Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-11-22

In addition to her beauty Elizabeth
was highly endowed with talents, but
she found no welcome at court. The
EmnerorS mother would hardly coun-
tenance the match, and all of. the
yiennese aristocracy held aloof from
her. Elizabeth returned scorn for
scorn Her enemies bore her every tale
that could, wound her pride and es-
TRANCE her love- At last they succeed
ed. In a burst of pique she fed to her
native Bavaria. She came back, but
the Viennese never forgave her. They
charged her with loving foN-huntlng
in Ireland better than her duty and
preferred to remember her always as
the absent wife.
The estrangement widened. The
Empress grew more and more 70 con-
slider herself "a dutiful sovereign
lady" and less and less wife. The
tragic death of her only son drew her
nearer to her husband for while. but
there came a succeeding period OF
stronger repulsion,' and thereafter she
almost disappeared from the Hofburg.
Katharine Schratt
Then appeared Katharine Schratt. for
merly of the imperial theatre. BY her
tact and wit she succeeded in creating 1or
herself a place below but beside the
throne, never accorded before her time so
openly and so permanently 70 any wo-
man. Speculation as to her relations with
the Emperor was wide and malicious. OF
course il found its way to the Empress
and there followed an incident which tes-
titles to her uncommon delicacy and cour-
age.
Nettled by the continual humiliation
OF such distasteful scandal mongerins'
she device! a way to end it. One dav
she took her Youngest daughter by the
hand and to the unreasonable -aston!Sh-
ment Of her guests, set out to pay long
call on Frau Schratt at her country place
IN Ischl, where all the world knew the
Emperor spent hours daily. That endea
It effectually. 1t was impossible to gossip
before the Empress about a condition
which she herself had socially legalizet
by her presence.
Whatever the truth about Katharine
Schratt and the Emperor, she had tho
good sense never to attempt to influence
him politically. Those of her predeces-
sors who had dared more boldly paid the
penalty of sudden and noiseless removal
from his surroundings. When upon the
assassination of the Empress the court
went into mourning, Frau Schratt was
seen but little Shortly the old intimacy
was openly resumed, but it was impossi-
BILE to continue malignant about friend
ship that heightened into old age, and
the sting of criticism gradually died out.
At Shonbrunn Castle Frau Schratt APP
reared nearly every afternoon to keep
the Emperor company for an hour or
two.
In turn, he delighted to call on hel
a her town house as a private gentle
man. where he could met few friends
of his own choosing, and not guests
imposed on him by etiquette or rea-
sons of state. Politics was never dis
cussed Frau Schratt had her own
town house and her country house. to-
gether with soodly allowance. but
it never was objected that the Emper-
or was lavish with her ard she had
the discretion not TO make her osten-
tation a national scandal.
AS q soldier, the Emperor was be-
loved of his army. In crush reverse
by the French at Solferino, he suf-
fered such humiliation that he is s2if
to have wished TO die with his men
that he stood motionless in the fire
Of a battery hoping to he struck down.