A Twelve-year-old Duchess

An interesting little personage is the Archduchess Elizabeth, the 12-year-old daughter of the Crown Princess Sfcephanie of Austria. She has been staying at Schloss Murzsteg iu Steirmark, and being a sensible Httle lady she wished very much to niake friends with the village childreu and take part in their games. No obstacle was placed in her way, and ahe joined thern one day, asking prettily if she rnight play with them. The result was, as might have been expected, awestruck silence and a gradual edging away f rom the emperor's grandchild. Princess Elizabeth, as she is popularly called, did her best to reassure them, and told thern not to be afraid of her, saying, '.'I am a little girl like you, and I wil! play with you as you play among yourselves. " Finding they still remaiued ill at ease she made them sit to her in tnrn while slie sketched them, which pleased them very much, and by degrees the shyness wore off. The drawings were afterward sent to the emperor of Austria and other members of the imperial family. Kaiser Franz Josef was very much pleased with them, and wrote, stating his satisfaotion at his grandchild 's industry and the clever portraits, bnt expressed astonishment that she had portrayed all the children with widely open mouths. Princess Elizabeth wrote back: "The children only romain still when Ipromise them sweets. And then they open their mouths so wide. " The emperor langhed heartily over the