Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-04-20
BISMARCK.
SEINE Of His Eccentric characteristics.
Pail Wan GIsesfe.

SEINE Of His Eccentric characteristics.
Pail BqU Gl-etfe
Superstition. II Is said. is closely allied
10 strong religious belief. and il appears
that the great Bismarck forms no eXcep-
ton from this rule. He * awed by appa-
ritiOEs ID uuinhauited castles. shrinks
from dining where thirteen sit down at
table. believes 10 Unlucky days. and adj
heres to the ancient belief Of the influence
Of the moon on every living thing This.
~ least. d. said among the people, and DR..
Busch occupies himself for aH hile in CIV
ing examples by which 10 prove this
ffeakness. The conclusion Of the chap
ter. however. contains his real opinion on
the matter. He is the clearest thinker
iu politics. deep and farseeing beyond
all his contemporaries, always grasping
what is right, without prejudice.
elevated above customary things. He a
spiritualist, a believer in OminOus days.
an arithmetician with mystical figures:
Really. No, it is all nonsense, with the
exception Of a single story which hap
pened at SchOnhausen, where the Chan
ceilOT heard mysterious footsteps in the
ante-chamber Of his bedroom. The jests
about my superstitiOns,' he said few
months ago. are nothing but lests, or
consideration Of the feelings Of others. |
viii eat at table with twelve others as
often as you like. and viii undertake the
most important and serious business on
Friday In MS younger days Prince Bis
marck was very fond Of practical jokes,
but they were harmless, and generally
played with discretion"
IL is a pleasant change TO turn from
the turbulent public life Of the Chancellor
and see him in his own home, surrounded
by friends TO whom be is united by ties Of
sympathy and love. There, before all, is
the common companion Of his life-the
woman who has stood by his side for
more than thirty years, and who has ever
proved a loving wife. "Ihe Princess has
been brought up religiously; but hers is
a bright, lively nature, gifted with a
SOOdly portion Of natural wit, with fine
taste and feelings. Very musical, and a
splendid player on the piano, she is,at the
same time, careful, sensible housewife,
and, after the manner Of the noble ladies
u former days, she is said to have some
knowledge Of medicine. With genu-
inc womaniness she created for
her husband a home full Of COM
fort and genial warmth, and
iutelligently shared for years mis- griels
and hopes, sometimes even, as is evident
from passages in Bismarck S letters 10 her
treprinted by Hesekiel) TO a certain
measure Of political questions, although,
as rule, she does not belong TO the class
of women who take part in politics. Her
correspondence with him when official
duties OF p leasure trips separated them
Geographically, was very lively and affec-
tiOnate. He calls her my heart" my
dearest heart" in his letters; he sends
Jasmine from Peterhof, blooming heather
from Bordeaux, and promises to send her
edelweiss from Gastein, where, on the
sixteenth anniversary Of their wedding
day, he remembers that this day "has
brought sunshine to his bachelor life"
The Chancellor is stronger in modern
than in the two classical languages.
"WhXn ! was a 'primaner,'" he said once
20 Ferrieres, q knew very well how to
write ana read Latin, but at present it
would be difficult. and Greek / have alto
gether forgotten" History and geogra-
ply have always been his favOrite studies,
and in literature he is well acquainted
with the chief authors Of the past as well
as the present times. Goethe and Shak-
Speare are his faVOrites. and he is greatly
interested in modern French and English
uOyelists. Although no cOnnOissCur in
painting and sculpture, he likes the So
ciety Of artists, and from his youthful days
al Berlin he has retained a great admira-
zion for music, especially by the classical
cOmpOsf RS. Among the great masters,
Beethoven pleascs him best. In letter
20 his wife, written during the summer Of
i.5l he says that he is well and happy.
but is q little hOmesick for '-the woods. the
sea, the wilderness. you and the children.
all mingled with sunsets and Beethoven"
II Bismarck has ever had any taste for
gambling, it has long since left him, and
~ present ne never touches "A card. As
Youngster he rather liked whist, and once
remained at the whist table for seven fun
hours, playing twenty rubbers. But
he said once, when talking Of this, u was
only interested when the stakes were
D.. -h hot IL ffarss ratrft ar
idmIlias." IL is true that in the summer
Of $50 he took part in game Of quinze,
but solely for political purposes, with
political thoughts at the back Of his mind.
~ &c was at the time" he told us at Yer
sailles, "WEen ! concluded the treaty Of
Gastein with BlOme. Although,
as rule. I have long since left of play
INK, 7 played so recklessly that all the
others were ast0nished. But / knew
what l wanted. BlOme had heard
that az quinze you had the best
opportunity of getting TO know people,
and he was trying it then. | thought, you
shall know him well. ! lost a few hun
dred thalers. but / confused
him; he thought me fOolhardy, and gave
in" In addition to card playing he has
also discontinued smoking. partly on ac-
count Of his health. He has Of late
suffered much from neuralgia, and, 'if he
suffers from nervousness, it = no wonder,
for more than twenty years The most inn
p0rtant part of the history OF Germany,
and not little OF the history of the neigh
boring countries, with its puzzles and
problems, confusion and danger, have
passed through his head, and he has taken
it 10 heart as we'll" Irritation affects his
health more than anything else, and that
he should have his full share of il is
the constant care of the Parliamentary
parties and Of some court circles.
Prince Bismarck is rather shOrt-sight-
ed. but reads and writes without glasses,
and mas q very fine ear. Like all nervous
people, he likes warm clothes and rooms
and as soon rs the weather becomes cool
all the rooms in the house, even the spare
rooms and passages, have a fire. The
cbOicric, but the volcano dies out as quick
~ as II is kindled, and his good nature
soon gets the upper hand. Says DR..
Busch: "Ie has been called bitter char
acter, despiser and hater OF mankind,
ScOtfeF and calumniatOr. PrepOsterOus.
He hates and despises only that which in
man is not human Prince Bismarck's
annual revenues amount to about $4,000;
he lives quietly, but is hospitable, and
wishes all his visitors to feel at home as
long as they are under his roof When
living on his estates he occupies himself
with forestry, and his iavOrite walk is in
the OAK woods when his favOrite flower,
she heather, is in bloom.
Aid to the Injured.