Mower County transcript., 1871-07-13
Miscellaneous.
HOW KAISER Wli.NE.M'S SISTER
WAS WON.

IT will hr remembered that tho Em.
rernr William l. Of N''rluany i!ll' ..v0iute,v
after the prrlllninarics "i pcsr: lad y ,tn
signed at Versailles, sent to st. Peters.
burg telegram in which f.e EXPRESSED to
the Czar bi gratitude t":. The :Ticndly at
t'tudc winch N''SSa Aal maintained dur
ing inc progress 9. the Franco Prussan
war; ahn IA VIZ -.c!, he frankly admitted
sl!as wa '1i'''. was indebted 10 this sincere
friendship If her powerful Eastern neigh
oof 'oi M comparatively limited dlmcn-
siohs Of the gi gigantic conflict. CnQues-
f'', ,'aly the political interests of Russia,
and above all, her we'll known policy in
The Eastern question, have mainly con
tributcl to her partiaity for Prussia; but
not an insignificant share in this partiality
must bc attributed to personal considera-
tionS-to that near relationship which for
upwards OF halt u century has existed be-
tween the dynastit,sc Of Russia and Prussia :;
for Alexander the Second, the present En-
peror Of Russia, is 4 SON Of the Princess
Charlotte OF Prussia the sister of the
present Emperor ot Germany.
The bctrnthalani marriage of this Prin-
cess with Nicholas, who was then only
Grand Duke, but af!c'. c'.ward Emperor Of
Russia, forms one of the sweetest and
most romantic love episodes in tho world
OF European courts which is usually so de-
void OF love and v,mauce, and would, on
that account ale, nc, deserve being remcm-
bered, qui'c egarilcss OF the historical in
lcrcst "h'.l will hcnccforth adhere to all
the mc;r ntrs of the family of The con-
4uSrnr VI france.
Pri. .rtss Charlotte was born in the year
l'T,. and was the eldest daughter of King
r frderick William the Third of Prussia,
and his beautiful and accomplished wife,
Queen Louisa. Her early childhood
elapsed amidst scenes of terror and humili-
alton for the royal family Of Prussia, and
nobody would at that time have ventured
to predict for her the brilliant career
which Providence kept in store for this
child, born and brought up under such fatal
ausp' :cs: We might, indeed, make an ex
ceplloh IN tavur of her mother, who, with
that prophetic intuition which seems to
nave becn the distinguishing feature OF
mat hlE minded woman, wrote one day
TO her father, the Duke Of Mecklenburg
the following lines about her daughter:
Chat lotte is given to silence and re-
serve, but under her apparent coldness
she cOncrals Il warm and loving heart
Her Indifference and pride are but the dull
outside of a diamond Of the purest water,
which some day will shine forth in its
brilliant lustrr. Her hearing and manners
are noble and dignitied. She has but few
friends, and these few arc warmly attached
to her. know her value, and predict for
her n brilliant future, if she lives long
Enough"
The young Princess was, indeed, very
frail and delicate creatrre-One Of those
tender flowers which seem to wait for the
KIND hand o. the gardener to transplant
them into warmer cline. She WIS
charming and handsome; but her beauty
was rather that of a pale lily than that of
blooming rose
Charlotte was just sixteen, when, in the
year 1914, the Grand Duke Nicholas, on
his way to the camp of the allied armies
Ill France, passed. through Berlin, and was
warmly welcomed as an honorcd guest at
the royal palace.
The description which those who saw
and knew the Grand Duke at that time
have given of the incnmparAhla 4raons at
MS person. amt mind mal>t 8 it easy tor us
I" i''ag.uc that the heart of young girl
just budding into wnmanhood was capti-
vatr't and charmed by him almost at first
SIGHT. Well he might have said, like
t'tpsar, II came saw, conquered" The
Princess fell in love with him, and fortu-
u"t"ly for her the young Grand Duke re-
Alrncd her love fully as rassionately.
The Grand Duke Nicholas had the repu-
tatlon OF being one Of the handson,est, if
not the very handsnulcst man of his times
and his majestic and stately form, which
measured 40 less than six feet two inches,
was considered uneu,lacu in beauty, not
"uly i'll ltu sl,, but in all Europe. lie
was vigorous, strong, full OF life and
health, with broad shoulders and chest,
While his small hands and feet were Of the
most aris!"cra'ic elegance; his whole
figure realized the perfect model of manly
and commanding beauty which the devine
art of !" sculptor Of antiquity has inlmor.
tiliZcd under the features of the Apollo
Dclvl'lcrc His features were Gf the Grecian
c;lst--forrhcid and nose formed straight
llne-and his large, blue, sincere eyes
showed Il singular combination of com.
posure, s'ernnesss, sct-rcliance, and pride,
a'nong which it would have been difficult
1nr t'ie observer TO lame the predominant
expression. ihns" who would have looked
closely AID a'leEtively into those remark
abl" eyes would have easily believed that
their threatening glances would suffice to
suppress II rcivl.nn, to tcrrify and uisarm
murderer, Or to trightrn away a suppl
ant; but there would have been but few
to believe that the sternnc*s of those eyes
could bc so entirety S;iteued as to beam
t'i'H n''hns but love and kindness
nn!'''A' ~" :" few vas, however, the young
|ru> tan Prin, css Who had drunk deep in
their iDinA iruilt;G ttrvur. 1t is true that she
vas the only person in tho Woil Id in whose
presence ;hc OlympiuA gravity of his fca-
f''rrs gave way to u radiant chcerlulneSs
which made his manly beauty perfectly ir-
rtssibc
In such momc"ts his magnificent brow,
"'Naj the y'''.t rt meditation A'rl thought
'NE'''n'h 'ir - r''c beauty and Attic
f'%.r" OF il y"nnl, Athcninn--tlc serious
fcrlclrs seemed, by tao Invisible wand Of
u magician. to have been transferred into
The Youthful Alcihadrs
S''c' IS the ilattcriuG picture Which his
'"f'nr"r'Ilcs have drawn Of the personal
appearance of 1tr Grard Duke Nicholas
at The time of his arrival at Berlin.
AT that time, however, the matchlcss
personal charms Of the Grand Duke were
not enhanced by political prospects of the
most exalted character. He was not even
eventually considered an heir to the i'm.
pcral crown rt Rus sn. 1t is true Alex.
a'l.!rr the First, his BROTHER had no chill
drrn, but III tic case Of hi, death, which
could not be expected SON, the Grand
Duke Constantine WIS to inherit the
throne Of Peter the Great, and leave to
Nicholas at best but tho position of a
Prime: of the first blood. Nevcrthcl SIS,
Frederick William, charmed alike by the
beauty and intellect of his guest, and by
the hop" Of uniting the sovereign houses
OF Prussia and Russia by the close ties of
tltnily union, greeted the prospect of u
M lrrilge bet WeCn the Grand Duke and
his L.,ghter with enthusiasm, especially
w"'n he discovered that the young folks
W. '" wives were very fond of each other.