The Washington herald., 1912-08-03
OLD WORLD COURT GOSSIP

OLD WORLD COURT GOSSIP
tcopyriGhf ma. b. Court 0cuIip syndiate.l
The health Of Emperor Franz Josef OF
Austria is reported to have improved
lcondderably since last autumn. the ex-
pertinent Of his residing at the suburban
castle Of schoenbrunn, instead Of 1t the
Hofberg In Vienna. haing proved most
successful.
Az usual the aged monarch has taken
up his summer quarters in the imperial
villa At Ischl. where he win remain until
early in September. As soon as he had
lrecuperated from the fatigue OF the Jour-
ney to the Alpine resort, the Emperor
paid visit Of coincidence to the Duke
and Duchess Of Cumberland 1T their
neighboring chateau. near Gmunden,
whose son was killed recently in an auto
mobile accident not far from Berlin.
Aged Franz Josef all his life has been
a great sportsman. Few could equal his
prowess in Jumping from crag to crag
In the Alps when hunting the Gems
book" He has inherited this love Of the
chase from his famous ancestor. Count
Rudolf Of Hapsburg, the founder Of the
present Austrian dynasty, than which
there is no older ruling house in all Eu-
q
the family grew to be so mighty ana
powerful for so many centuries.
Count Rudolf. while riding to the chase,
met priest, who carried the holy sacra-
ment to dying Tyrolese mountaineer.
Doch ais er sich naht'e des Baches steg
Da haiti I'm der reissende Giesbach hinveg 4
In den Strudel der Wellen gerisen-
The turbulent little stream in its race
down from the snow-covered peaks had
,vae had frotl fNnf he
noble count. seeing the holy mans pre-
dicament, dismounted. offering his steed
to the service of God:
Da setxt ihn Graf auf sein ritteriich Pferd
Und reiciit ihm die praechtigen Zseune
Dass er labe des Kranken. der Sein besehr
Und die heilige Pfiicht NIGHT versdeume;
Er selber auf seines Knsppcn Thier
vernueset noch lsenser des Jayne Besier.
The priest, grateful for being enabled
to carry out his mission. prophesied that
the House Of Hapsburg. through the six
daughters of the count. would rule the
world and never die out.
Euch bluchen seehs liebliche Toechter;
So moegen Sic, rief begeister aus.
Sechs Krouen se bringrn In Ever Hsus
Und glaenzen die spac'sen Geschlechter.
Many years after this meeting Count
Rudolf, at Aix-Chapelle, was crowned
German Emperor. The custom of these
early times demanded that a singer
should chant the praises Of the new SOW
ereign to his assembled vassals. On this
occasion the wandering bard narrated a
godly deed done by "a certain great
nobleman in the Tyrolese mountains in
aiding a messenger of the church on his
way to absolve a dying penitent." The
Emperor becomes interested: he listens in
attentively to the tale; he recognizes In
the white-haired old bard the priest
whom he befriended.
Jetz dA er dem saenger ms Auge sah
Ergreift thu der Worte Bedeutsn-
That prophecy OF eight hundred years
ago certainly has come true. The Hps- |
burg dynasty still survives, and one Of
them. Charles v, was able to exclaim: |
In my domain the sun never sets"'
The stay at Ischl is the only real holi- |
day Of the aged ruler. where he discards |
all cares of state. Simplicity is the rule |
there. especially since his bereavements. |
But even in the day of his murdered con-
sort, Elizabeth, life at Ischl was shorn |
of all court etiquette. The Emperor.
who devotes less than half an hour to his
meals. thoroughly enjoys the pure noun
tain air. The windows Of the villa are
wide open and the glorious melody Of the
in the jessamine, in climbing
roses of porch and garden more than
make up for any orchestra heard at the
Hofburg or Schoenbrunn.
There are beautiful apartments in the
Kaiser Villa The late Empress suite
is furnished in the dainty manner she
loved. But that is closed-at least. as
long as Franz Josef lives. He carries
the keys on one Of his pocket chains and
superintends in person the care given TO
those rooms, sitting in a low chair. half
horH - I. .ha x,{v, t~nln
his eyes fixed on a singularly lifelike por-
trait of his lost wife. One may well real
ize at such moments why. when reading
a letter OF Pope Leo XIII. who reported
himself as being Of good health still. but
full of disappointments and SORROWS" the |
Emperor murmured: That may be: but
who can speak of disappointments-of
griefs-excepting myself Few. indeed;
but the strongest thing is that he never
says one word about his tragic life, but
bears past and present in the unseifsh
and generous way which causes no pain |
or annoyance to any one. Il
One Of the most characteristic things II
is the Emperor's private apartments. Il
They are in themselves a curious lesson /
and a key to their owners whole nature.
The writing-room is fitted out with /
that once belonged to the EN-
peror's parents-massive old mahogany, II
lacking any pretence to elegance or up
holstering, with a profound tone Of
chestnut brown that speaks of years
when solidity and strength were con-
sidered as going hand in hand with
luiet tastes. The desk is ponderous, in
carved and not at all en-
oellished The deep chair standing be-
'ore II Is comfortable, nothing more
On the walls are portraits of the late
Empress of their ill-fated son, the mur-
lered Crown Prince Rudolph of Arch
duchess Gisela and Valeria, the latter
he baby of the family.
The adjoining bedroom is still more
Like most Of the monarchs,
franz Josef also sleeps upon a camp
'ed, which may be called the one COM
ortable couch, for 1t scarcely allows
DOM for thought. The Emperor's couch
5 covered with a spread of golden
rown cloth and beside 1t is the high
acked prayer stool. surmounted by a
visited wooden string of beads and cross
lade years ago by a Tyrolese noun !
aineer. This rosary is pierced and re- i
ierced with the point Of pocket knife ,