Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1895-11-21

to foot she was the
high born iady--the "grande dame"
Yet she had an extraordinary incllna-
ton for walking on the edges Of moral
quagmlres, and peeping into them, with
a proud conviction that her foot could
never slip, There are stories of her i'm
prudent adventures but she escaped
unscathed and had no other motive in
seeking them than urloslty-foolsh,
morbid curlosty-as to people and mat
tiers which should never have been even
mentioned In her presence. She acted
with a degree of rashness and folly
which would have ruined most women,
yet no one ever really attacked her
reputation; all allowed that, according
to the expression Of lady Of the court,
she had never crossed the Rubicon."
Notwithstanding all her follies, the
Princess Metternich was far from being
silly; on the contrary, she had consider
able wit and great sharpness of repair
tee AS she did not care for anything
she said, her retorts were often very
clever and amusing, but too free to be
easily repeated, She delighted in sing
ing songs from music-halls and inferior
theaters. Naughty as she was, she in
Vited to her dinner-table a singer Of
equiyocal celebrity at that time, whom
no one else would have dared to receive;
and even took lessons from her, so as to
sing her songs with duly pointed en-
phasis, writes Anna L. Bicknell in the
Century.
The mischief done by the example Of
the Princess Metternich is indescrib-
able She threw down the barrier
which hitherto had separated respect
able women from those who were not,
and led the way to liberty Of speech
and liberty Of action which were I'M
known before. She was much attached
to her husband, and, in essentials was
good wife; others less favorably sit
uated may not have escaped as she did
from the natural consequences of look
ing too closely over the frontier Of the
Debatable Land. 1t Is not unlikely
that the excessive pride of the Princess
Metternich may have led her to imag.
Inc that in Paris she might do anything
without compromising her dignity. For
instance, she was intimate with lady
who, although received everywhere in
Partisan society, did not seem to be
sufficiently her equal in rank to be-
come her friend. To remark on the
subject she carelessly answered: ooh,
1t is all very well here; Of course l could
not see her in Vienna"
She is reported to have made a more
impertinent speech while on a visit at
Compelgne. The short, looped-up
skirts were just beginning to be worn;
the Empress had not yet adopted them,
and the Princess Metternich had been
urging her to do So against the opinion
of her ladies, When the Empress left
the room one Of the ladies in waiting
said to the Princess, would you give
the same advice to your Empress?"
ooh, no." replied the princess; but
the case is quite different--the En-
press Elizabeth is real Empress"
have no positive information as to
the absolute reliability of this report;
but 1t is not unlike the style of the
Princess Metternich, and was current
LILY repeated.
On another occasion at Compeigne
in the presence of the Empress, on
rainy day which had brought some
dullness into the circle, the Princess
Metternich, by way of diversion, sud
denly seized one of the ladies in wait
ing, tripped her up in school-boy fash
ion, and laid her fiat on her back, pros
trate on the floor. This was told to me
by an eyewitness Of the scene, which
shocked every one present and the
more so because the victim chosen (the
Comtesse de NJ was particularly
ladylike, quiet, and unoffending.