The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1877-05-16
The FavOrite Flower OF the German
Emperor.

Translated from Gartenlaube' by G. X. Sherman.
Emperor William the First is, as every
one knows very fond of flowers, and ms
birthday-table is always ornamcnted with
most magnificent bouquets; and among
these more brilliant sisters, very modest
wild flower, the Con-Flowcr, Or Blue Bot
tie (Centanreo Cyanus), never tails 70 ap-
pear. All the sons and daughters Of the
immortal Queen Louisa cherish, IN menl-
orv of the dear departed. a decided prefer
encc for this flower and this preference
dates back to an apparently very insig-
niticant circumstance. The Queen Louisa
spent the two years from 1906 to 1903 in
konigsberg, and lived during the sum-
mer-months on Il country estate. The SOL
itude of the place, broken only by the
rustling Of the trees, the singing of the
birds. and the hum of insects, soothed the
troubled spirit of the sorely-tired Queen.
Here she often rambleds about with her
children, giving motherly words fcoun-
sci, which would cultivate the mind and
heart, and steel the character
One morning, as the Queen was about
to take her customary walk nthc park. a
peasant girl stood 1T the garden-gatc, and
offered her Il basket ofCorn-Flowers. The
Queen graciously accepted the present,
generously thanked the girl, took with
her the flowers. over whose beautiful blue
color the Princess Charlotte, then 10 years
old, expressed fond admiration, and went
into the park. When they come to rest
inc place. the Princess attempted, under
the mothers direction, to wear garland
of the Corn flowers: and so great was the
mothers JOY over the success OF the at
tempt that the usually pale cheek of the
Princess tlusheds to bright red. And,
when she pressed the completed wreath
on her beautiful hair, it was so becoming
to the fine, nobly-cut features that the
aClmiring brothers and sisters-among
them the present Empcror-gave loud
expressions of JOY. How delighted the
Queen must have been as she saw the eyes
of her children glisten over trit1e whose
material value was scarcely worthy of ac-
count.
The force Of arms had brought misfor-
tune on misfortune to the dear Fathcrland.
Who could have imagined that the Prin-
cess then adorned with a garland of wild
flowers, would ever wear the diadem of
an Empress! Who would have dreamed
that the apparently -annihilated Prussia
would extend its protecting arm from
cliff to sea, and would eXalt Louisa's son
to mighty power and honor as Emperor
Of United Germany?
But the Queen saw an Eden to arise in
the glad hearts of her children through
innocent JOY, out of which springs of pur-
est delight must flow. With deep emo
ton she pressed her dear ones to her heart,
and the Flower which had given her
so much pleasure, became her favorite
flower as also that of her daughter Char
lotte.
When Charlotte, twenty years later, as
Empress Of Russia, gladdened her home
with a visit, the people of Konigsberg
thought to awaken in the memory of the
mighty Empress an exceedingly pleasant
recollection, when young maidens, orna-
mented with Corn-Flowers, appeared be.
fore her, scattering the way with flowers
And they were not disappointed. The
Empress expressed her thanks and JOY
that they chose the Corn-Flower with
which to honor her.