The Penn's Grove record., 1884-01-12
Won MoItkes Birthday.

The old ana celebrated Count Won
Moltke, the leading military man of
Germany, celebrated his eighty-fourth
birthday on the 26th Of October. He
is staying ON his estate at Kreisau, in
Silesia, His life is very simple. He
receives friends in the morning, plays
whist In the afternoon and works in the
evening, criticising the papers sub
mitted to him by the heads of depart
ments and writing on the margin notes
remarkable for their beauty Of style and
precision of thought. Next to the
Emperor Count Won Moltke is the most
popular man in Germany. His birth
day is a national holiday. Count Won
Moltke is not, rs popularity supposed, OF
Danish origin, but a Mecklenburgher,
whose family emigrated to IIOlstein.
He went to Berlin, where lie studied at
the Military Academy. He obtained a
position on the general staff Of the
Prussian Army Topographic section).
Henceforth he had only to bide his
time in patience. Ills merit was known
to himself, if the truth must be told,
as well as to others,
Many instances are related of his
frugality of habits. Some time after
the capitulation of Paris Moltke went
to Colmar, and meaning to stay there
Il few days, did not disdain to ask for a
billeting-order. Madame r., however,
upon whom the Marshall was to have
been quartered, would have nothing to
say to him, and Moltke was fain to
ledge and feed himself at a hOtel-of
course at the lady's expense. He asked
for four rooms on the first floor, invited
people to breakfast and dinner, and
treated them to Champagne-In short
the Teuton here lived like a fighting
cock. But at the end of three days
the landlord, who hated him, quietly
took leave to remind his EXcellency
that the term of the billeting-order had
now expired. Moltke replied with a
dry cough, and a demand for a small
room on the second floor During the
remainder of his stay he dined friend
less and champagneless at the table
d'hote.
Moltke is as good a letter writer as
Nine. de Seyigne, and he sent some par
ticularly charming letters from the
East to his sister, who had married an
Englishman settled in Holstein, a Mr..
Burt. Miss Mary Burt, daughter of
Mr.. Burt by a former marriage, was
especially moved by them and, when
the warrior came home, his th~rty-nine
winters were not considered a fatal OBJ
lection to union with a girl of but six.
teen summers. 1t was the happiest of
matches. She died III 1868, on Christ
mas Eve, and it was revelation to men
to see how Moltke sorrowed. Often
now he can be observed at his country
seat vending his way, III the gray of
the evening, toward his wife's tomb
a plain marble monument on the sum
NIT of a little hill, crowned with cy-
press.
Won Moltke knows something of
English literature, thinks highly OF
Shakespeare, but more highly of Miss
Braddon. AS to the English army he
! IS quoted as saying that he considered
the old purchase system the only good
thing in it. He is scarcely more com
plimentary on the subject of the Amer
lean service. Somebody nee askedhim
a question about the war between North
and South. Il really don't know -
he answered II have never looked
into the matter. l don't consider the
movements of armed mObs worth
studying" Nevertheless, this greatest
of living captains has rarely, if ever
been under fire.