New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-02-28
100000 FOR CHARITY.
Sum Raised by Princess Pauline
Metternich'S Fetes at Vienna.

Princess Pauline Metternich has been for so many
years In the public eye that 1t is difficult to realize
that this most conspicuous and brilliant Of the
great women Of the court OF the Tuleries attained
only her SEVENTEEN year Monday last. ceebrat-
ing not alone her birthday. but also what may be
described as her jubilee the queen of Viennese
charity and the acknowledged leader Of the
Viennese great world by her fftleth big festival
In behalf of the poor and the suffering of the Aus
TRAN metropolis. Each year she organizes one or
more OF these dazzling sand popular fetes for the
benefit OF this that philanthropc institution and
1t Is estimated that she has. since she returned
from Paris, thirtysix years ago. after the fall OF
the Napoleonic Empire and resumed her place at
the head Of the Austrian grande monde. managed
to raise and TO to the charities of Vienna
g sum Of over 100000.
That she should be a universal favorite at Vienna
and beloved alike by the classes and the masses it
is easy to understand, and she is the woman
OF all others TO whom the proudest aristocracy in
the world accords its social allegiance, and who in
a capital and at court where Processes OF every
degree are almost numerous as the stars OF the
armament Is the only known as The Prin-
cess"
No woman has exercised widespread and
marked influence upon the society Of the second
half Of the nineteenth century than Pauline Met
ternich. To her above every one else, belongs the
credit of emancipating the fair from the thral
dom Of cant and hypocrisy which prevailed during
the eighteenth century and the earlier half of the
nineteenth. Possessed OF original mind. a brill
liant intellect, great wealth and assured social
position, the princess set to work at the age Of
twenty-four, when she went ambassadress to
Paris. to teach her that it no sin to laugh
and that women, provided they do not oYerstep the
bounds OF morality, have Just the same right as
to amuse themselves they deem it, to
satisfy their curiosity, to avail themselves of most
Of the pleasures and pastimes formerly monopo-
lzed by the masculine element, and TO give frank
and free expression TO their thoughts and opinions
M elegance
dress and the newest fashions connected with the
toilet are not incompatible with refinement and
good form She revived the worship Of the mis-
chievous little god Chiffon" which had fallen
into desuetude since the restoration after the battle
OF Waterloo. She invented and inaugurated the
male couturier. who has now become we'll recog-
nlzed social entity alone in Paris. but in every
capital Of the civilized world and during the fifteen
years which she spent at Paris contributed
more than any one else TO restore to the French
capital the reputation for gayety, b-Tiancy and
pre-emnence in elegance which IL had enjoyed
until the advent to the throne of the terribly bour
geois dynasty of the Orleans She has been the
most curious mixture of gamin and great lady
that it is possible TO conceive, and her strange
freaks and eccentricities furnish to this day
never falling theme OF discussion, both to the
classes and the masses. Her existence indeed, has
served the special purpose of demonstrating that
woman OF high lineage, fortune and rank may defy
every convention. may do anything short of actual
transgresson of laws of the land without losing
either caste consideration. Even in the widest Of
her doings she has always remained the grande
dame TO the very tips of her fingers has ever been
a stranger to the slightest suspicion OF vulgarity
and has maintained absolutely unmpaired her posi-
ton at the head Of European society. while at the
Court of Vienna there is no more honored guest
than ''Unsere Pauline
HANGING BY 4 MERE HAIR
AS an instance Of her wit may recall her deli
cate retort TO old Mrs. John Jays son-u-law,
General Won Schweidnitz when he Ambassador
TO the Austrian Court. One night, when seated
next to him at dinner. she vexed the general by
her somewhat unkind comparison between French
and German notions with regard TO wit. There is
nothing" che declared. that the French not
able TO turn into some graceful witticism."
Take this princess" exclaimed the general,
handing her single white hair from his head; IT
defy you to get your French friends to make any
witty contrivance out Of this
Princess Metternich took the hair. and on the
following day sent It off TO Boucherou, the famous
jeweer IN Paris. with an explanatory note. Three
weeks later she invited the general dinner. and
he found on his plate tiny little velvet box. On
opening it he discovered a pendant formed by the
jewelled representation Of the Prussan eagle and
between its talons the single hair handed by
the German Ambassador to the Princess. At each
end of it suspended tiny plaque in enamel
with the word "Alsace" and lorraine on
the other Attached to the eagles beak was a
scroll bearing in diamonds the words 'Vous ne les
teneZ que par un cheVeu You hold them by only
a har'D.
LOCKING FOR HER TOOTH.
Although supremely elegant. Princess Pauline has
had any pretensions TO beauty either of face
figure. Indeed, she used to be so attractively
ugly that she wont describe herself as "a
white monkey" She never entertained any illu-
sions about her personal charms, a regularity In
which she differs from the of her sex, and
when IN 1868, she founded at Paris her celebrated
Club des Ladies" CLUB for ugly women, she
could induce but few OF her friends to cast in
their lot with her. Once, the occasion Of a
great reception at the British Embassy at Vienna,
she dropped artificial tooth from her mouth.
and did not hesitate TO make her loss known with
the frankness characteristics of her. The fash
ionable world present strongly moved to mirth.
vainly helped her 10 seek for the tooth. The furni
ture was moved. the curtains shaken. floors
swept, but the tooth could not be found. A few
days later Princess Pauline received an anonymous
letter informing her that the missing tooth had
been recovered. and that it in the accompany
ing package The latter did. indeed, contain a
tooth, but the tooth of a COW. Though the letter
was unsigned, the princess felt confident that she
knew who its author She aware that
there was only one woman whose Ill will was sufi-
GENTLY pronounced TO indulge in such an affront
and so she wrote 10 her follows: II know. my
dear, that you entertain the greatest friendship
for me- But ! never until now would have be-
Iieved that your affection would lead you so far as
TO have one of your own teeth drawn IN order TO
replace my loss,
AN AGITATED DINNER AT PARIS.
During one of her annual visits to Paris since her