Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1873-11-13
A LOST BROOCH.

A LOST BROOCH.
" I should think you expected them
tonight surel Couldn't you prepare
them something in the way of refresh
ments, and make the house look nt-
tractive, SO they will be sure to drop
il. upon US I"
The above remarks were intended to
be sarcastic. They were addressed to
q relative whom had blessed with my
presence during the melting heat Of
dog-days.
It was the programme to be zone
through each evening, Just before re-.
firing, under which my spirits clafed.
There was just little ready cash to be
hid in the wood-box trifie of silver
to be put down cellar in the churn
the fastening of each window to be
carefully examined, and chairs to be
put at the outer doors.
I" For my part I'd rather be robbed
and murdered two or three times in q
life, than go through all this every
night as You have for twenty years,
and wake up every morning to find
myself disappointed. never trouble
my head about thieves and robbers !"
Conceit always gets punished, soon-
er or later, and, sure enough, about a
year after 1 met my reward.
A friend and were going from Ber.
lin to Paris, via Cassel, Frankfort, and
Strasburg. We had never before trav.
eled at night on the continent, but
Wishing to have q day ut Cassel, we
left Berlin by the 8 P. NJ, train. The
conductor put us in a coupe with three
or four other ladies, and on being told
that one of the party was inst recover
ing from severe illness, and was also
lame, he copied or remembered the
number of the coupe, and leftus undis.
turbed the whole Of the night. All the
ladies, except ourselves, were German,
and were very chatty and agreeable.
As We were about dispos;ng of our
selves for the night, one of the ladies
unfastened door in the middle of the
coupe, and explained that here was q
small dressing room for our accommo-
dation, and that Of the ladies in the
next coupe, they entering from their
side and we from ours. I wore q
brooch, an Oriental topaz, set in gold
with split pears. The pin in some way
interfered With my perfect comfort,
and, like the woman who said she
wouldn't care fig to wear q dress she
couldn't take nap in, I took the pin
out of the ribbon that tied my collar,
and put it in my travelling bag.
We arrived at Hesse Cassel the fol-
lowing morning, and went to the Vic.
toria Hotel. After breakfast, leaving
the bag in charge of one of the wait
ers Of the hotel, we drove to Wilhelms-
hohe, situated about three miles
from Cassel, that we might see the
famous cascade of Karleburg, which
took 1000 men IA years to build. and
cost the Eleot0r Fredrick more millions
of money than he ever dared acknowl-
edge to his people. The keeper of the
palace where Jerome Napoleon had
lived as king, and more recently his
royal nephew as prisoner-was very in
teresting and intelligent. He spoke
highly of the conduct of Louis Ma
poleon during his stay at Wilhelmsho:
he. "No man." he said, "could be
moro modest in his demeanor." He
gave no unnecessary trouble, always
asked politely for what he needed, and
rewarded the slightest service with a
pleasant "Thank you."
The walls of the chamber which the
Empress Eugene occupied while visit
ing her husband, were covered with
white silk, printed with bright flowers.
The bed-spread was of white satin. en-
broidered with clusters of rose-buds.
in colored silks. The pillow, which
was covered with the same material.
was perfectly round and smooth, 80
that each embroidered bud stood ont
from the satin. 1t was very lovely to
look ut, and must have been about as
comfortable TO sleep on as stuffed
stove.pipe. Pointing to- an elegantly
wrought fire screen, the keeper re-.
marked, "That is q sample of the OK
quisite taste our enemies, tho French,
possess ; it is needless to tell YOU that
all this beautiful work vas done by
hem"
The next stage of our Journey was
Frankfort, which we reached the same
evening. The good book gives us
some advice about taking the lowest
room, so that when our modest worth
becomes apparent, we may be hidden
to "move up higher" The waitcr at
the Westendhall knew our worth at a
glance, and led us up to the topmost al
once: Upon our demonstrating he as
sured US that this was tho only vacant
room in the house, and let fall the re-
mark accidentally that the Grown
Prince of Prussia had put up there q
night or two ago. So this was not onlv
a most convenient and comfortable ho.
tel for the ordinary man aud beast, but
one whore princes were entertained.
and, US in the present case, sometimes
angels unawares."
The next morning we took the ex-
press for Strasburg. At Carlsruhe the
train stopped fifteen minutes for re-
freshments. We had become SO accus-
toned to the way the German con.
ductors hunt mp all their passengers,
and see them safely locked in before
they start, that we had begun to feel
that the train would not 20 without us.
My travelling companion emerged
from the refreshment saloon Just in
time to be too late. Had she not Gov
cred her distressed countenance will,
both hands, she might have seen my
noble self, like On amateur perfOrmc.
in Punch and Judy show, going
through a wild pantomine from win
dow of the fast receding train, said
pantomine being intended to convey tt
her world of comfort, and an assur
ance that our parting, though sudden
and unexpected, should not be forever
My friend, who prided herself ON bcine
judge of human nature, having con
ceived the idea that was most re
liable and steady-going person, In,
entrusted to my charge her money an.
railway ticket. The conductor w,,s OK
cee.lingly kind, and advised mo p.
right on, assuring me that the guard a
tie lcnot would mt her on thc mex