The Washington herald., 1912-01-25
THE PERSONALITY
OF AN EMPRESS

| Presse, Of Vienna, throwing new hBh
upon the life and characteristics OF tn
wife Of the aged Emperor Franz Josef.
Winter and summer alike. the Empress
arose at o'clock and began by taking 9
warm bath in distilled water, followed b,
electric massage, after which. though !
may stiII be dark, she would go out q
take the fresh air without informing hei
suite. A Z O'Clock she was back In hei
apartments, and breakfasted on a cup O.
tea and a single biscuit. This finished
she devoted two hours to her toilet
The second meal CGabel-Feulystueckl
was taken at II and consisted Of a a'cuT
OF clear SOUP an egg. and one or two
glasses OF meat juice. extracted every
morning from several pounds OF filet OF
beef by means OF a special apparatus
which accompanied her on her travels
She also tasted light dish or two, with
a preference for sweets.
Empress Elizabeth was proud OF her
youthful figure. When almost sixty years
old she not only looked like a girl. but
had the figure OF girl and a girls grace
OF movement She owed her vivacious
coloring and her clear complexion to the
long walks she had the habit Of taking.
She generally was attlred in a smartly
cut tailor-mads dress. all in black. which
accentuated the slimness OF her wasp
like waist. The beauty Of her figure was
thing of which che was frankly vain.
She had herself weighed every day.
The Empress WAS extremely careful in
regard to her toilet. She could not bear
TO have water. even for the purposes OF
her toilet, brought TO her in any other
vessel than a glass-stoppered bottle. On
the other hand. she never slept on any
but a hard mattress-a fact which one
scarcely would have suspected from the
aristocratic daintiness Of her person.
One of Elizabeth's manias was her
weakness for buying cows. II Is known
that she bought one in every country
which she visited for the first time.
choosing Bossy herself in the course OF
her walks and. ordering her to be sent TO
one of her farms in Hungary, preferably
to her country seat OF GoedoeIloe. wher-
ever She saw a COW the color OF whose
coat pleased her she would accOst the
peasant, ask the animals price, and tell
him TO take 1t to her hotel
Two strange Incidents incline one TO
the belief that the Empress had a pre-
sentiment of her tragic end On the eve
Of her departure for Geneva, while among
her lady companions at the Vienna Hnf-
burg. she asked one OF them to read TO
her a few chapters OF a book by Marion
Crawford. entitled "CorIeone," in which
the author describes the vengeful Gus
toms Of the Sicilian Mafia. While the
Empress was listening to the narrowing
details. a raven, attracted by the scent
OF some fruit which she was eating. came
and circled around her. Greatly impress
ed, she tried to drive IL on. but in vain,
for # constantly returned, croaking
mournfully. The Empress walked away
rapidly, for she was well aware OF the
saying that ravens were harbingers of
death when they persist in Topping their
wings around a living person.
One morning her devoted maid. Miss
Cztaray. upon entering her imperial mis-
tress' bedchamber. in the hotel at Gen.
eva, found her looking pale and sad
Il have had a strange experience" said
the Empress. II was awakened in the
middle OF the night by the bright moon
beams which filled my room, for the serv-
ants had omitted TO draw the. blinds. l
could see the moon from my bed, and It
weeping. have a presehtiment that 1
shall meet with misfortune"
1t was only few hours later that Lus-
chinl murdered her with a three-cornered
file clumsily fitted TO a wooden handle.
Speaking OF presentiments and supersti-
tions. the Inflated Empress was not quite
as much given over to the latter as the
late King Edward OF England.
1t appears that one OF the chief duties
Of Hawkins, King Edwards second valet,
was TO make his royal masters bed.
This man Hawkins was better acquainted
with the Kings habits and tastes than
any one else among the royal household.
He knew, for instance, that his majesty's
much never be turned on a FRI |
day. This was a curious superstition of
the King and he made no secret OF II.
II was curious that he died on Friday, |
and that "the doctors. forgetting his ex-
pressed wishes amid the grave cares oc- |
by the sudden alteration for the |
worse in his condition, ordered his mat |
tress to be turned. hoping that this would |
give him little rest A few minutes be- |
fore midnight on that day he drew his |
last breath.
Count Franz Won Luetzow. who arrived |
In this country the other day to deliver |
a series of lectures in our leading cities !
on the history of the Chechs, has a num- |
Der OF honorary degrees from European |
TO his credit. He is the head |
Of a well-known aristocratic house of |
but is descended from a Neck
enburg noble, Johannes Won Luetzow,
who founded the family at the end Of
Ia. ~ IL kva
1f Count Franz, Henry Won Luetzow, for
l number OF years filled the post OF Aus
rian Ambassador at Rome. Their mother
was an English woman, the daughter OF
Sir Francis Seymour, once a master OF
ceremonies at the British court
There is a page In the life OF the noted /
ecturer that Is not known or remembered
Imong Americans. Some years ago he
llso was in the Austrian diplomatic
Iervice, and at one time was an attache
# the Austrian Embassy at London.
During his stay In the English metropolis
lie married the daughter Of a very
Wealthy nobleman OF Mecklenburg. Miss
ron Boremann. 1t never has become
ully known why, but the then Austrian
ambassador, Count Won Deym. and his
'ountess absolutely refused to receive the
ride or acknowledge her status in So
iety. and at the British court
This was in 1890 or 1891 As a sequel
o this slight. Count Franz Won Luetzow
hallenged his chief. the venerable am
'assadoy. tc a duel This actually was
ought on>Austrian soil. with little bodily
amage to either Of the combatants.
The Luetzows reside at the renovated II
-NN- ek.xV-w Dat. ]