Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-08-25
QUEEN OF THE ARENA.
The Royal Hippodrome of Empress
Elizabeth of Austria.
A DARING AND R0MPING GIRL.
How She Won Princes Heart Away From
Her Elder Sister.
THE FADS OF VARIOUS ROYAL WOMEN
WRITTEN FOR THE prspATcH.I


Since the days of Nero and his starring
tour in Greece, royal amateurs have grown
more and more shy in the display of their
talents. An occasional duke may fiddle at
charity concert, but the real imperial stars
only glitter before a very select, though
often boisterous circle of intiDaes, and the
exploits of their youth are not heard of by
the outside world till their hair has become
sprinkled with gray, and the verv thought
of tights and spangles would seem an insult
to their dignity.
1t used to be an old joke in the profession
that Manager Abbey had engaged Queen
Victoria for tour of the United States as
Rosalind in Gas You Like It." Jumbo
had just left her, seduced by American dol
lars, and she mourned for her playmate
they had had such happy days together,
romping around the park which surrounds
Buckingham Palace rolling over each other
in the grass, till with the Queens increasing
bulk it was feared that some day she might
injure Jumbo, and they were separated.
She would have done anything to follow
him, but they could not find suitable lead
ing man.
don't know whether any enterprising
American manager ever made the Empress
of Austria an offer or not, but an old
Countess from the heart of hearts of the vi
ennese aristocracy has told me that the title
of Empress of the Arena was more fitted to
her than the title of Empress of Austria.
| But the old Countess was friend of the
Empress mother-in-law, who hated her, so
there was malice there.
A RoMPING GIRL.
~. @lo&
she was a modern Theodora-a saw-dust
heroine lifted to the throne, by no means
her father was the Duke Maximillian of
Bavaria. Her eldest sister was engaged to
be married to the young Emperor of Aus
tria, SO, of course. absorbed all the attention,
and the Princess Elizabeth was lett to her.
self and an English governess whom she
easily ruled Her rompish nature expended
itself in all sorts of boyish sports. She was
always trying to make her monkey drive
her team of milk-white goats, or would hold
a young pig on her donkey's back, while
the other children shrieked with laughter at
her mad pranks. "When 1 grow up I'm
going to be a circus-rider," she would say,
little dreaming that she was going to be an
Empress.
The fun of her youth developed later into
a passion for hunting, racing and yachting,
which she followed with more than dilettante
zeal.
Modern Queens seem scarcely to know
what to do with themselves. 1t never seems
to enter their heads to only reign and
govern, and we have no more Cleopatras
and Catherine of Russias. Having been
from their youth accustomed to their posi-
tions, social success does not seem to them
triumph, so they usually settle down to
quiet domesticity and child-bearing. or else
become wild over the encouragement of
their personal fads, which in these quiet
days are much more likely to be guinea pigs
than lovers.
DELIGHTS OF EXPRESSES AND QUEENS.
The passion of the Empress of Austria is
riding.
The delight of the Empress of Russia is
skating.
Queen Victoria is never so happy as when
sitting by death-bed.
Nothing delights the Queen OF Italy more
than to add another pearl to her necklace.
The Empress Frederick is a miser
The Empress of Germany is a religious
bigot.
The Queen of Portugal is the most extray-
agant dresser in Europe.
The Empress Eugene is the saddest wo- |
man.
The Queen of Spain is the proudest
mother.
anu tne queen OF Greece Is the hnest /
swimmer
The last named has a pond lined with
pure white marble, rivaling the famous rose
marble bath of Ismail Pasha, where Cora
Pearl used to bath in champagne In
former times favorlte pastime of the Queen
of Greece was to bar the doors of this en-
chanted garden, and with her ladies-in-
waiting and maids act impromptu scenes
from Greek mythology.
The Queen of Portugal loves the same
sport, but in more rugged manner and
Indeed, several times she has been decorated
for her bravery.
As have said, the Empress of Austria
was not bred for the throne, it was her elder
sister, who expected to leave dukedom for
an empire. Indeed the affair had gone far
enough for the papers to be ready to sign,
and the young Emperor had come in person
to the castle to see his bride. He was alone
in the great historical hall when the madcap
Princess Elizabeth, not knowing anyone was
there, came into the room in q short white
frock, and her lovely curls reaching below
her waist. She paused abashed on the
threshold, making an enchanting picture,
and burst into rippling laugh as she fed |
He gave chase, and an hour later was found
romping with her in the rose garden. 1t is
said that her sister in her rage spanked her, /
but in a few months was obliged to humble
herself and address the despised child as
your Imperial Majesty"
NARRow-MINDED NOBILITY.
At this time she was of that peculiar
freshness of beauty which always makes one |
hink of things good to eat; childish, vet
the type both men and women |
eel drawn to, wishing to touch, to kiss, to
,aress. The young monarch fell madly in
owe with her and overpowered all reason
Ind counsel. Every influence was brought
% bear on him, her youth, her lack of edu-
'ation, the unftness Of her temperament for
he throne-he thought of nothing but her
mile, her laugh, her lips. The sister was
orgotten and he conquered.
Viennese society is the most formal. the
most exclusive and aristocratic in the world !
md refused to accept this young hoyden as .
is queen. A princely wit has said: ''L'hu- :
Mantle commence par le Baron" but this :
ourt was still more rigid, for it was neces-
ary to prove eight successive generations of
obility on both father and mothers side to
e socially admitted even into its outer cir
lie. She was snubbed and slighted on eyery
ossible occasion, and even BY the imperial
amily. So she drew within herself and
oved her dogs and horses and the cult1ya-
ion of her athletic powers.
She felt stifed with the formality of the
ourt-this select herd which felt itself so
bove the rest of the world, vet whose
reatest amusement was vulgar gossip. The
ourt geography she could never learn, and
he chase for scandal did not interest her.
he preferred mad gallop on her favor