The Dickinson press. (Dickinson, Stark County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1927, 1888-12-29
THE EMPRESS OF AUSTRIA.
At One Time One of tho Most Beautiful
Women In Europe.

Woheu IN Europe.
l do not think that the present generation
OF young royal ladies can present as exquisite
types OF loveliness as did that now passing
away. Twenty-Five years ago the empress
OF Austria, for instance, was simply dazzling.
She would have been noted for her beauty
had She been barmaid or ballet girl The
slender, graceful figure, the finely nodded
features, tho large, brilliant dark eyes, tho
beautifully formed head crowned with a
wealth of black silken tresses, all went to
make up nn ensemble of physical perfection.
saw her once at that period, when was
Staying at tho Archduko Charles hotel ut
Vienna Tho radiant Elizabeth came there
with her imperial husband to call upon the
Countess of Flanders, the sister-in- law of the
king of the Belgians. She passed in front of
large window opening upon the balcony.
and on that balcony was stationed n pnrty of
Americans, one of which was myself, all
eager to catch n glimpse of the famous royal
beauty With true queenly courtesy sho
paused for n moment OH bcholdinr tbe
group, and stood there for n brief but ap
preciable space of time, US if to say: "You
wanted to SEQ me-hero Iaml" Then. with
stately inclination of her beautiful head,
She turned away and rejoincd her husband,
leaving every ono Of tho spectators in rant
ures with her loneliness She was attircd in
costume of transparent muslin and Valcn-
clennes lace, with a broad sash in violet silk
thickly embroidered with steel spanges.
From beneath her compact little turban hat
there fell at the back of her head a mass of
black, glossy braided tresses, coiled round
and round and copflned in net of purple
ellk. "A simple dress enough for an empress
10 wear while paying call on u princess,
but its very simplicity only served to enhance
the sp!cndor OF its wcarers beauty. OF lato
years the empress will never consent to sit
LOT her photograph, and dislikcs extremely
10 be gazed at i'll public, sure tokens of the
waning OF her once rcsplcndent charms.
one was the one beauty of her family,
none OF her three sisters, tho queen of
Naples, the princess of Thurn aud Taxis
and the duchess d'Alcncon being in any
way remarkable for their good looks. In-
deed, tho last named princess was positively
plain good deal of regret has been felt in
Austrian society that the emperor had not
selected Princess Helen, now Princess of
Ihnrn and Taxis, as sho is very brilliant
conversationalist and is fond of music and
society; whereas the empress dislikes oven to
SHOW herself at the opera and really cares
for nothing except riding and hunting. She
is growing rather old to indulge in this
last amusement, being over 81 But sho pre-
serves many of her charms, and especially
the shapeliness of her figure and tho luxuri-
ance of her long, thick trcsscs. At tho court
concert given Mt Vienna in honor of tho en-
peror of Germany, she created n profound
sensation by her coiffure She wore her hair
falling unconflncd ntthe back, in long masses
over her shoulders and studded with stars of
diamonds held in place by slender, concealed
wires This "Bcrcnice coiffurc," as it was
called, was greatly admired, no less than its
stately wearer. Tho empress is said to bo
the queenlicst royal lady in Europe to be-
hold. 1t is sight to SEQ her at court pre-
sentation, passing down tho limo of ladies
who aro to bc introduced, aud turning at the
end with grand sweep of her regal train,
whose folds aro never disarrangcd by tho
action, so adroitly is it executed-Paris Cor.
St. Louis Post Dispatch.