Heaven Upon Earth

HE third of six beautiful and talented sisters, the Prineess Maria Josepha of Braganza, became the second wife of the celebrated Royal oculist, Duke Cari Theodor of Bavaria, on April 29, 1874. The Prineess in very arly years showed nerself to be more gifted than chüdren ordinarily are, and her sweetness of disposition ren'dered her the favorite of the family. At an early age she showed great discriminatiori of character, and had very strong likes and dislikes, though she did not allow the latter feeling to be often discovered. Her great eharacteristic was fervent gTatitude to all those who were kind to her, and any little kindness or sympathetic word was thoroughly appreciated by the Princesa, even when she was quite a child, and this charming trait she still possesses. The first wife of Duke Cari Theodor, the Princess Sophie of Saxony, died on March 9, 1867, leaving him one daughter, the Princess Amalie, who married the Duke of Urach on July 4, 1892. It was iiot untü seven years after his first wife's death that the Duke made his second choice, a choice that has rendered his home life ideally happy. It was on April 29, 1874, that he married the Princess Maria Josepha of Braganza, who was then only seventeen years of age, and one of the most beautiful and talented princesses in Europe. The Duke, who is eighteen years her eenior, is the hrother of the Empress of Austria, and the head of the ducal house of Bavaria, his eider brother havIng resigned his rights in order to make a morganatic marriage. No married life could be more simple or happy than that led by the Duke and Duchess Cari Theodor, surrounded by their five children, three daughters and two sons- the Princess Sophie, born in 1875; the Princess Elizabeth, 1876; the Princess Marie, 1878; Prince Ludwig Wilhelm, in 1884, and Prince Franz Joseph, the godson of the Emperor of Austria, on Maren 23, 1888. The Duke and Duchess lead a very ' busy, useful life, for the Duke has no less than three eye hospitals under his charge, which he has himself founded, the principal and favorite of which is at the Royal Schloss, at Tegernsee, in Bavaria, of which we give views. The Dthers are at Munich and Merau, at all of which places he spends a part of the year with his family. His Royal Highness performs the operations very early n the morning (in summer at 6:30), and he is almost always assisted by the Duchess, who takes the greatest interest in her husband's work, and who is herself a very skilful trained nurse. He also sees all patients early in the morning, and, as may be imagined, the poor look upbn him almost with worship, and have an equal adoration for the beautiful Duchess, who soothes them in their sufferings with the gentlest and kindest of touch and words, so that they speak and think of her as an angel of light and healing. The hospital at Tegernsee, which is in the old Royal Schloss, now the property of the Duke, can accommodate Eixty patients, each ward containing from four to six beds. No fees are taken at any of the three hospitals, but there are boxes in which richer patients are expected to place a contribution, the money being devoted to the deserving poor of the place. Duke Cari Theodor is the only royal oculist who exists, and when he flrst announced his intentlon of studying medicine, In order that he might spend his life and talents in the service of the sick and euffering, every one declared that it was an unheard of thing Lor a prince ot royai Diood to adopt any proression mt that of arms. The Duke, however, was wiser than his generation, and preferred to heal he sick rather than to inflict wounds, and his name will live longer and be more loved by generations to come than that of any soldier, however brave and noble his life may have been. The Duke could nowhere have found a nobler . and more unselfisli wife than the Duchess, for she enters heart and soul into his philanthropic work, and so thoroughly understands the great nature of her husband. It often happens that a clever woman s domineering and unamiable, but this is not the case with her, for she has the sweetest and most unselfish nature, and is always thoughtful and considérate to her attendants, who are one and all devoted to her. Her tact in dealing both with high and low is unfaüing, and she is as great a favorite with all the relations of her husband as with her own family. The Duchess has many interests in life, and one of her chief hobbies is engineering. She takes an immense interest in machinery of all descriptions. and, what is very rare in a woman, thoroughly understands he subject. In appearance she is very queenly, with a perfectly beautiful face, and lovely eyes, full of expression, the greatness of her soul showing plainly when she speaks, but perhaps her greatest charms are her womanliness and the tenderness that she shows to the poor patients when she is assisting her husand in a painful and difficult operaion. She is a most tender mother to her wn children, and was an affectionte nd devoted stepmother to the Princess Amalie, who was just nine yesrs old t the time of her father's second mariage, and who has now two little daughters of her own, born on June 22, 1893, and in September, 1894. The two sons of the Duchess were born a long ime after her three daughters, and their births were naturally the source Df great joy to their parents. The eider, Prince Ludwig Wilhelm, is six years S'ounger than his youngest sister, while the youngest is ten years younger, being ; only seven years of age. The Duke and Duchess had quite given up all hopes of laving a son when the eider Prince was born, followed four years later by lis younger brother's birth. Schloss Tegernsee is beautifully situated on the lake of Tegernsee, almost on the edge of the water. Tegernsee is a very ancient town, founded by two brothers, Count Ottokar and Count Adalbert, in the year 746. It is now a very pretty, quiet place, greatly freguented by the inhabitants of Munich, who come there on account of the pureness of the air and the beauty of the scenery. The ancient Schloss, whieh was formerly a monastery, became a private residence in the year 1803, and in 1817 became the property of King Maximillan I. of Bavaria. The King made it nis summer residence, and generally spent several months there every year. Now it is the property of Duke Cari Theodor, who has put it to a noble use, and has aiade Tegernsee the center of charitable work among the poor. The Schloss is a large building, with i beautiful shaded walk between it and the lake, the church standing almost in the courtyard behind, and with a background of woodéd hills. It is a comfortable house, with nurnerous oeautilul oicr-ïashlïined rooms, which ïave been rendered very homelike and pretty by the Duchess and her daugh;ers. The hospital is situated in one wing Df the Schloss, as the Duke finds it most onvenient to have his $atients under his own roof. No royal duke and duchiss in all Europe lead such truly uneelfish lives as the Duke and, Duchess 3arl Theodor of Bavaria, and if only his axample will be followed by those who are talented among the royal and noble families of Germany, only good would ome to the Fatherland.