Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1898-11-18
THE MURDERED EMPRESS.
Her Wild Rides and Sympa-
thy With the Poor While
in Normandy.
WAS BELOVED BY ALL.
Her Hand Was Always Open and
Her Visits a GodSend to
the People.

She Suppressed Ali Formallties of Eth !
quette. Had "a Mania for Getting Lost !
Her Indomitable Courage, the Admira-
ton of Everyone-Always at the Head OF
Subscriptions.
In 1875 the murdered Empress of
Austria, upon the advice of her ply
stefan, took Up her residence in Nor
mandy in the Caux country. where
she rented the chateau of Sasetot. She
arrived there on July 81 with the lit
tie Archduchess Valerie. her daughter.
and suite of about sixty persons. On
the day after her arrival she appeared
at Pettites-Dalles, where she was to
begin the sea bathing which had beer
prescribed for her. During the three
months she was there she took thirty
six baths, for which she paid right roy
ally 5000 francs. Every morning the
master bather went for his orders and
if he was told that the Empress in
tended to battle he had everything pre-
pared.
Often on her way to and from Sasetot
the Empress would stop before some
little cottage, get out of her carriage,
talk to everybody near her and caress
the children. Her hand "a always
open and her visit was a godsend to
tie poor of the country, where her
suite also spent much money and paid
for everything royalty. Every day
the grooms bathed her horses in tho
surf. The Empress wa fond of boa
ing Sometimes she went on board a
yacht which was placed at her d:sp1-
sal by a rich gentleman from R.uen,
but her preference was for a little sail
boat handled by The son of the master
rather, boy of about II o" - sum-
mers.
As much as possible she suppress d
all formalitiea of etiquette. Every
day she mounted her hor.e md Sc ont
unaccompanied, delighted atthe CHARGE
of having a ride al ne. and verT often,
too she went great distances straig
ahead. according to her caprice and
the great despair of the functiOnaries
of her court, whom the En- error held
responsible for her safety IN the
neighborhood Of Sassetot everybody
knew her and before her all heads
were respectfully uncovered. Once
she strayed a long distance frO1l the
village and wandered about in plac
totally unknown to her. One of the
grooms, who was dashing through the
country searching for her, found her
in field where a maid was milking
COW. The Empress wa chatting fami
iarly with the young woman and drink
ing out of a milk can.
The second time she got lost she
was on foot and asked the way Of an
old priest, whose little church was in
a neighboring yillage. Taking her for
an ordinary visitor, he showed her
the way. and on the road she uttered
into conversation with him. He Incl
dentally spoke of the poverty of his
parishiOners, and was much surprised
on receiving he next day consider
able sum of money, which seemed real
" to come to him from heaven, 70" he
did not know that the lady he met on
the road was the Empress of Austria.
An accident which might have had
grave results put an end, at least or a
time to these rather imprudent eXcur-
sions on the part Of the Empress. On
Sept Is, 1879, her doctor, having left
her in the castle, after her promise not
to go out preceded to Petites-Dalles
to take a bath. After bathing a mes.
senger came to him and said that he
was wanted Immediately at the cha
teau. In great haste the doctor jump
ed into a carriage and proceeded to
Sassetot. The Empress had been
thrown from horse in the castle park
and her condition seemed to be grave.
When the doctor arrived he found her
unconscious. Her fainting spell lasted
for a long time, and it was decided 20
telegraph to the Emperor. from whom
| they at first desired to conceal the ac-
cident. After the telegram was sent
the Empress regained consciousness
and soon recovered. Her companions
implored her to abandon her wild and
breakneck rides. Shortly afterward it
was reported that on receiving the
despatch the Emperor went to Sasse-
tot incognito to see the Empress. At
the Austrian court the story of this
visit was always denied. They said
that he was on the point of starting,
but on the receipt Of reass' ring news
gave up the idea.
The Empress quilted Sassetot on
Sept. 90, 1878. On leaving she gave
substantial evidence of her generositr.
Nobody was forgotten. not even the
master bather, the little pilot, the
church where she attended mass, or
the poor OF the country, whom size
already helped over and over again.
She left Sassetot, followed by many
regrets and benedictions. Later, when
she was told of the death Of the mas
ter bather, who was drowned while
endeavoring to gave a swimmer IN dan
ger she headed a subscription list for
his family with a handsome sum OF
khof r.,