The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1871-02-15
No. 80.

hinseii' anu Ioun0, at the end of his
visit, that he had become two inches
taller. At christmas time, while the
children were young, there was al
ways O great Christmas tree in the
dining room, which was consecratetj
and exhibited with all the usual cere.
monies. -,
Naturally as he frequently him.
self zemarks-Bismarck was an idle,
pleasure loving man, who desired
nothing better than 10 lead the life
and enjoy the sports Of "an honest
country gentleman" He said, in
1868, when he was in the full tide OF
bis career as Prime Minister, Il regard
fevery one as great beneiactor who
seeks to bring about my fall" Moth
ing is more evident In his family let
ters, than that he is extravsg gantly
fond of hunting. We find such pass
ages as this
"Besides several roebucks and stays
l shot five elks, one a very fine stag,
measuring roughly six feet eight,
without his colossal head He fell
like hare, but as he was still alive,
1 mercifully gave him nay second bar.
rel. Scarcely had I done so when a
second came up, still taller, so close
to me that Engel my loader, had to
jump behind tree to avoid being run
over. 1 was obliged to look at him
shot"
Even when he had no such luck as
this, or no luck at all, be hunted on
all day. In another letter he writes:
Yesterday we had very tired
days spert. long and rocky; it pro-
duced me one woodcock but it has
tanned me SO completely, that to-day
am sitting at home, with bandages,
SO as to be ready, 10 travel Tomorrow
and shoot the next day, really am
astonished at mvself for stopping at
home alone in such charming weather,
and can scarcely refrain from the
abomnable wish that the others will
shoot nothing
Usually he had excellent luck in
his hunting. One day. when he shot
over one of the imperial parks near
Vienna, he killed fifty three pheasants
and fifteen hares; and, on another
day, eight stays. 81 am quite lame,"
he adds, Gin hand and cheek from
shooting" He had all the other
tastes of the country gentlemen. He
was passionately fond of his horses,
and often when he was away at Par
is, or some other distant place, he
would sigh for some favorite animal
in his stables at home. 'tNext to my
wife and children" he once wrote
from Paris, i want my black mare
1t was his boast, too, that the country
gentleman of his neighborhood treat
ed the pessantry with a degree of
consideration and generosity of which
ga savage Democrat" could form no
idea.
five may judge from his private
letters. he is q religious man of the
old type, and attends puuctualy
to the observances of the national
church Of his country. To a friend
who once wrote to him respecting a
scandalous picture, in which he was
represented sitting beside noted act
ress, he made long reply, denying
the imputation, and defending the la.
dy. In the course of this epistle, the
following sentences occur:
81 would to God that, besides what
is known to the world, I had not 9TH
er sins upon my soul, for which ! can
only hope for forgiveness in conf
dence upon the blood of Christ AS
a statesman, / am not sufficiently dis
interested; in my own mind, l am
rather cowardIy; because it is not
easy always to get that clearness on
the soil of divine confidence. x x
Among the multitude of sinners who
are in the need of the mercy of God,
hope that his grace will not deprive
me Of the staff OF humble faith, in the
midst of the dangers and doubts of
my calling"
We observe also that he had his
children both baptised and confirmed,
and that, if he was unable to attend
church, h : usually has prayers read
by some young clergyman at home.
In former days, before experience
and observation had instructed and
broadened him, he was Tory of the
most pronounced description. They
relate an anecdote of him in Berlin,
to this effect: At beer saloon much
frequented by conservatives, Bismarck
one evening, Just rs he had taken his
seat, and was about to drink his first
glass of beer, overheard man who
sat at the next table, speak Of MEM
Der of the royal family in a particular
ly insulting manner. Bismarck rose
and. lifting his glass Of beer, thun-
dered out:
"Out Of. the housei If you are
not of when I have drunk this beer,
I will break the glass on your head ]"
Upon this there was O wild COM
motion in the room. and loud outcries
but Bismarck drank his glass Of beer
with the utmost compo.ure When
he had finished it, he smashed the
glass upon the offenders head. The
Outcries ceased for q moment, and Bis
marck said quietly: ~
"Waiter, what is to pay for this
broken glass +?
The manBer in which this outrage
was committed-Bismarck's com
manding look and bearing-carried
the day; the beer drinkers applaud
ed the act, and the man dared not re-
sent it.
, Bismarck's attachment to the crown
of Prussia was, at first merely the in |
stinctive feeling of a nobleman for his
King. Il am the Kings man." he
once said in Parliament; and ID was
such words as these that made him
Prime Minister. But Bismarck is
man of understanding. as well as a ne'|
blemap, and this understanding has
constantly grown and expanded with
the r,a,ch eff events. When he be-