Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1914-10-12
New News Of Yesterday
The Man Who Knew the
Empress Maria Louisa
By Holland.

In the carly summer Of this year
an American family visited Venice
purposing remaining there until late
fall The visit. was somewhat en-
forced, for the head of the family
had been strongly recommended by
his physician to spend three or four
months in Venice, since there he
could, il was thought better recu-
nerate from the effects Of severe
surgical operation. The American
family was recalled by the news OF
tho probable outbreak Of a general
European war, an inhmation Of that
kind having been received from DR..
Nicholas Murray Butler, president OF
Columbia University. who was in
Germany just before the declaration
! OF war was made.
The sudden departure from Venice
of this family made II impossible for
them even 10 bid good-hy TO one or
their closest friends, an Italian no
bleman who, both in his personality
and his experience as a diplomat, was
an extraordinarily interesting char
a acter. This nobleman vas by name
j. Henrico Capri, and he bore the rank
r of count, with a long pedigree of as
l ISOLATION with tho aristOcracy OF
a Italy.
Count Capri, in his carly life, Of
, until he was past sixty, had been It
a the diplomatic service Of Italy, ant
= in that relation had met almost al
I, of the distinguished European diplo
I. | matists of his time.
= In conversation with Count Capr
early in the summer he said to IN
convalescing American:
r. 81 can give you some very inter
ut esting accounts of many Of the IA
Id nous men and women OF more tina
~ two generations ago You wonde
70 why / am able to tell YOU somethin
IN Of those who we're prominent q
nv least sixty years ago. Well. ! wi
IS explain that by telling you somethin
Nv about myself.
or Il am going to confess my ag
ar to YOU, for | am proud CT It. / al
N now in my ninety-sixth year.
la hearing is good, my eyes ght is e.
rs cellent, my appetite is all that az
nd man could ask. and I enjoy life {
90 much as : ever did. I like to {
re about from place TO place and me
ne the distinguished persons Of the pr
n, sent time / spend Il few weeks
d Venice, a few weeks in Rome, and
.ra thc right season am a. my home
Florence, and then occasionally I
-, Ia Vienna and evel tC Paris.
- %. have now one ambition. and
~ accident does not befall me | fe
,la fall me I feel confident that I sh'
.s9 realize it am ambitious to Ii
u long enough to be able to say that
~ am one hundred years OF age.
49,, "Now I will tell you of enc incide
'u S which may interest you. l am C
'uu tain that / am the only living p'
y! son who met and talked with Ma
~ IL. Louisa, who was the second wife
ane Napoleon Bonaparte. She was,
los, you know. a princess OF the 70.
s.Il house of Austria.
lbs when ! was about thirty years
age and in diplomatic seTvice-l
. invited by Maria Louisa who v
then living with her third husband,
dine with her and her fsmily i
cepted the invitation and co
IN see. Notwithstanding the fact I
\ she was then an old woman, ira
\ " OF that vivacity and charm VII
distinguished her when she went
ST France as the bride of Napoleon
,rcb the Empress Of France have mi
MANY inquiries and have been una
o'a- to learn that any one but myself r
Rev. lives who dined with and was
the tertained by Maria Louisa"