Evening star., 1901-05-11

Princess Victoria Became Empress OF Ger
r'dnE, 1t must not he thought that she
mad been fighting merely for that title
Her deep love for Fritz was amply
proved by her unfaillng devotion 10 him
all through that time OF deadly political
intrigue. And she gave. incidentally. at the
same time an extraordinary proof Of her
remarkable intellectual powers For dur
Ing the three months Of her husbands reign
she made profound study of the medical
principles involved In his case, for the sole
purpose Of Fastening the recovery-wtlch
never came. Sir Morell Mackenzie after
ward wrote that the empress became 50
prohcient In the matter that a doctor
might nave talked with her about II for an
hour at time without suspecting that she
was a mere outsider" No wonder thai
King Edward VII when asked who was the
cleNerest woman he had known answered
without hesitation:
My sister, the Dowager Empress of Ger
many
Humiiinted by Her SON
When after ninety mine days of tenure of
the imperial throne the good Fritz died
there began the last dismal stage OF the
empress career. AS crown princess and
as empress she had had dire trouble. nm
popularity. the persistent abhorrcuce of
the all-powerful iron chancellor. ali sorts
OF intriSues to fight against. but sh" had
had power and high place. Now she was
TO know the misery of obscurity and ahan-
donment. Few mothers have suffered more
from their children than this unhappy en-
press from the kaiser. ! have heard a GER
man officer relate a fayorite device ~ MIL
Jams to humiiiate his mother during his
grandfather's reign. The first Emperor
William. though not an unkind old fellow
in his way. an autocratic ruler of his
household, and even his strong -wiHed
daughter-in-law never dreamed OF resist
ing him. He would sometimes send an or
der to the crown princess by her son. young
Wilhelm. The hoy would rudely enter las
al frr
name. bid her do the thiug-perhaps ta
preside at some function, perhaps to leave
berlin Tor a brief visit to Potsdam. Nat
urally resenting the Young mans inSnlpnt
manners, the unhappy mother would re-
fuse to do as he desired. H., would let her
commit herself definitely to the refusal
often before other people; then would ask
her with triumphant sncer whether he
was to bring the emperor word that the
crown princess despiSed the command of
her sovereign. The brutality cut the moth
er 10 the quick; violent scenes constantly
took place; and the naughty woman vho
never feared to confront the stormy rag.
of the chancellor. would cry and wiring her
hands in despair over the inf,..liup com
duct OF her son.
Long after the masterfu young man had
become emperor i'm his turn and had broken
Bismarck, her lifelong enemy he still took
strange spieasure. If report be true, iu
wounding and sighting his mother In her
lonely widowhood. Even now he scarcely
ever sees her; when he does il IL only for
formal visit Of a few minutes a kind nf
cnurllsh concession To the outward deceil-
cles. After the death Of her mother Qne..n
Victoria. he paid such a visit i'm company
with his uncle the new king. and proba blp
at MS urgent request. That formal ''calI OF
coincidence Will very likely be the last
until he is summoned to the death scene,
that may any day take place
For II is not cheerful at CronSbcre-o,l-
the Main. where the most miserbale of roy
al ladies is fighting with death. The house.
though called schloss or castle is a dis
NAL. ugly building I'm the worst modern
German style. The great cheerless rooms
are almost bare: there is no sign of the
domestic comfort which one would expect
TO ma In the home of an English princess
lltlng in Germany. the land of good hntis.-
wlfeIy order. Except in the rraver crises
or her lncurable malady the empress spends
most of her time seated at a window in The
big bare salon gazing listlessy at TIL chiIn-
htES that ma Ike her view They say she is
very often found in tears. though she dos
not ike to have 1t noticed. She reads little
but The Imitation OF Christ il always
within reach of her hand Twice A week
she has visit from her youngest daugh-
ter. the Princess Of Hess, who comes over
from Frankfort to pass the afternoon at
the mournful schloss. 1t is a pitiful even
ing to life which dawned so brightly A
dreary ending for the Princess Royal of
England, one Of the ablest women of har
day.