The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-12-12
MEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS

I wrote story about the good luck of Francis Joseph, the famous old Emperor ot Austria and King of Hungary, put now I want to tell about his bad luck. was ever logged by unhappy and sinis- ter calamity his was.
 In the first place he was crowned Elm peror at tod early an age for him to have had a joyous youth and in spite of his passing over an elder sister and his tempestuous wooing of the beautiful Elizabeth, the marriage was a most un- happy one, and for years there was an estrangement between them which was matter of public knowledge.
 Now it is true that after the suicide Of Crown Prince Rudolph that there was a reconciliation and the old Emperor at her tragic death said, to Dr. Won Smolka, How much l owe in these days of bit terness to my beloved wife. the Empress. and what great support she has proved to me, I cannot describe. How can be sufficiently grateful that such help meet has been given to me? Tell this to every one. The more you spread 1t, the more I will thank you
 From the best available sources the
 mpetuous marriage might have been a happier one if it had not been for too much mother-in-law. The match was extremely distasteful to the Archduchess Sophia, who was mother of the bride- groom, and aunt of the bride, but we are told that the Empress Elizabeth, who suffered terribly under the mother of Francis Joseph was quite as bad when she became the mother-in-law of Steph- anie of Belgium.
 It seems, however, that Elizabeth's own mother must have been something of a Isles because of the Emperor's, amours (when I was a student in Vienna his name was often coupled with that of a well known actress), she wrote: You have acted as if you, and not your hus-
 band, were guilty. I do not deny that
 there is nobility in your refusing to re- tain the advantages of your position at court, since you fancy that you no longer possess Franz's heart; but many things which the world need never have known
 are now public property" . ,,J tn berSelf Of fha following bit of worldly wise philosophy. 'sThe higher we stand on the social lad
 der. the less right have we to gratify our own private vengeances. or to set
 ourselves free from painful obligations Remember the good old saying: 'Noblesse oblige.' You are an integrant part of a
 great nations honor; you are faithless to your trust and to the traditions of your
 ancestry when you thus act on the spur
 of personal injury and passion
 Now this line of reasoning and-eo duct may guide in regal circles, but l think it was good deal for mother
 to ask of her daughter to.protect the name of the Emperor when he was so careless about it himself. In any event the Duchess Ludovica opens up some
 mighty big and interesting questions in these days when women are coming into , their own and some men are beginning to protest against the double standard l of morals
 1 I bring out the above incidents not i to publish anew fthe scandals of the Austrian court, but to show that the greatest blow which came to the unhap- ,py old Emperor was that his own be- | loved son, Rudolph, followed in his inn
 mortal footsteps, dying by his own hand at the castle of Mayerling. together with the Baroness Marie yetsera-the girl for
 whose sake he implored divorce, or, fail- | ing it. permission to renounce his heritage and live with ~her in strict retirement. 1 In 1867 Francis Joseph and Elizabeth l were crowned King and Queen of Hun 1 gary. The Emperor on white horse. ] galloped up the hill that surmounts Buda- pest and cut the air with Matthias Cor
 wins sword to the north. south, east and
 west to mark that he had taken pos sscaion of St. Stephens, that hsnceforth
 Hungary had an, independent King end
 Parliament. and was merely federal
 portion of the Austrian empire ct will
 soon be divided from it entirelyls ss
 1 It has been remarked that 1t was curi-
 ous that while this fete was proceeding
 while all was joy and acclamation,y 30ot miles away the Emperors unhappy broth ] CT was at that moment being led to ex- ecution. for Maximillan of Mexico was shot by his own subjects as Francis Joseph of Austria was greeted Apostolic I King of the Magyars Here is materia lpoth for a story and for deep reflec' ton. The iatter's death was also notict |that no European Kings were needed 1T
 America. I dare say that after this wal 'i is over 1t will not be necessary to pu 1t 7t N4 sN