Year: 1875

A correspondent thus relates the ro-
mantle way in which the Empress of
Austria captured her Emperor The
Empress is the youngest daughter of
Duke Macmillan Joseph of Bavaria,
and sister of the ex Qaeen Sophia of
Naples. Francis Joseph was to have
been affianced to the Princess Sophia,
to make acquaintance with whom he
went to make visit to his uncle's of
Possenhoffen, where his four young
lady cousins had been born and brought
mp. The Princess Elizabeth, then in
her sixteenth year and remarkably
beautiful, was not to have been allowed
to see the young Emperor, both be-
cause on account of her youth-she
was not supposed to be tout and
also because, being much handsomer
than her sister, the WHY Duke desired
to secure his Imperial nephew for his
eldest daughter before the former
should be allowed to catch sight of his
youngest, as he felt very sure that the
hand of such beauty as she promised
to be would be sought far and wide
when it should be in the matrimonial
market. So the young lady was told
that she was to stay with her governess,
and not to presume to show herself in
the drawing room during the visit of
the Austrian cousin. But being lively,
spirited, and brimful of curiosity to zee
the youthful Emperor, who had so sud
denly succeeded to the troubled but
brilliant crown of Austria, the Princess
Elizabeth contrived to give her atten-
dants the slip, and to hide herself in a
corridor, along which the Imperial
guest, who had arrived an hour before,
and was then dressing for dinner in ie
rooms set apart for his reception, would
have to pass in going to the bGnquetiDg
hall. As the young sovereign passed
along this corridor the Princess, who
was watching for him, sprang out of
her hiding place, laughing at the sue
cess of her maneuvre, and crying gaily,
"Cousin Franz Cousin Franz l
wanted to see you, and they wouldn't
let me, and 80 hid myself here to see
you go by" 1t appears that cupid's
bow, so innocently shot off by the
merry girl, who had no thought beyond
the qualification of her curiosity to see
the grand young cousin, whose quality
as Emperor had excited her imagination,
went straight to the mark. The young
Emperor fell over head and ears in love
with the gay and beautiful vision that
had presented itself 80 unaffectedly be
fore him. What passed between the
two young people has never transpired; /;
but, few minutes after, the Imperial
guest entered the drawing-room with
his young cousin on his arm, and pre-
sented her to the amazed circle of rel
atives and courtiers who were awaiting
his appearance as ''the Empress of
Austria, my engaged wife," The anger
of the elder sister is said to have been
quite lively, as was, perhaps, quite
natural under the circumstances. The
young Princess dined that day in 1he
banqueting hall, seated beside the
"Cousin Franz" 80 sudderly metamor.
phosed into her Imperial spouse !"
and, the Duke, though vexed for the
disappointment of his eldest daughter,
had at least the satisfaction of having
this splendid match secured for his
Youngest. The marriage took place
when the Princess had reached the


mature age of sixteen, and all her hus-
bands subjects were enchanted with
her youthful beauty and her remark
able grace and kindness.