Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-02-05

Il X
Silence
There are faint mysterious noises in the
Hofburg. as of furtive steps up secret
stairways in the walls. and there are
silences in which you feel eyes peeping
through holes. The great palace has an
invisible population of effaced offlcials.
gliding eeclesiastics. soft-footed domes-
tics, noble old DANES and ancient cour
tiers. whose only sounds are creaking
joints as they slip through dim corridors
where sentries stand inmobile
1t is the frigid court of q, lone, aged
emperor bereaved by bloody loss of wife,
son and favOrite brother. so high tina. none
dare offer him sympathy. stern and I'M
bending in his naughty isolation When his
daughters, Marie-Nalerie. with her bat
TALON of children, or Gisele. become a
morose old woman, are not there on some
rare visit the emperor is alone. 1t is
his wish. He ia too old for state dinners
and court functions, except the most in
dispensable. brief and infrequent At
once. between and In. a valet await
ing his call brings cafe-au-lait, butter
rolls, croSSants toast and wafer slices of
black pumpernickle bread.
Aided by bather. masseur. barber. man
icure and Wallets. he rises. dresses and
passes TO his study. where he works
alone.
At 8 am they serve his breakfast i'm a
sunny room between a private library and
the study that adjoins the imperial dress
ing room-egSs. grilled meats, sausages
potatoes and pancakes Suzette rolled one
by one, with melted butter, orange Juice
and suspicion of liqueur in a chatting
dish. of which he never tires. His .particu-
lar secretary arrives, the mail is disposed
of. and one or more ministers received
AT noon an intermediate meal of potage,
roast, vegetables and pastry-cook spe-
cialities, triumph of Vienna cuisine.
-
He walks in the palace park and con
tinues to take the air in carriage. Up
TO five years ago. when staying at one of
the imperial chateaux, he often drove CO.
tain trotting horses-a pleasure to which
Col. Fred Grant initiated him. Imperial
etiquette. of course, forbids the sovereign
TO be seen holding the rers in Vienna
Between $50 and short audiences are
given to ambassadors. generals, govern
ors. or others. by appointment. The en-
perors dinner begins at oclock-to
which one guest must always be invited,
and IL is now finished
Silence.
The aged emperor is dreaming Of the
gorgeous gala dinners of the past He
sees the ideal throngs of other DAYS
again he hears the three taps of the
grand chamberian's cane to announce the
entrance Of their imperial and royal
majesties. BY enchantment doors fly open
and the glittering throng. hejeweled and
perfumed, flashing colors amid plumes.
aigrettes and flowers, laughing ard muir
muring to the clink of gala swords and
sabers, is struck To silence. Their males
ties pass Under the lights of IA thousand
wax candles the bare shoulders of beau-
tiful women incline profoundly and mark
the rhythm of the demigod's approach.
Francis Joseph. successor of Charles
Quint.
~
Vanished all that. The aged emperor
signs and plans little pleasures which the
doctors still permit him. He NAV still
hunt; doubtless. he no longer climbs
crags after the chamois or the woodrock.
but his hand Is still firm as he waits on
his camp stool in the forest any stag or
roebuck that come within range is sure
of his affair. Horseback riding is more
difficult. and ii Is Goubly painful to give
up a favorite exercise that 1t kept him
in touch with the great love of his life
the army. Twice a year they hoist him
to the back of a strong, tranquil animal
a phantom Of the brilliant cavalier of