The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1913-10-12


" lV Rs5ias a. 1''s' common sss:: :
Vienna hospital the Archduchess
Isabelle Marie. daughter of the Archduke
Frederick. the richest of the Austrian
royal family. is trying to heal her own
aching heart. IN the interest of her daily
routine, in tending the sick ant infirm'
and in preparing herself for actu Red
Cross work on some possible bait efield
of the future, this proud Hapshur; girl
hopes to forget her unfortunate ms rriage
with her cousin, Prince George, future
king of Bavaria 1t will be rene nbered
that she left her husband almost imme-
diately after the marriage and that the
ceremony has since been annulfd after
fruitless attempts at a reconciliation. The
affair formed one of the most nazing
episodes even in the amazing farnly his
tory of the unfortunate HapsburSs,
Just outside this city, nesting among
the vineyards which cling to the sides OF
the outposts of the northern Chalk Alps
stands the Rudolfiner House. great sur
eical hospital where many of the most
famous Vienna doctors accomplish mira
eles of skill Here the Sisters of the Red
Cross get the training which fits them for
the battlefield
The Sisters of the Red Cross were as
tonished few weeks ago to hear that an
archduchess, a member of the imperial
house of Austria, was about to Join their
ranks Such a thing had never even been
dreamed of before. The Austrian arch
duchesses are so hedged about by cere-
mony that they are seldom brought into
contact with the world. Their whole life
is arranged for them from the cradle 10
the grave, Their lady-in-waiting, who
has authority over the unmarried ladies
&c crfta aCf1
the walls of a palace, is an adept in all
knowledge of what an imperial highness
may and may not do, and the ladies at
the Austrian court are kept in a somewhat
hard durance. At the age of three they
commence to learn foreign languages and
are put In charge of a German nurse-to
make sure that they learn to speak Hoch
Deutsch, instead of the soft Austrian
German-an italian maid. French gov
erness and an English tutor
Archduchess Isabelle Marie, up to the
time she joined the Rudolfiner House.
never did hands turn for herself. The
sisters of the hospital We're curious to see
how she would enter into her new life
The rules of the establishment are severe
The sisters must be at work at 6 a. m.
The cases are all very difficult ones.
Slight operations are carried out else
where, the Rudofiner authorities select
ing It's patients from among the most
serious anu interesting IN vienna. Inc
sisters train for six months. They are
constantly called upon to witness opera
items, and are trained In the special
branches of their work required in thg
field. 1T takes strong nerves to assist at
an operation for the first time, even for
hardy girl, saccumtomed to roughing it. 1t
was doubly hard for the delicately nu-
fured archduchess.
Much to the surprise of the other nurses
Arehduchess Isabelle Marie turned to
and worked just like an ordinary Girl
from a middle class family. She has not
stood on her rank in any way but mingles
with her fellow workers. spending much
of her leisure time on the top of the flat
roof of the hospital. which is grown over
with Towering plants. and seldom leaving
the Rudolfiner House The ordinary sis
ter is allowed to absent herself only once
a week, and the archduchess has not
asked for more extended privileges, but
places herself under the regulations of