Daily Kennebec journal., 1879-07-30

were entirely simple and unostcntatious; only
two horses, no outriders. no guards. The
old gentleman is now eighty-three. but pre-
serves his health and vigor to a remarka-
BILE degree. He is occupied many hours
every day with important matters of State,
and the number of times he has to write
''Wilhelm" each day is no small task.
The ceiebratian of the golden wedding of
the "Imperial pair on the II lth of June was a
very grand occasion. 1t was probably de-
scribcd in the American papers
The affair loses little of its romance how
ever, when we learn (but this is all in conf
dence, dear journal, and is not to be spoken
of you know. that there is little happiness
in their welded life. Not only was the mar
riage one of State policy at first. but it seems
TO be generally conceded that the Empress is
very fussy and disagreeabIe parsonage and
always has been. she is trivial, weak, and
eXacting No one at her court has anv peace
prominent gentleman in Berlin was presi-
dent of some society in which she happened
to take an interest and she used to send for
him at all hours. and he wonld have to leave
his business, his dinner, and perhaps his in
vited guests, put on his court dress and 90
and answer foolish questions which he had
answered before. She tried the same thing
on the Cabinet officers until they finally had
to refuse to obey her summons. Although
nearly seventy years of age she has a silly
desire to appear young. so she gets herself up
with dye, and color and other artificial aids.
and dresses in a youthful style and thus she
appears in the photographs which are seen in
all the shop windows. But then. who knows
perhaps the poor thing was also disappointed
in love, and has suffered as much in not pos
seSsng the man of her choice as the Emper-
or has in not marrying the beautiful Princess
Radzvill. who died soon after. of disappoint-
ment. We must also do the old lady the us-
tice of saving that she is really interested in
good works of any Kind. even if she does
meddle little too much with things which
do not concern her.
Speaking of good works, it is a very bad
work in which Mr.. Smallcy of the Tribune is
engaged in lying about Gen. Grant. Wheth.
er the General should be our next President
or not is a question to be decided upon its
merits and one upon which any patriotic man
may take the negative, but certainly no lover
of his country or of fair play viii wish to see
the matter decided by slander. gentleman
who knows men and the world pretty thorough
ly ytoldme that he saw much of Gen. Grant when
he was here and that the stories of his drunk
enneSs are certainly false. He one day asked
the General to drive with him and see the
city. He thanked him and said he had seen
it. The gentleman asked him when. ''oh,"
said he my custom in any city is to rise at
six O'Clock, take carriage, omnibus or horse
car. and ride as far as | can in one direction.
and then walk back, this repeat every morn
ing in different direction
''Now,' said the gentleman who told me
this, these are not the habits of man who
has to sleep off the effects of liquor" and |
think his conclusion is true one.
Let us do the Gen. Justice, then, while we
may, at the same time wish that he were above
suspicion.
The weather up to the present date in
Europe and Great Britain has been cold and
wet all through the spring and summer. The
harvest of winter grain is now just at hand,
and there is great danger of bad harvest,
which will greatly add to the agricultural dis
tress, especially in England where it is al
ready very serious matter The importa-
ton of American produce, cheese butter,
meats. and grain, have reduced the prices be-
low the cost of production. | heard one i'm
porter say that he had one hundred and twen-
ty-fvc thousand dollars worth of American
hams in his stock. Now is America opportu-
nifty for expectation and for sound financial
management at home.