The Washington critic., 1889-02-05
ANOTHER VIEW or RUDOLF
HOW He APPEARED IN THE
FLUSH OF YOUTH,
MEMORIES OF THE DEAD RED PRINCE.
a Great Deal OF Unpublished Family
History With n Description of
the Skeleton In the Closet
of the Iapsburgcrs.

fOrelEn ulSphtcneS Colnrm VIC tragic
death of the Crown Priucc'of Austria.
Sad and pitiful as any death in all
history; and as see him there, lying
in state poor, helpless lump of clay
that all tho spentior cannot help, he
comes into my mind full of vigorous
young life as saw him at Ischc late
in the summer.
Ischel is the fashionable Austrian
watering. place where most of the pa
tents from the German baths take
their after cure, and where their I'M
perial and Serene Majesties, Franz
Josef and Elizabeth have summer
palace.
The Empress prefers this little town
nestled d, wn among the mountains of
the Sally .Hammorgot. to any other,
because Of the opportunities IL gives
for long walks and climbs, which have
become n part Of her life; and here
she gathers those nearest and dearest
about her. The Crown Prince went
often to see his royal mother at her
summer home, for she cherished him
as less exalted mothers do their only
sons, Notwithstanding he inherited all
his fathers vices, which Mt one time
threatened q dissolution of her mar
riage tic.
ARCiI-DUKE RUDOLF
was a fine.looking man, attracting and
pleasing rather than handsome, and n
perfect Hapsburger, both in his vir-
tues and his vices. He cared little fof
political intrigues, and has been con.
tent to let politics alone, save when he
wanted some offender punished. His
pleasurers have been in literature and
art and that fatal love of women, which
may prove TO have cost him his life.
There has been already published a
book of his travels, and one on eth
nology, OF which subject he was es-
pecially fond, which is valuable ad-
dition to scientific libraries on the
subject, AT the time of his death he
was engaged on history Of the Aus
TRAN Hungarian Empire, from its in
ccption until now, which is also the
history of the uapsburgers, for
THE AU, TRAN EMPIRE.
only commenced to grow from that
time when the hale Swiss baron took
advice under the German autocrats
and afterwards was made Emperor Of
Austria, over whose fortunes his family
have watched until now. 1t was to
have beenta gigantic work. this history
of Rudolf's, and to have cost u pretty
sum. Fifty thousand dollars, at the
least, and the expense IN toto was to
10 have been betrayed by the royal
papa, whowas very proud OF his SON s
undertaking Each country OF the
empire was to have been treated of
separately @
The collection of the data, the illus
trations, engravings, etc, was 10 have
been done by the best talent Of each
section, and the work, when finished
was to have cost something like q
hundred thousand dollars. At the
time Of the death of the Crown Prince
there were three or four volumes out
and others In the press.
Rudolf was bit of an artist, too
and both literature and art have lost @
friend in him, and Austria, too, fol
that matter, for / think no one would
hesitate to affirm but that, with all
this weakness, his lukewarmness in
regard to politics, and his hatred Of
William Of Prussia, he would have
made better king than will his cousir
Otto, should he outlive his father, whC
is the brother of the reigning En-
peror and direct heir to the Austrian
throne, when
TIM sALIC LAW
will prevent the accession of the it'll
Arch Duchess Elizabeth. 1t is to b,
regretted that such IS the fact. TIL,
Austrian Archdukes are sorry lot
and women have always made wis,
rulers, and there is no grander name II
all history than that Of little Eliza
leth's ancestor, Marie Theresa. Ru
dolf was married in 81 to the Princes
Stephenie of Belgium, and spite thu
dispatches which tell of her grief q
the taking away of her "heart's life,
all the world knows of their unhappi
ness. The honeymoon was OF shor
duration, and since that time on
favorite after another has held he
place until no American woman of an,
spirit can wonder that the outraged
Stephanie left him without word Il
royal papa, mamma or any one. ant
that it took the diplomacy OF thu
royal families of Belgium and Austri
combined to bring her back to he
lord again.
This summer the story was repeate,
ard for months this royal pair live
apart Stephanie insisting upon sepa
ration, at any sacrifice to herself, bu
again her family united their prayer
TO those of the royal family OF Austri
and / know that in the fall the Grow
Princess had determined 10 endur
awhile longer. 1t was open gossip i
p
shameful treatment of his wife by tn
Crown Prince-the Prince of Vale
did not carry his wife with him whe
he made his visit 10 the Austrian cap
tai in the fall, and while there Shove
by his gallant attention to the poor M
elected Stephanie that he disapprove
of his friends course.
There can be no doubt of the trut
of this rumor for the
PRINCESS OF WALES
spent some weeks during the late sun
mer at Gunnden Lee with her siste
the Empress of Russia, and Il
Duchess of Ohmberfend and 1t wou
have been easy for her to have mac
the eight-hour railroad journey whic
would have taken her to the capita
had not her husband wished it othe
wise, so she was automatically SCI
off before her liege lord arrived for h
visit. The poor Stephanie has hi
but hard time of it since she left h
home to become Grown Princess
Austria. Her royal mamma has hi
but little love for her sons beautif
wife-perhaps because Stephanie
more beautiful than even she was