The Opelousas courier., 1897-04-03
AN EMPRESS AT HOME,

S
The German empress is settling
down more completely than ever in
the life which is a recognized social
phase in France as that of o bonne
mere de famille. Those who are init
mate with her-and she chooses all
her friends from the immediate mem
bers of her own and her husbands
family-have for some time remarked
on her growing dis%inclination to assist
at any public function, unless plain
duty or the especial wish of the EN-
peror makes it necessary. A favorite
phrase OF the old Emperor William
was: "Above all, no politics for
women" The training and the incli-
nations alike Of tho Empress induce
her to follow this belief, and it is little
exaggeration 10 declare that "the Bis
marck revolatio, wslch have OF late
thrilled Germany .e,G end to end, are
held in Her Impsrial Mqpi;.:sty's secret
heart to be OF le,!.imlRrtance than,
say, the accident wb'4h lately Kept
Prince Eitel Fritz, lttsr second boy, on
his sofa for some wee is. From the date
of the birth of her littNe daughter, Prin-
cess Victoria Louise, the Empress has
not been quite SO strong as before. In
fact, for some considerable time she
was in very delicate health, and her
physicians insisted on her giving up
many of her favorite occupations and
leading o comparatively indolent life.
This, albeit unwillingly, she did, and
she has gradually regained her
strength, though oven now she is not
80 robust as before. Though still a
handsome woman, and certainly better
looking than when, as q young girl,
she first gave her hand to Prince Will
liam, Her Majesty has to q certain
extent lost her appearance of youth.
Whether she looks old or young, how
ever, no pity need be wasted on the
Empress, for she is one of the hap
piest women in Europe. She abso-
lutely adores her children, and the
great trial of her life is that the adj
vancing years of the Grown Prince
and his brother, Eitel Fritz, make it
necessary that they should be with
drawn from her care and placed un-
der that of o tutor in q different To-
cality.
Although the Emperor is naturally
unable to give more than a limited
amount of his time to f,em. he is as
fond and as proud Of his,;:hildren as a
man can be. He is seen at his best
when in the imperial playrooms, where
he romps and gambols with the little
ones as much to his enjoyment as their
own. The Empress treasures up all
their amusing sayings for repetition
to her husband, and, as the children
are bright and quick-witted, these
stories are often most diverting and
somewhat startling in their original
ity; SO His Majesty often has an in
teresting hour as he sits with the EN-
press in her boudoir, with thoughts of
public business for n laid aside:
When in Darmstadt on the occasion
of the visit of the Gear and Czarina
Of Russia, their Majesties of Ger
many inspected many Of the charit-
able institutions Of the city together,
and their visits to the hospitals appear
to have specially interested them.
They spent a considerable time in the
wards, the Emperor conversing with
the officials on the management Of the
place, while the Empress. with the
sweet smile and charming manner for
which she has always been known,
went round the beds, dropping a few
kindly words here, taking a flower
from those she had pinned in her
corsage there. and spreading around
;ome of the warmth and sunshine
yhich are SO prevalent in her own
leasant home. The London Queen.