The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1914-09-15
CHAPTER 1.

AZ ~ ! WAS thoroughly over
wrought creature. This perhaps
should no longer be aware OF today,
II IL were not that my diaries have
been preserved But in them the en-.
thusiasms long since fed. the thoughts
which have never been thought again,
the feelings never again felt have Inn
mortalized themselves, and this 1 can
judge at this present time what ex-
allied notions had stuck In my silly.
pretty head. Even this prettiness. OF
which my glass has now little left TO
say. is revealed to me by the portraits
OF long ago.
can figure to myself what an en-
We'd person the Countess Martha Alt
haus-youthful, thought beautiful, and
surrounded by all kinds Of luxury
must have been. These remarkable
diaries, however, bound In their red
covers, point more to melancholy than
to Joy In life.
/ reoollect that the highest concep.
ton OF human greatness seemed to me
to be embodied In warlike heroism.
For scholars, poets, explorers had,
indeed, sort Of respect, but only the
winners Of battles inspired me with
real admiration These we're, indeed,
the chief pillars Of history. the rulers
OF the fate OF countries; these were
In importance and in elevation near
to the Divinity, as elevated above all
other folk as the peaks Of the Alps
and Himalayas above the turf and
flowers OF the valley.
From all which I need not conclude
that / possessed q heroic nature. The
| fact was simply that was capable OF
enthusiasm and impassioned, and so
was. Of course, passionately enthusi-
astic for that which was most highly
accounted OF by my school-books and
my encourage.
My father was q general In the Aus
trian army, and had fought at Gus
tosxa under Father Radically" whom
he venerated to superstition. What
eternal campaigning stories had to
listen to! Dear papa was SO proud
OF his warlike experiences, and spoke
with such satisfaction OF the cam
paigns In which he had fought, that
felt an involuntary pity for every
man who possessed no such reminis-
cences.
But what drawback for the fe-
male sex to be excluded from this
most magnificent display OF the manly
feeling of honor and duty! II any
thing came to my ears about the eff
forts of women after equality--and
of this In my youth but little was
heard, and then usually In q tone OF
contempt and condemnation-I con-
ceived the wish for emancipation only
In one direction, viz. that women
also should have the right to carry
arms and take the field.
All, how beautiful II was to read In
history about Semiramis or q Cath
crime ii. "She carried on war with
this or that neighboring state-she
conquered this or that country"
was not like so many of my COM
panions In rank educated In q con-
vent. but under the direction OF gov
ernesses and masters in my fathers
house. My mother l lost early. Our
aunt, an old canoness, filed the place
OF mother to US children--for there
were three younger children. We
spent the winter months in Vienna,
the summer on family estate In low
er Austria.
can remember that gave my gov
erness and masters much satisfaction,
for was an Industrious and ambitious
scholar, gifted with an accurate mem
DRY. When could not. as I have re-
marked, satisfy my ambition by win
ming battles like heroine, I con-
tented myself with passing judgments
on them In my lessons. and extorting