, 1880-10-04
Pats First German Lesson

King Frederick William of Prussia,
lie father of Frederick the Greai, hal
craze for recruiting his body guard
with the tallest men that could be
found and bad agents at work IN every
sonntry. who often gave very high
prices for the giants whom they found.
One seven-foot man who was sent tC
Inc King from II gland by the Prus-
sian ambassador there, received a
Bounty of nearly seven thousand dol
lars, whicn WAS gond deal moro than
.ke a.,ass adOr' s o~ salary ;and the bar
gain proved "a bad one. after all, for this
expensive giant was SO weak in the
knees ihat he had to be discharged as
useless year later.
A very strange sight it was, this
sxigade Of giants: for although their
shiforms were all Ike, their faces
were as different as could well be. In
one place Nou wonld see dark. hook
2Gsed, witi-iooking Arab, beside red
sAiskered lrishmin, and in anorher a
ruddy Dane, .lth fair hair and clear
blue eyes, shoulder ~ shoulder with a
weClIy Leaiied negro, black rs any coal.
INDEED, some of the battaions were
beard. Moor and Persian alternating
With German and Swede. But, queer
as they Looked, the KiIg wss never
tired uf paradIng aid admiring them,
Ili be knew the face If every soldier
in the guard rs well as il II had been
his own.
Nov it happened that one morning a
Prussian recruiting ser seaut, who was
banging arouuS l. 'n,ion in search OF
sGli recruits for Frederick Wiliiam o
life GuaId, blu his attention attracted
by a great crowd in one OF the prInci
Pal Streets And when ne came up to
Is, he was very glad be- hid come; for
in the middle of it was just the thing
he had been looking tor-the tallest
man he hal ever seen in his life.
The crowd might we'll stare. for This
man stood nearly head and shoulders
above them all. ami ragged as he was.
looked very handsome fellow. His
head WAS cover.d d with tsDgle ct
thick yellow hair, an- his broad shout
aeTs and huge limbs showed that his
strength equailea his s,ze; while, by
has mellow Tlpperary accent. and the
merry twinkle IN the corner of his eye,
saybody would have known him at OIL CT
for an Irish niau.
Just at this time, however, poor Pat
had little enough cause for merriment
He had come over to find work, and
las his Uttered clothes bore witness
Aad found none; and he was already
down to MS last shilling, without any
idea how to earn another.
Rnt hAl pta. tn ho
imagined. In moment the recruit
ing-se, gesnt had elbowed his way
through the crowd, ani laid his han
familiarly upon the young giant 5
ragged sleeve.
"Come with me, my brave lad,
said he, in quite friendly tone. I'm
soldier my sell, and can't see a com
rade in distress without helping him. y
"But Dim not soldier" rejoined
The ifishman, with wondering look
Aren't you?" cried the sergeant,
pretending to be quite surprised.
swell. I'm snre anybody that looked
as you would take you for soIdier;and
II you re not one. You ought to be.
But we Can talk about that by-and-by
come and have some breakfast, to be-
gm with"
Pat did not wait to be asked twice,
and soon showed that he had an ap.
petite in proportion to his inches.
When breakfast was over. the sergeant
ut once proceeded to business.
"I'll tell you what, my fine fellow
said he, Iii you're thinking of turning
soldier, you II hardly find a better ser
vice than ours. Oar KING gives high
.bounties to his Lifeguardsmen, and
Ina sure he wouldn't think two
thousand dollars tit TO much for q
strappng fellow Ii 9 you: What do
you say -? will you come with me aud
get plenty Of money. or will you stay
here and starve Z"
FAX, Ma, choice is aisily made, y
answered the young IrishmaD, laugh
inRly. "Av ye name what ye say, Pat
O FIannigan's = the boy for yez y
"AIl right" said the sergeant; "but,
blythe by, can you speak German. my
had? for If you can't, the King won't
give you so much"
Poor Paddy's face clouded over as
suddenly as it had frightened.
"German is i,s Ooh, sorra wcord
of German can 1 spake. av ye wor to
hang me for it T.