A REVERSE OF FORTUNE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XV, Issue 5335, 21 December 1878, Page 6

A REVERSE OF FORTUNE.

Some twenty years ago an Austrian heiress took up her abode in London. She had above £100,000, and resided in a house in Eatonsquare. A Pole carried off the prize, and she became his wife. This Sarmatiau nobleman having spent her monßy, betook himself to America, where he married, aud has been enjoying himself in the connubial felicity of bigamy ever since. The Austrian lady had received an excellent education, was an ac. complished _ musician, and could apeak fluently and correctly fourteen languages. Her money and her husband having taken to themselves wings, she pluckily faced the situation, and gave lessons to papils who were recommended to her by Lady Herbert of Lea and other ladies who had known her in the days of her prosperity. Thus for some years did she gain a livelihood for fhersclf and her daughter. But the pupils fell off, and hearing that a housekeeper was requiffcd at Dury Lane Theatre, she applied for the situation and obtained it. From there she was transferred in the same capacity to the Adelaide Theatre. Two months ago, while behind the scenes, she was suddenly called, and running forward, fell down a flight of stairs. She was picked up in a terribis condition. Her spine was injured, her shoulder fractured, her thigh and some of her ribs broken. She was taken to St. Thomas's Hospital, aud now is a bedridden cripple; but in addition to the injures by her fall the doctors discovered that she had canccr. Assuredly amateurs could find no better objeot for the receipts of one of their porform» auces, and those taken at the Queen's Theatre recently were handed over to this lady. Here is a strange story.of tho vioissitndes of fortune. How many' must have envied tha wealthy heiress, and how few would not have laughed to scorn the idea that one day she would be lying in bed in a London hospital, a penniless cripple. In the present day as of old truth is very much stranger than fiotion.