The Washington herald., 1913-06-15
Court Gossip of Interesting
EpentS on TWo Continents

I past two decades. though the countess,
like SO many other people, cherishes the
belief that the archduke is alive.
His temperance, so often chronicled
and denied. may now be awaited with
more interest than ever, especially IL hs
brings the mysterious box with him. In
his absence all this business savors
rather Of melodrama than history.
The one thing that the Countess La
risch's story makes fairly evident is that
at the time OF this affair the Crown
Prince, under the influence of riotous
living, was touched with the inirmity
that haunts the family of Hapsburg
That may possibly explain the alleged
conspiracy to seize the Crown Prince Of
Hungary as well as the tragedy at
Meyerling''
And to conclude: The noble authoress,
while acknowledging that the stories
about her conduct in the Crown Prince
Rudolf tragedy, has so scandalized her
cwn son that he committed suicide, fails
to state why she kept her silence so long,
when but a single word from her lips
might have saved her son from his des-
perate step. Taken all in all. IL would
have been a great deal wiser on Countess
Larisch's part had she let well enough
alone and the dead bury their dead, in
stead OF recalling one of the darkest
spots in the Hapsburg escutcheon and
causing the aged Emperor more sorrow
by hearing of her futile attempt at white
washing herself at the cost of his mis-
guided sons reputation.
Were the cost of a mans funeral the
criterion of his greatness. the late ].
Pierpont Morgan would rank higher than
any celebrity save, perhaps Ii Hung
Chang. The cost of his passage from his
pears, was something over $4,000. though
the hearse made no great show and was
drawn by two horses only.
One must go TO the British admiralty
and war office TO ascertain the cost of
Queen Victoria's funeral and that of King
Edward. not including, of course. the ex-
pense incurred by loyal subjects. or per
sons moved by curiosity. to have good
views of the public proceedings in earu
case. Gladstone's funeral. 1t appears,
cost less than $4,000. and his remains
were carried by a special train from
Hawarden to London Prussia footed a
bill Of $4,000 marks for the funeral Of
Emperor William the First. A stats
funeral in Paris used to cost 5000 francs,
when there was halt at Notre Dame
The costliest item was the grand requiem
mass, the flowers being the offerings Of
private persons or corporate bodies. The
troops, OF course, cost nothing in ths
apothesis, Cthe term BELTS a grand French
funeraD. 1t was especially applicable TO
the funeral of Thfers, Louis Blanco, Gam
beta, Victor Hugo, and Carnot-
When the jocose keeper of the seals.
NJ. Guyot Dessaigue. died of an apoplectic
stroke on the floor of the French Senate,
his colleagues agreed to vote 5000 francs
for his funeral This caused some tai.
at the time. But as, when a deputy, he
had made many friends by his good
stories in the lobbies. the chamber made
no objection to the bill. He was one of
those who smoked a well-seasoned pipe
in the smoking room and he smoked
through so many sessions as to earn the
name of 'Pere des pipards." He would
have gladly waived any religious cere-
mony. His widow, however. went to tho
expense of one. 1t was soIemnized, not
in Paris, but in Auvergne. NJ. Guyot
Dessaigue's jokes, mots, and queer stories
We're really good. always improvised, anu
his laughing at them himself did not spoil
their effect. He sometimes laughed until
the tears ran down his cheeks. It was ne
who forced waldeck Rousseau, the
Premier, to relax the cold and staring
impa assiveness Of his countenance 6y ths
description he gave of an official reception
he had attended at the Ministry of JUS
tice. He might have been a twin brother
of Alphonsina, the irresistibly comical
Palais Royal actress, so like to hers was
his full bodied humor and drollery-
FTANEIR