The times., 1899-04-23
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had married without fully understanding
the magnitude of the mistake he was max
ing. II is also said that the Empress
strongly opposed the match, understanding
her sons nature better than he understood
himself. A scrap of conversation reported
by the biographer indicates quite clearly
the reasons for the marriage and for the
mothers opposition:
Lglit-hearted and somewhat sarcastic. II not a
trihe cynical in his way of looking upon women
in general, with the sole exception Of his moth
er, whom he absolutely adored, Rudi used to
come every afternoon at dusk in the oak-panecd
library which was the Empress favorite re-
treat, and where. when had the happiness of
being with her we invariably spent the hour be
fore dinner-langhing, joking, and attempting to
put all our representations and fears 10 fight
by his merry banter.
Where is the use of you making yourself mis-
cradle mother minel" he would say, sitting
down on cushion at her feet before the brightly
burning logs on the hearth, and taking the En-
press slender hands between his own. You
know very web that as long as it is an impossi-
biity for me to find wife who resembles your
self in the very slightest degree, ! may as well
marry this good little Belgian girl. She is neither
homelier nor more uninierestiEg than the rest of
her kind, and as she is very young ] may have
a chance OF molding her temper the way il
should be nodded. So, don't you worry, and be
quite satisfied that not mady in love with
her, for in that case ] know that You, jealous
happy yeti''
How well can recall those oftrcpeated little
scenes the dim, rosy light of the fire, in front OF
which the Empress two favorite gigantic Danish
dogs lay stretched out at full length, while she
herself sat without speaking much, but
with a half-sJnile her lovely lips, which was,
however, beied by the sadness of her deep
chanEeful blue eyes
"AIy poor boy. Ny poor boy!'' she kept
repeating. Il am afraid you do not realize what
misery such marriage that which you are
about 10 make bring about The girl may
be, you say, nodded; she is young enough
fer that. heaven knows; but such molding is
not an easy nor pleasant process. and you, my
dear, not at all the kind of man who possesses
the perseverance TO undertake the moral educa-
tion of his wifei My love for you shows me
very plainly the defects which mar your many
good qualities. and ! know Just as well as if
the thing had already happened that you will
get tired and annoyed at this role OF mentor,
which you now consider TO be so easy one
Your father wishes you 10 marry. To be sure,
he looks upon your union with Stephanie more
in the light OF a necessary political event than
anything else, but ] am bound to consider the
other side Of the question. which Is your home
life your ultimate happiness-in word, your
entire future. Now. Stephanie Is not and never
will be the wife for YOU; she is fond OF admlra-
tion OF power and OF domination, and, what is
more, instead Of looking upon religion as q
means of making our soiourn here below less ar
duous and painful than il else might be, she closes
her eyes to all the true beauty of the Catholic
faith, and simply follows its strictest precepts IN
q spirit Of defiance, one would almost think, and
just as a child fecites piece of poetry learned
by rote, the true sense of which it neither COM
pTehends nor assmilates."
Considering the fact that Stephanie was
plain. not over-lovable, and less than sew
enteen years of age when this marriage
took place, and that Rudolph was gay. i'm
perions, pleasrre-loving, and accustomed
to compare all women with his mother. to
their infinite disadvantage, 1t would have
been little less than a miracle had this
marriage been happy one.
The martyrdom referred to in the title
OF this book seems to have been rather
the sufferings of the Empress during her
long life among her husbands people than
her sudden and cruel death. which appears
to have been simply one more outgrowth
of the Anarchist spirit in Europe (New
York: Harper & Bros. s2.50.)