Bridlington and Quay Gazette. — 1898-10-28 (Bridlington, Humberside, England)

TUN EMPRESS OF AUSTRIA.  The late Empress of Austria, whose tragic end caused such universal amazement and indignation, was extremely fond of flowers, and had a perfect passion for roses. She had one garden wholly and solely devoted to these lovely blossoms; they were of all kinds and colours' and, it is said, presented a unequalled picture of floral beauty. It is sad to think of two such gifted women as the Empress and her sister, the Duchessd'Alencon, meeting with dreadful deaths. It will be remembered that the latter perished in the tire at the big charity bazaar in Paris a little over a year ago, when so many notabilities were burned to death. It is said that in her youth the Duchess had been warned by a gipsy fortune-teller that her life was threatened with danger from tire. ine murder or the Empress of Austria recalls to a Paris correspondent the old legend that when a catastrophe threatens a member of the House of Hapsburg a White Lady is seen in the Castle of Schbnbrunn. The apparition was seen in 1867, before the tragic death of Maximilian, the Emperor of Mexico, brother-in-law of the Empress Elizabeth. Again, in 1889, prior to the Meyerling drama, in which the Archduke Rudolph perished, she appeared in the corridors of the castle. She was seen shortly before the news arrived that John Orth, the exArchduke, had been lost at sea, and anotherapparilion preceded the shocking death of the young Archduchess who was burnt alive through trying 1 to conceal a lighted cigarette in her pocket when caught surreptitiously smoking. The Geneva 11 tragedy was also announced, for it cannot have been forgotten that a sentry on duty at Schoubrflan recently affirmed that he had' seen the White Lady wandering around the castle.  It is not often, one would imagine, that Sandow has a lady pupil, but he certainly has had one lately. This is Miss Ella Gordon, who erstwhile was touring the provinoes taking a part in "The Professor's Love Story." Suddenly seized with a hunger for open air and plenty of space to breathe it in, she decided to go to South Africa, whither she intends to start in January. Her desire also is to get away from conventionalities and trammels of civilisation, and 80 to prepare herself for such a life she has been receiving instruction from Sandow, including even the art of heavy-weight lifting. "Now," she says, "I can take a 1151 b, bar-bell and hold it high above my head, hold an 801 b. dumb-bell there with the right hand, a 501 b. one in each hand, a 301 b. in each at arm's length, and raise 6001 b. on the harness lift." This kind of thing, she says, she likes even better than boxing, or the sword exercise.  That women are taking a great deal more interest than formerly in floral pursuits is clear from the fact that the first place in the recent examination In horticulture of the Royal Horticultural Society was again taken by a lady student of the Horticultural College at Swanley, Miss Olive M. Harrison. Altogether, sixteen women students from Sivanley in the first class one from the County ;Tette' School, Stafford, and one from the Women's London Gardening Association, and one woman student from Swanley in the second class. Two ladies passed in the first class, one in the second, and one in the third, who are unconnected with any institution.