THE EMPEROR OF AUSTRIA.

Waipawa Mail, Volume XXVIII, Issue 5245, 11 April 1908, Page 6 (Supplement)

THE EMPEROR OF AUSTRIA.

H Id OLD FRIEND. ELDERLY AND KESPEi 'TABLE. Tin* Emperor Fran- Joseph of AnaId,, it.is jusi i-mnuu-iieed the Hixlidh year of Ins reign. li- is lln- oldest monarch in Hi- world, and belongs to tin- oldest reigning house in Kuropi Mr Archibald R. dolqnhmm, in Hie "Eorlnighlly Review," has un Interesting nppreeialiott of him, and tells of Ilia friend, Madame Sdirnil "The ex? a f hi \ oull? an* long past, hut In- still indulges a platonic friendship which would give rise to scandal under other eireunkHfances. His friend is an ex-actress, Madame Sc-hrutt, nu ? Iderly and respectable lady, who occupies .1 villa near Die pulili'o ill \ i? -inn, or ol Inch! when Hie Emperor goes there. This fdciddiip, which bus lusted for twenty-live years, lias never I»ei n rondeiuneil by public opinion, und when Insult mg references were once made to it in Ihe Reiehuratli by Hie pan--1 Herman deputy Sehoneivr, he was nearly lorn t piece* by the populace, and had to have, police protection. AN INFLUENCE Foil HOOD. I “The late Empress, even, recognised

Madame Schratt, and went to see her at Isold. A. favorite portrait of Francis Joseph, Bold all over Austria, allows him Hitting at breakfast with Madame Bohratt, with her favorite dog on a chair between them. There Is no doubt that she owes this toleration to her tact and Judgment In never abusing- her position, and to her good heart. It is believed that her influence with the Emperor Is never exerted save In a good cause, and she has never interfered In politics or BougWt appointments for friends or relatives.

"Every morning the Emperor rises between four and live a.m. and goes to take his morning coffee with Madame Schratt, who has to be dressed and ready (o receive him—rather a penalty for o royal friendship! The two often take a walk together, and It is related that on one of these walks the Emperor told her that her favorite dog, a gift frdhi himself, had been badly brought up. ‘I am surprised, air,’ she replied, ’since he was brought up In your house!’ 'ln my stables, Madarne, not In my house/ chuckled the Emperor, very pleased with Ills own retort* "After the morning stroll he goes to Ids standing desk and works hard till eight, when he Inis what la called ’the first breakfast’—a meal sometimes diapensed with in summer. At twelve lunch is laid; nnd dinner, which he frequently takes ut the house of Madame Schratt, is eaten between four and five o’clock, lie drinks only Pilsen beer with his dinner, ond one glniriH of good Bordeaux after the meal, which la prepared by Ills own cook wherever he goes. After dinner two or three elderly men come to piny cords, the game being invariably Tarek. The names of all these players ure ikot known with any certainty, but one is Herr Palmer, the director of the Landesbunk, and another the wellknown financier, Taussig. ’The whole menage, and Madame Schratt herself, bring the Emperor Into elose touch with the simple, homely middle chum in which most of the brains of Austria arc found, anil prevent, the old man from being dominated by Hie reactionary archdukes and arohduchefliscH. HONORED OLD AGE. "Altogether this oldest of mnnnrehs is an attractive, lovable, and very human character, and one can well understand I lie affection of bin people. His Intellect is not above the average, but by devotion and careful attention to detail lie lias acquired u wisdom which morfe gifted men may envy. His stormy, 111gulded youth might well have been the prelude to worse tilings, but 'Francis

foseph bad one guiding star—-the sense if duty and responsibility to his people -and tills bus brought him sufe.ly lirmigh the shoals to an honored old •go."