The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1884-09-24
BismarclK's Habits

On one occasion he actually played whist
for seven consecutive hours. The game OF
hazard also possessed strong fascination for
him for a long time. ''But," he observed, as
we were speaking Of it, at only interests me
when the stakes are high and the pool large,
and that does not do for tamil man." New
ertheless, as lately as tho middle Of August,
1866, he took part in a game of quinze, but
only for diplomatic purposes, ut was when
| was arranging the treaty Of Gastein with
Blome,' he explained, 'and although ! had
quite given up cards, played so rashly on
that occasion that the others were perfectly
astounded. But l had design in doing so.
Blome had heard that the game Of quinze gave
one the best opportunity for the study Of char
acter, and he was now trying the experiment
with me. thought it pity not to let the
experiment succeed so / lost a couple of hun
dred thalers, which were really expended in
His Majesty's service, and ought to have been
refunded. For l deceived Blome to such an
extent that he thought was foolhardy, and
yielded"
As a diplomatist, Bismarck naturally keeps
good table. But he by no means despises
simple fare. For instance, he esteems pure
Nordhausen rye brandy very highly, and keeps
a quantity of it, beside the more anstocratlc
cognac to mature and mellow in his cellar at
Schonhausen. Like Frederick the Great, he
has large appetite. But we must take into
consideration that, as a rule, he eats only one
meal in the day, and that after 6 O'Clock in the
evening, aud that those who have much brain
work require a great deal of food. He was
formerly an inveterate smoker, and once trav-
aled from Cologne 10 Berlin and smoked all
the way Unit einem Fener," I. c. lighting each
cigar from the one be had just finished. But
after 1870 he gradually gave up cigars, on ac-
count of his health. and smoked long pipe
instead; and in 1881 he told me that he had
given up smoking altogether, as it no longer
agreed with him.
For good many years-iu fact, since his
residence in St. Petersburg-the Prince s health
has not been particularly good, though his ap-
pearance does not generally betray the fact
He suffers frequently from severe and often
painful attacks of eTysiplas and neuralgia.
That lie should suffer from nervousness is not
at all to be wondered at For nearly quarter
of a century the most momentous questions in
the political history Of Germany, with its prob
lens and enigmas, Its entangements, excite
ments and dangers, have been worked out in
his busy brain, and have all been taken anx-
iously to heart. In the course of conversation
at table in April, 1878, he called himself ''an
old man, whereupon the Princess remonstrat-
ing with him said: "But you are only just sixty
three" eyes, he replied, "but l have lived
fast, and cash in hand" then turning to me he
added, "By cash in land, mean that have
always done what had to do with my whole
heart, and l have paid with my health and
strength for what l have attained His chief
ailment, besides this nervousness, which takes
the form Of continual sleeplessness, is disOr-
dered stomach; aud he is troubled occasionally
with swelling of the veins of the legs. Worry
has a particularly prejudicial effect on his
health, and the parliamentary factions on the
one hand, and the members of certain court
circles on the other, take good care that there
shall be no lack of this. II may be mentioned
in this connection that the Princes sight is
not good for distant objects, but that he does
not wear glasses when reading or writing; and
that, like all nervous people, he is fond Of
warm clothing and hot rooms.
The Prince may be described as Of a choleric
temperament. Anger with him assumes vol
Canic aspect, and vents itself in violent out
bursts But the volcano dies odt as quickly as
it Jared up, and there is no thought Of malice.
Altogether Bismarck possesses a most kindly
disposition, which displays itself in acts of
compassion and benevolence. He was always
kind to the poor. One night at Bar-le-duc lie
cut piece Of bread for hungry sentinel and
brought it out to him himself. After the bat
tie of BEAUMONT he gave some tired and strag-
Cling Bavarian soldiers drink from his own
flask: He sent cigars TO the wounded soldiers
at Douchery, and frequently visited the hospi-
tai at Versailles, and cheered and saw to the
comfort of the sick.-Hmper'S Magazine.