Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-11-26
BACHELOR's BUTTONS.

BACHELOR'S BUTTONS.
The Favorite Flower OF tho EWperor
Of Germany.
That the bachelors button, which is
allowed to grow on several spots in the
Palace Garden, is the favorite flower of
the Emperor of Germany is we'll known
fact. The reason why this simple field
flower should be preferred by him to
other and much finer ones may not be
so well known. On the occasion of q
small fesiivity given at Koenigsberg, the
Emperor's mother, Queen Louise, ap-
peared in the presence of several French
Generals, sent by Napoleon ]. to the
unhappy Prussian King, in q very sim
pie white dress, wearing some Of these
flowers in her hair and small bunch Of
them in her corsage, much to the aston
lshment OF the rude warrlore, who did
not hesitate to exchange in loud whis-
per derogatory remarks about the plain-
ness of the toilet. Turning with an in
describably sweet yet dignified smile to
the Generals, the Queen said !: "Ever
since your horses have trodden down
our cornfelds, gentlemen, the pretty
wild flowers may we'll be counted among
the rare treasures Of my unhappy coun-
try" That scene and the flowers con-
nected with it belonged henceforth to
the Emperor's sad but sweet remi-
niscences of his youthful days. When
shortly after the battle of Friedland
Queen Louise had once more to flee
from Koenigsberg to Mcneil, the cae-
rage in which she travelled with her
two oldest sons, Princes Frederick Will
lam and William, lost q wheel on the
road. They were obliged to alight, and,
being far away from any habitation, to
SIT down by the side of the road while
the damage was repaired. Tho little
Princes being tired and very hungry
loudly bewailed their fate to the detected
mother, who did not know how to ap-
pease the wants of her children. The
young and delicate Prince William In
particular chung beseechingly to his
dearly beloved parent, who finally rose
from her grassy seat and culled bache-
lor's buttons In the adjacent fields, en-.
couraging the two boys to follow her
example. With tho flowers thus plQcked
she twined wreaths, which occupation
the Prince looked ON with great curiosi-
ty and interest. The feeling of help
lessness and the thought of the unhappy
condition of her family, her country and
the future of the sons by her side
brought tears to the mothers eyes-hot
tears, which slowly trickleds upon the
flowers which she held in her hand.
Prince William, deeply touched, threw
his arms round her neck and tried to
comfort her with his child-H caresses.
which brought a sweet smile on the ma
ternal face and lips, and won for the IT.
resistihle comforter wreath of the blue
flowers upon his 10-year-old curly head.
This touching roadside scene Prince
(now Emperor} William has never for
gotten. On every corn flower this bo-
ing the German name) he still thinks he
sees the glitter Of the maternal tear.
Hence his fondness for them. Still il il
not the flower alone he loves. He has
also great partiality for its color. A
peculiar construction of the Emperor's
eyes causes this particular shade of blue
to strike them more pleasantly than any
other, to such degree in fact as to rem
der him almost Indifferent, nay, insensi-
BILE, to all other colors. This is also the
reason why he likes to surround himself
with this his favorite shade, and the
ladies Of his court have long made it a
point to appear on festive occasions in
blue toilets, which not only produce an
agreeable effect upon his sight, but also
upon his mood, imparting to the latter
that happy tinge of cheerfulness and
amiability which has long become pro-
verbal in his case.