Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1874-03-12
AN ECCENTRIC KING.
dis Oecup s,ion and Amusements.
From Appleton's Journsl.j

From Appleton's Journslj
When King George of Greece as
cended the throne of the Hellenese, it
was generally believed that his reign
would be short lived, and that the
young gentlemen from Denmark would
speedily fling away his crown and re-
turn to his delightful home on the
shores of the Sound.
The contrary has been the case; the
Basileus from Denmark is not only a
very happy man, but an exceedingly
popular ruler. Nothing can be less
pretentious than the manner in which
he lives. brought him letter of in
PRODUCTION from his father, and, it be-
ing fine September day, strolled down
between 2 and s o'clock in the morn
ing to inquire of the palace guards
what would be the most convenient
hour for the King to receive me. To
my establishment, the Greek soldier at
the gate. in his picturesque uniform,
repli d to me:
"You can see His Majesty now
He is always up before 8 o'clock"
This was singular but welcome news
to me.
"Where may / see the Master of
Ceremonies? / asked.
The soldier stared at me.
"Send in your card by one Of these
boys" pointing to two or three pages
lettering about the por'ico, "and you
will probably be admitted at once"
Such proved to be the case. Two
or three minutes afterward | was in
the presence of the King. Imagine
slender young man OF %, with thin,
light colored hair, very expressive,
handsome face, ruddy cheeks dressed
in checkered plaid, with steel-framed
eyeglasses, small hands and small feet
encased in red morocco slippers, and
you have the Basileus before your
eyes.
He glanced over my letter of intro
duction, and then asked me to be
seated.
"You have come here all the way
from Copenhagen" he asked.
"Yes, sire sven days ago | was
yet at the Tivoli, and took leave Of
your royal father"
sob, yes, he likes to go there and
mingle with the people, sad the
young King, smiling, sand to laugh
over the farces in the open-air theater."
Your Majesty has no theater here"
/ remarked it must be a great pri-
vation."
"Not at ALL" he said, ~ believe
would have no time to go il there
was good one at Athens. / am
very busy. Look at this" he added,
showing me pile of manuscript; 81
am writing"
"Writing!" / exclaimed in surprise.
The King laughed.
eyes," he said, "writing book"
took the liberty to ask on what
subject.
"On the Bees of Hymettus. Times
must have changed greatly, or the an
Gent Hellenese must have been poor
judges of honey. Wait!"
He jumped up and brought a tum-
bier filled with honey and a teaspoon
"Taste this
did SO, while he looked a. ma ak
pectantly.
"Ia it good?" he asked.
"Not very" l said. "Not near SO
good as Danish honey"
"That is just what l am going TO
prove in my book"
He asked me to accompany him to
his cabinet. 1t was a small room,
full of chemical crucibles, and glasses
covered with waxed paper.
"Here," said the King, care ninety
different sorts of honey-eyen from
Australia and New Zealand. Hymet-
tus honey ranks far below most Of
them"
His majesty made me taste a half
dozen different kinds.
asked him if he thought that in
olden times the busy bees of Hymet-
tus had done better.
81 am inclined to that opinion" he
answered, "and | am sure | have
found out the true reason. The climate
of Greece is no longer what it was
1900 years ago. This is my discov-
cry" he added, almost triumphantly
sand if can prove the assertion, am
| not entitled to some philosophical
honors?n
] ventured to ask for the reasons of
this belief.
"Ah!" he said, laughing. that is
my secret, but, believe me, am we'll
fortified with arguments. ! have my
classics at my fingers ends, and have
waded through an enormous quantity
OF learned literature.
! asked the King whether he devo-
ted his leisure hours entirely to this
branch of study.
"No, no." be said, eagerly; "to my
birds. Will you see my aviary?"
There was no refusing, OF course.
And so I followed His Majesty into