolfling had j . purch-.eed a house in .the countrv. Ever j r since Herr Wolfling and his wife have remained at Zong. Eecentlv he wrote to a j brother officer at Vienna : “ T should like T to invite vou here, but it would create a 3 precedent, and I wish to cut my connec- _ tin with the Court and mv former friends t and comrades. Ido not, nor ever will. I regret the stan I have taken, and under 1 the same conditions I would act the same I r acain. for 1 am very hannv.” Both Herr I { WolfliiKr and his wife are passionately | .. fond of outdoor sports, and snend most | ;] of their time in cycling, riding, fishing, |

and rawing. He is also a good shot, and u Intel v won the first nrize at a rifle shooting competition at Zurich. ■ The following incident throws a light hj noon the democratic character and r>rin- f doles of the ex-Arch duke. Having be- t come a Swiss citizen, he was liable to j military duties. On receiving a summons | a month or two ago from the military j authorities. Herr Wolfling, who was for- [ merl” a general in the Austrian Armv ( cheerfully shouldered his musket, and served a recruit’s course. He was initiated with a company of peasants in the mv-stemes of the goose-step, and took his turn at cooking. Tt is said, however, that hin debut as a culinary artist was not a success. At the end of the recruit’s course his companions discovered the identity of “ Herr Wolfling,” and cut off the buttoms of his uniform, and purloined several articles belonging to the roval recruit for souvenirs. On kit inspection day Herr Wolfling was arrested for nH having a complete kit • hut explanations were forthcoming, and he was released. Herr Wolfling and his wife have made many I friends among their Swiss neighbors, and are known for their liberality and charitThe ex-Arehduke has blossomed into a model country squire.