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A SOVEREIGN OF TUSCANY.
The Rome correspondent of the "Pall
Mall Gazette" says:-Few deaths have
occasioned Leo XIII, in his old age so
sincere and deep a grief as that of the
Grand Duchess Marie Antoinette, ex-
Sovereign of Tuscany, who was only
four years younger than himself. A
pious pilgrimage used to bring her to
Rome just before Christmas every year
to beg rest for the soul of the last of
the Grand Dukes of Tuscany, her hus-
band Leopold II., who died in Rome in
1870, and is buried in the Church of
the SS. Apostoli. There one could
see the noble lady, simply dressed in
black, kneeling for hours beside the
tomb of her husband. Her suffering
was so evident and her sadness so deep
that it was a really touching sight. No
one, although many tried,, had suc
ceeded in persuading her to abandon
this sorrowful annual visit.
Thirty-five years of private life,
without the splendour of her court,
which was among the richest in
Europe, never diminished the Grand
Duchess's love of Tuscany. She was
the aunt of the late Francis II., ex-
King of Naples. Until the day the
people thought they saw in her the
adviser of anti-Liberal measures, she
was very popular. The Liberal upris-
ing in 1848-49 obliged the Grand Duke
to leave Tuscany and ask protection, of
his brother-in-law, Ferdinand of
Naples, at Gaeta, where, on the pro-
clamation of the Republic in Rome,
Plus IX. also took refuge. Historians
say that the obstinate resistance to the
will of the people who asked for their
ruler's abdication in favour of the heir
to the throne was in a great measure
due to the powerful influence of the
Grand Duchess. What is really sur-
prising is that Italy, so, lately divided
into so many States, with so many
reigning houses, has, with the excep-
tion of the Vatican, no pretenders with
adherents. Thus the members of the
deposed families can, undisturbed,
come to Italy, and those who, like
Marie Antoinette, show love and affec-
tion for their native country are cor-
dially welcomed, every effort being
made to help them to forget the past.
Every year the Princess had been for
a certain time the guest of the Pope,
who felt for her a tender fatherly affec-
tion. She confessed to him, assisted
at his masses, and after having taken
communion from his hand, she passed
into the private apartment of the holy
Father and breakfasted with him-an
honour accorded to very few. The
Princess was very devout, and contri-
buted largely to the church. In 1894
his Holiness presented her with a mo-
saic table of exquisite workmanship,
such as only leaves the Vatican work
shops.
Mathinna.-The two local agents for the
"Examiner" at Mathinn. are Mies Fits
gerald and Mr. J. W. House.
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