LADIES' GOSSIP.

Otago Witness, Issue 2811, 26 August 1908, Page 73

LADIES' GOSSIP.

— With all the domestic felicity which reigns in the German Imperial household, the Empress exercises a mother's rights in no uncertain manner. One day the Emperor, unaware of her Majesty s decision to the contrary, gave his only daughter, the young Princess Louise, permission to go out driving. The Princess went straight to her mother and said t " Papa says that I may go for a drive to-day." '' But mamma says that you may not," was the Empress's reply. " Pray, remember, my dear daughter, that although papa is the Emperor of Germany, inamm:t is the emperor of the nursery." — One of the less common stories of the Kaiser concerns his gallantry at a luncheon partjr given by Princess Henry of Pless. His' Majesty was placed at the head of the table, but appeared to be ill at ease. Rising abruptly, he crossed to where the Princess of Pless and the Duchess de Ratidor sat, and said to the Prince of Pless, who occupied the seat between the two ladies : " Pless, take the seat that you occupy at any other time. In my case prerogative -will be discounted by the pleasure of sitting between two beautiful women." At an informal dinner on another occasion, an American lady, who sat on the Kaiser's left, had the salad passed to her over her left shoulder. The Emperor saw that the

. lady hesitated to turn her face from bin* in order to help fierself to the* salad. "Madam," he said, "a Kaiser can waitj a salad cannot." — The Czar's children, who were so much admired by Queen Alexandra during her recent visit to Russia, are the most Anglicised of all the children of foreign monarchs, for they are being brought up almost, entirely in the English fashion,' and can speak English as fluently as their own tongue. The Czarina is a devoted mother, and since the advent of the long looked-for Czarevitch she has spent nearly al l her time in the nurseries. When her son was born, she engaged a special staff of secretaries' to study all recent literature dealing with the rearing of children ; ' 6md a short summary was prepared of any. new theory on dieting or the treatment of infantile ailments, and submitted to her Majesty for her opinion. ■ The .^Czarina's favourite hobby is the keeping of an album, in which she pastes pictures of her children cut from paper's- and magazine's ; frosa all parts of the globe. _ ~ * — One of the prettiest customs. in the . royal family .is that -i of presenting a , wreath or bunch of flowers to the "personage whose birthday it is- The favourite i^blossom of the recipient is chosen, and. ; the bouquet is laid beside his or her plate, i A funny incident occurred in connection: | with, this idea." Princess-Ena-of-"•Batten- , berg, who was born in Scotland," and — 1 as the only royalty born there for many | years-^is very proud. o£ thei .fact, jdeclaretF 1 one day that, after all, .the thistle was a. lovely flo-«v-«T- andt useful, too, for it fed donkeys ! On her next birthday her i three brothers conspired together and pro-. ! cured a big bunch of thistles,' which, they, ' put in the place of the roses which* Pria. ■ | cess Beatrice intended for her daughter\ j plate. Princess Ena, however, suspecix ing some mischief, .slipped down to tht i breakfast-room in her dressing-gown, an<s when the young princes arrivecl - * they found chopped-up thistles and vinegar on I each of their plates, labelled, "A Treat for Donkeys !" — The birth of a seventh little girl to the Countes of Normanton recalls the fact that many great families commence jirifch. a succession of daughters. -The* Empress of Russia had four daughters before the Czarevitch made /his welcome!:: appearance in 1904. And the Queen o£ Italy had several little girls before- the Prince of Piedmont arrived on the scene, „ also in 1904. Then here at home ther« are several similar instances. The Duchess of Leeds's four daughters preceded the birth of the Marquess of Carmarthen i» 1901. The Countess Carrington had fivei little girls before the advent of Viscount" Wendover ia 1895; and Viscountess Chelsea has five daughters who are olden than the Eon. Edward Cadogan, who is a.' • godson of Kiiig Edward and ultimate heir to the Earldom of Cadogan. Coun- , tess Fitzwilliam has four daughters, and, as yet, no son. — A short time ago, in one of tha public gardens in Vienna, a seamstress' found herself sitting beside a quiet, plainly-dressed" woman' wKo was sewing.' They got into a conversation on domestic matters, telling each other how they madetheir own dresses and those of their, children also' "I like to occupy myself with "that kind of work," said the seamstress. "So do I," observed the other ;' ' "it is a great pleasure." Then, £s con- - fidences -were in order, the seamstress' continued : "My husband is a good, man." ". So is mine," responded the other woman. " Mine works at» the railway* station, as his father did before him." < the- working, woman prattled on. " My} own father was a wood carver; what is yours?" . There was a brief silence, and then, - very simply, the woman to whom* - the question was put answered — "My, father is Francis Joseph." She was irt fact the Emperor of Austria's daughter; the Archduchess Gisela, wife of the Regent of Bavaria, who is famous as thel I most democratic and 'simple-minded o£ ' European royalties. — London Leter.