The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-12-28


magnificent park, traversed in every
direction by sandy avenues, especially
adapted for riding. II the weather is
bad the morning is divided be
tween the immense riding school
adjoining the castle and fencing
hall. In the riding school the
Empress amuses herself By performing
in the most skillful manner possible al
the equestrian feats, such as bareback
riding, jumping through hoops, etc.
usually seen at the circus. No one but
the lady in waiting and the grooms are
admitted to the riding school when she
/ is there. She is first-rate fencer, and
never allows day TO pass without at
/ least half an hour with the foils- At
/ eleven she returns to the castle for q
bath and breakfast. The latter is of
the simplest kind. consisting of a mi
mute morsel of very rare steak dry toast,
cup of tea without sugar or milk, and
glass Of Montrose claret, the only per-
| son at table with her being the lady in
waiting. After lighting her cigarette
she retires to her own apartments,
where she remains until three o'clock,
sometimes doing, and at other times
chatting with her youngest daughter,
the Archduchess Valerie, who is her
favorite child.
At three, attended by her lady, and
sometimes accompanied by her brother,
Duke Louis Of Bavaria, she again goes
out riding, and only returns in time to
dress for dinner at eight o'clock, at
which the emperor, the members of the
imperial family, together with the
chief personages of the court, are pres
emit. The lady in waiting, to whom are
intrusted her majesty's gloves, fan and
bouquet, is invariably seated at table
in the immediate vicinity of the en-
press, who, after dinner, lights her
eternal cigarette, nay, even sometimes
one of those terribly-strong Austrian
cigars, and smokes until ten o'clock,
when she retires to rest The lady in
waiting then proceeds to the apart
ments of the grand mistress of the
robes, to spend the remainder
of the evening there, in COM
pany with the chamberlain and
aides-de-camP. 1t is hardly necessary
to add that eight or ten weeks of such
life are sufficient to exhaust the
forces Of even the strongest lady in
waiting. Apart from the necessity Of
being perpetuslly on the qui vive and
always in good humor, it requires an
exceptional constitution, such as that
Of the Empress herself. TO be able to
spend every day seven or eight hours in
the saddle.
All of her majesty's ladies have nat
urally to be excellent and fearless
horsewomen, and to those who ride the
best she Is particularly kind and in
dulgent. Although close upon fifty
years old, and having grandchildren of
over twelve years of age, she is still
one of the most beautiful women in
her dominions. Her magnificent chest
nut-colored hair reaches down below
her knees, and her feet and hands are
perfection. 1t is indeed surprising that
her three children are so remarkably
plain, particularly as the emperor is an
exceedingly handsome man.
notwithstanding the fact that her
reputation has never been assailed by
calumny of any kind, she is far from
popular in Austria, and it is only with
the greatest difficulty that she can be
induced to attend those state functions
which necessitate her appearance in
public at Nienn. The inha bitants of
the latter city SO seldom get sight of
her that when she does happen to favor
them with her presence at any cere-
mopy. opera and race glasses nay, even
telescopes are used by the crowd star
ing at her, fact which considerably
annoys the royal lady. In her beloved
Hungary. however, she LAYS aside all
her cold and formal manner, and has
won all the hearts Of that Impressions
bic people by her unaffected gracious
ness and the absence of haughtiness
Besides being the most perfect horse
woman in Europe, her majesty is an in
trepid mountaineer and frst-rate shot
spending sometimes whole days in stalk
ing chamois up the most inaccessible
heights
The story of her betrothal to the en-
peror is somewhat romantic. mar
riage had been negotiated for him with
the eldest daughter Of Duke Maxi
milan, of Bavaria, and the emperor
arrived at the castle of the latter 10 be
officially betrothed. As soon, however,
as he caught sight Of the younger sis
ter, as yet in short dresses aud in the
school room, he fell madly in love with
her, and at length broke of his en-
with the elder sister in order
to marry the younger. The marriage
was not popular one at Vienna, for
more grand alliance had been looked
for than that with the impoverished
family of Duke Macmillan, and during
the FIRST years of her welded life the
empress was simply boycotted by the
naughty sristocracy Of Austria, fact
which she has never forgotten or for
.:uo- Y Nh .nA Exr-.n