The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-09-12
AUsTRIA's DAsE1NG EMPRESS.
A Royal Eorsewoman Who Is Fond
of Gathering Around the Circus
From the PhiladeIphia Press.

Arena.
From the PHILADELPHIA Press.
The Empress of Austria was not bred for
the throne; it was her elder sister, who ex-
pected to leavea 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 any one
was there, came into the room in a short
white frock and her lovely white curls
reaching below her waist. She paused
abashed on the threshold, making an en-
hanting picture, and burst into ripping
laugh as sne fed. He gave chase, and an
hour later was found romping with her in
the rose garden. 1t is said that her sister in
ner rage spanked her, but in a few months
was obliged to humble herself and address
the despiSed child as Your Imperial
Majesty"
At this time she was of that peculiar
freshness of beauty which almost makes
one think of things good TO eat
childish, yet voluptuous, the type bota
men and women feel drawn to, wishing to
touch, to kiss, to cares. The young mon
arch fell madly in love with her and over
powered all reason and counsel. Every
influence was brought TO bear on him; her
youth, her lack of education. the unhtness
of her temperament for the throne-he
bought of nothing but her smile, her laugh,
her lips. The sister was forgotten 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
its queen.
SIZE felt stifed 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 gos-
sip. The court geography she could never
learn and the chase for scandal did not in
terest her. She preferred a mad gallop on
her favorite horse, with the wind in her
teeth and her hair flying behind her.
The infinite number of gossiping card
parties forming the on y division of eight
barreled Vieanese society, which prefers
gaming to dancing, fou nd stories to circu-
late of the shortcomings of their sovereign'S
choice; as she was both daring aud indis-
Greet and scorned to conceal her mistakes.
The arch-duchess, her husbands mother,
tried in every way to ruin her, but could
not succeed. for this wild girl was a good
girl and her only missteps were against
snam and snobbishness and bars to freedom
of speech and originality of character.
She retired into a very small circle of
intimate friends and mingled with the
court as little as possible. she had very
large forest park inclosed with high walls.
In this were bear-pitS, cages for ferocious
animals. Rare birds sung IN the trees, and
fine domestic breeds graZed on the lawns.
1t is SAID that she could subdue the most
savage beast with a glance of her eye, and
would walk the grounds with a
lion or tiger beside her, simply holding
him by the name. In the center of the
park was a clearing with a race-course and
also covered amphltheater. A court lady
told me of hearing her majesty say many
times how she would have enjoyed the
savage sports of the Colosseum, the nights
be ween wild animals, the great hunts of
beasts and men.
Here the empress would ride for hours
changing horses, exhausted from fatigue,
then becoming more and more excited,
would call her companions to the circus
where altering their costumes for more
appropriate ones, performance would
take place never witnessed by any one out
side the Imperial stock company. Toe
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. All 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 1T is only during the last few
years that rumors of it have reached the
outer world-ltSelt long thing OF the
pa t.
She could ride all day without fatigue,
sleep on the ground, refresh herself with
bit of black bread and dash of sour wine
at a peasants hut and then climb mount
aims till her attendants were almost dead
with fatigue. speak OF her always ia the
past time, for everything is changed now,
The grief over domestic tragedy has left her
mucn bI oxen, she does not care for society
and eau desire no diversion from her ole
pleasures; she is nervous and trembling.
She has been one of the most individual
women IN Europe, but as her greatest
powers were her physical beauty and en-
durance, the loss of them leaves her most
helpless and unhappy In her family life
she has been a noble character, deeply
wronged in many ways.