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was a Prussian Princess and the wife of King Maximilian II., the son of Ludwig I. She was the mother of Ludwig II. and Otto I., the two young Bavarian Kings so sadly afflicted with insanity. Ludwig II. was of chief interest to the world through his great influence on the life of Wagner. During the sad years of 1870-71 she occupied herself most zealously with the comfort of the wounded. Every day during many weeks she went to the Odéon—a large building where the famous Court concerts take place—and helped the ladies of the town to sew garments and make bandages and lint for the wounded. From that time dates an amusing little anecdote, which goes to show that even Queens may sometimes say things which one would rather have left unsaid. One lady whose portrait was painted for the Gallery of Beauties about the same time as Queen Marie's also came to these charitable meetings. On being presented to the Queen the latter looked puzzled, as if trying to fix some recollection. Then she remembered and said, with one of her sweet smiles: "Are you not the beautiful Fräulein Vetterlein whose portrait is in the Gallery of Beauties?" The lady, much flattered, replied in the affirmative. The Queen, looking at her with an absent air, pensively remarked: "It is astonishing! One would hardly have believed it." No one knew whether she was ever aware of having expressed aloud her innermost thoughts about the elderly beauty. Possibly the little story was merely owing to the poor lady's former beauty having roused the jealousy of rivals.

QUEEN MARIE OF BAVARIA.

known in her family circle as Nannie or Nanette, was remarkable for her great beauty. She was a gentle, sweet woman, not very brilliant, and seemed hardly aware of her loveliness. Her father was a banker in Vienna, but it is believed that he left her no particular fortune. She and her sister were brought up in Munich by an aunt. She was seventeen years old when the King desired her portrait, and on becoming more widely known, as was always the case when a girl was beautiful enough to be painted for the celebrated collection, she had a great many suitors. She seemed not to care for marriage. At last, when her family believed that she had decided to remain single, she chose a man, much her senior, who could not offer her any worldly advantages and was in no way remarkable. "L'amour, ou va-t-il se nicher!"

ANNA KAULA.