El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1898-09-17
THE DEAD EMPRESS OF AUSTRIA

cordingly the empress was appro ached
in the matter both by her nearest rela g.
Jives and by leading statesmen, who Rp-
pealed to her not on personal, but on
patriotic grounds, TO resume once more
her position as the wife of the emperor.
Her majesty finally yielded to their
solicitations. She took part in the cor
onation ceremonies at Pesth in 1867,
and on the evening OF that day the en-
tire population OF the ancient capital
was drinking toasts, not alone to their
newly crowned king and queen, but
also in honor of the reconciliation be-
tween Francis Joseph and Elizabeth.
l n the following spring her. majesty
gave birth In the Hungarian capital to
the third and favorlte child, Arch
duchess Valerie.
II is this treatment to which she was
subjected at Vienna, as well rs her do
nestle miseries, that were accountable
for the empress devoting herself to
horses and dogs among which her
youth had practically been spend. The
people who criticised her absorbing
passion for these animals probably ig-
nored the causes thereof. Careless of
her health, she would spent whole days
on horseback, her one object apparent
ly being to fatigue herself to stuch
degree as to prevent her mind from
broodlng over what she considered to
De her somewhat unhappy fate. Her
feRts OF OeQuestrianism were by no
means limited to mere long distance
rioes and to hunting. She likewise de-
voted herself TO the training of horses,
and to what is known in sporting par
lance as high-school,
1t was this that led her to become &C
qusinted with Eliza, the bright parti-
cular star of Lenze's famous circus,
aud without exception the most cell
ebrated aud accomplished high-school
rider in the world. Eliza, who WAS a
woman of the most unblemished char
acter, and who has now become the
wife of Col. Blanche, of the French
army, formerly military attache of the
EN- bassy at Vienna, became one of the
constant associates and companions of
the empress, and was frequently her
guest at the palace of Godollo in Hun
gary, the Intimate friendship between
the empress queen and the circus rider
giving rise to no end of gossip through
out Europe. Moreover, all the ladies
in attendance upon the empress were
selected from the leading equestrien-
mes of the Austro- Hungarian aristoc-
racy. In fact, there was no surer way
into the favor of the empress than to
know how to sride we'll. and there is
probably no Englishmsn who ever at
tanned a higher degree in her good
eraces than Capt. Bay Middleton,
who acted as her pilot in the hunting
fields of Worcestershire and Meath.
For several years she made a point of
spending the hunting season either IN
England or ireland, exciting universal
admiration by her fearless riding and
her perfect seat.
On her walk during the last two
years she has invariably been accom-
panied by an American of the name OF
Barker, whose duty consisted in read
ing French, German and English news
papers to her as she walked along. As
her gait was n rapid one, and as her
pronenade5 extended up hill and down
dale, Barker's tack was not an easy
once. since he had TO keep one eye on
the paper and the other eye on the
road, and. at the same time, keep
perfectly respectful distance between
himself and the imperial lady. An
able-oodled tootman in black livery
completed this strange group. Mr.
barker, 1t may be added, had succeed
ed the Greek professor who was
formerly the escort of the empress in
her walks, but who was dismissed
when she became able to speak modern
Greek iluently.
She possessed remarkable gift for
languages, could speak Latin and was
perfect In Hungarian, which she learn
ed only after her coronation as queen
OF Hungary in 1867. She showed her
common sense by selecting as her
| teacher the learned editor of the
Prestherlloyed, who not only in his