St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-12-22
A Royal Horsewoman Who Is Fond
of Cantering Around The Circus

A Royal Horsewoman Who Is Fond
of Gathering Around .he Circus
= Arena.
Philadelphia Press
The empress of Austria was not bred
for the throne; 1t was her elder sister
who expected to leave duked0m 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 his
tOrIcal hall. when the madcdp Princess
Elizabeth, not knowing any one was
there, came into the room in short
white frock and her lovely curls reach
ing below her waist. She paused
abaShed on the threshold, making an
enchanting picture, and burst into a
ripping laugh as she fled. 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 few months was
obi 81 ed to humble herself and address
the deSpiSed child as your imperial
majesty"
At this time she was of that peculiar
freshness OF beauty which always
makes one think of things good to eat :;
childish. yet yoluptuous, the type both
men and women feel drawn to, wishing
to touch, to kiss, to careSS. The young
monarch fell madly IN love with her,
and OverpOWered all reason and cUun-
sci. Every influence was brought to
bear on him; her youth, her lack of ed
ueatiOn, the unhtneSS of her tempera-
ment for the tlirone-he thought of
nothing but her smile, her laugh. her
lips. The sister was forgotten and he
conquered.
Vlennese society is the most formal,
the most exclusive and ariStOcratic in
the world, and refused to accept this
young hOyden as its queen.
She felt stifled with the fOrmality
of the court--thiS select herd which felt
itself so above the rest Of the world, yet
whose greatest amusement was vulgar
gossip. The court geography she could
never learn. and the chase for scandal
did not interest her. She preferred a
mad gallOp on her tavOrite horse, with
the wind in her teeth and her hair flying
behind her.
The Infinite number of gOssiping card
parties forming the only diversion of
tight-barred VienneSe society, which
prefers gaming to dancing. found stories
to circulate of the shortcomings of their
SOyereign'S choice, as she was both dar-
ing and indiScreet. and ScOrned to con-
ceal her mistakes. The archduchess,
her husbands mother, tried in every
way to ruin her, but could not succeed,
for this wild girl was good girl. and
her only miSsteps were against sham
and snObbishness, and bars to freedom
of speech and originality of character.
She retired into small circle of init
mate friends, and mingled with the
court as little as possible. She had
large forest park inclosed with high
walls. In this were bear pits, cages for
ferocious animals. Rare birds sang in
the trees, and fine domestic breeds
could subdue the most savage beast
with glance of her eve,
add would walk the grounds with
lion or tiger beside her,
simply holding him by the name. In
the center of the park was a clearing
with race course, and also covered
amphithdater. A court lady told me of
hearing her majesty say many times
how she would have enjoyed the savage
sports of the Colosseum, the fights be-
tween wild animals. the great hunts Of
beasts and men.
Here the empress would ride for
hours, changing her horses. exhausted
from fatigue. then. becoming more and
more excited, would call her compan-
ions to the circus, where, altering their
costumes for more appropriate ones. a
performance would take place never
witnessed by any one outside this i'm
perial stock company. The servants
were turned out of the building, even
out of the park, and the gates double
barred. Grand dukes were the grOoms
and clowns. and the empress of Austria
the queen of the arena. Ah this is, of
course, the barest hearsay. For years
it was kept so quiet that even many
members of the intimate court circle did
not dream of its existence, and it is only
during the last few years that rumOrs
of it have reached the outer world
itself long thing of the past.
She could ride all day without fatigue.
sleep on the ground, refresh herself
with bit of black bread and dash of
sour wine at peasants hut, and then
climJ mountains till her attendants
were almost dead with fatigue. Ispeak
of her always in the past tense, for
everything is changed now; the grief
over her domestic tragedy has left her
much broken, she does not care for So
ciety, and can derive no diversion from
her old pleasures; she is nervous and
trembling.
She has been one of the most indi-
Vidual women in Europe, but as her
greatest powers were her physical
beauty and endurance. the loss of them
leaves her most helpless and unhappy.
In her family life she has been noble