The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1922-05-14

Louis Napoleon at an earlier period
Of his career served to keep her eff
fectually away from the court. There
| were number of Americans who
brought what to-day we would char
1 acteriZe as certain transatlantic
pep to liven up circle that showed
no signs of needing livening up.
There were Portuguese and Mexicans
and South Americans. There was
| the author of these "reminiscences,
the Princess Pauline Metternich, who
was the daughter of wealthy Hun
garian, and who, soon after her
marriage to Prince Richard Meter
n;eh, son of the eminent diplomatist,
made her first appearance in Paris
in 1859, at the moment of the out
break between France and Austria,
when her husband was hoping to re-
store peace.
III.
OF prime Importance in this volume
Is the admirable introduction, written
by Edward Legge, in which he begins
by quoting from a paragraph in LIE
Temps of a day of June, 1920, the
pathetic story of the aged Eugene
revisiting Paris a short time before
her death and picking a flower in
the garden of the Tuileries. The GUS
todian demonstrated with her, con-
tenting himself, however, with say
ing: II won't complain of you this
time. my good woman; but don't do it
again" The former Empress thanked
him with a smile not without a sug-
gestion of melancholy, but she did
not explain why she picked the
flower nor tell him who she was.
Perhaps she thought that since the
time of which the flower had re-
minded her there had been two
deluges and that her name would
doubtless mean nothing to the guard
ian. Of the Rue des Tuileries.
When the Metternichs arrived in
Paris in their diplomatic capacity
they were warmly received, and the
Princess quickly gave evidence that
hers was no drab personality. She
had the genius of work Never be.
fore have we seen a woman with
such energy and varied SKILL" was
the verdict. On the other hand. there
were those who found much to criti-
CHE. She was an inveterate smoker
at time when smoking by women
was not, as now, accepted without
comment. Some of the ditties sung
at her Thursdays" by the hostess
were not in the purest taste. "She
had not been long among the Paris
ians," says Mr.. Legge, "ere the most
prudish discovered that they had
among the reputed grandes DANES
an Ambassadors who did not scruple
to behave. and not infrequently, like
grisette. She kissed Count Beust
at an official reception at the Tuil-
cries to wheedle him to give fancy
dress ball." 1t was the natural re-
action from the stiff environment of
home. The Journalism of Francis
Joseph's court had wearied her. In
Vienna she was always reminded not
to forget that she was Pauline San
dor, the wife of an eminent diplo-
matist's son. Says Mr.. Legge: AT
the Tuileries neither Morny the il
legitimate. nor Persigny the equivo-
cal, nor ladies with the reputation
of Lehon or Castiglione could
pretend to be shocked at any slang
word or audacious gesture of Princess
Metternich. 1t would not have sur
prised any one in the monde, denti-
monde or quart dc monde to have
seen the Austrian Ambassadors
Jump on the table and dance the
'can-can'l She was quite equal to
it" Truly a more attractive Margot
Of an earlier day!
III.
No woman of the Second Empire
was more discussed than Pauline
Metternich. The Empress, always at
tached to her. was wax in her hands.
1t was at her suggestion that the
ladies wore short skirts for the paper
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