The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-05-09
GERmANY,s AGED EMPEROR.
William the First's Daily Life and Constant
Struggle Against Infirmities.

william the Firsts Daily Life and Constant
Struggle Against Infirmities.
London Letter in New York Sun.
Before another year is out great, if not the
greatest, figure of this century will probably
have disappeared 1t may be that the Emperor
William of Germany only remains alive and
erect through the strength of his indomitable
energy, or that he survives to fulfill to prophecy
of the Protestant Rhenish Clergyman, who long
ago foretold that William the First would reach
the age of ninety. The worthy pastor founded
his horoscope on abtruse calculation of GER
tain important dates in the Emperor's life coup
led with verses of the Apocalypse; and whatever
credence was at the time given to the prophecy,
and subjects have superstitious faith in its ac-
complishment, and that his majesty at each sue
cessive birthday drinks ito his ninetieth ami
versary." He has just celebrated the eighty
ninth and in spite of the gaps made by time
and death in the aged monarch's circle, he still
stands surrounded by goodly and nu-
merous family He sat at the festive
board between his sister, dowager of
eighty-two, and the empress, now already
seventy four and so far recovered
from her accident as to have been able, for the
first time since it occurred, to walk past the line
of ladies at the gala reception, leaning ON her
husbands arm. Around the imperial couple
were grouped four generations of children and
grandchildren-four generations of kings or heirs
apparent to some of the proudest thrones of
Europe. Besides, William l. is related to all
the reigning families of Germany, and to most
foreign courts and receives from each member
loving homage and respect.
Not less sincere and more touching is the ven.
Grafton of the whole nation for the old sovereign.
The relations between him and his subjects are
almost patriarchal. A delicate pretense of igno-
rance, a guarded silence is preserved by all
classes when one or other of the customs and
habits OF the emperor has to be quietly relin-
pushed or temporarily abandoned. Ali know
how sensitive he is about the insdious advances
OF infirmity, and how manfully he struggles
against any semblance of invalidism By common
consent the secret of these solemn warnings is
religiousy kept, and when the well-known mar
tial figure appears again, after short disappear
ance, at the corner window of the residence,
still called the Regents Palace, which the EN-
peror always inhabits the discreet satisfaction of
the crowd is only expressed by its swelling num-
bers and is acknowledged by the short, quick
wave of the hand and pleased smile under the
heavy, snowy moustache
The Emperor and his three brothers were all
tall, well built, military looking men. The Ber-
lin population, fond of a certain analytic dem
onstraton, once described them thus: 1.-THE
King" they said, meaning the then reigning
Frederick William, lis witty and handsome:
Prince William the present Emperor
handsome, but not witty; Prince Charles is
witty, but not handsome, and Prince Albert is
neither witty nor handsome" This apprecia-
ton is neither absolutely correct nor absolutely
the reverse; but if William / is not precisely
witty, in the sparkling sense of the word, he is
endowed with the royal quality of tact. and
genial, courtly manner which enables him to
say the right thing to the right person on every
occasion. He is gentle almost tender, with
women, fond of their society lenent to their
frailties. He can converse with the same kindly
ease either with young debutantes, fashionable
embassadresses, stern, wrinkled excellenzen, or
the princesses of the stage and opera, for whom
he always had great partiality. Mesdames
Lucca. Artot, Tr ebelli, and many other stars,
are fully appreciated by him in their private
capacity, and at the court concerts where they
appeared he has never failed to express his graf
ification at their efforts in few well-chosen
words. He was and is passionately fond of the
opera, and goes there as often as his
other engagements will allow, if only for
an hour: but, except on rare state occasions, he
leaves the grand central brilliantly lit imperial
box to the officers and ladies of his household.
and In undress uniform, with single aide de-
camp, occupies a stage box, whence he mods affec-
tionately to the people he knows in the house,
twisting the while his moustache with his white
was dropped by the nurse from a window in the
palace of his mother, Queen Louise, into a
flower bed, suffering no other~injury than the
crushing of the small finger which, either from
amputation or whitening, never recovered, and
has always interfered with the Emperors facil-
ity and ability of penmanship.
But devoted as William l is to the opera, ne
never goes without ascertaining the intentions
of the Empress Augusta, and if she requires
him for any other plan or disposition of the
evening hours lie invariably accedes to her wish
He has for his wife all the attentive politeness
and tender solicitude of younger husband, and
in the domestic circle addresses her in the IA
miliar second person singular, the homely Ger
man "du, but both in public and private treats
her with the greatest Difference. Unwilling to
own to any lack of strength. the Emperor
fuses to use the lift which unites his apartments
on the ground floor to those of the Empress on
the first story. yet he painfully ascends once
day the narrow, winding, interior staircase to
visit her, and only leaves her if his presence is
not required.
The sothing, paternal influence of the home
life at the court of Berlin had a softening and
beneficial effect on the Princess Royal of Eng.
land when she came as bride of seventeen to
marry the heir to the throne. She arrived ;m-
bued with the tyranical, selfish exclusiveness of
her mother, ready for absolute conjugal despo-
tism, and with British unwllingness to adapt
herself to any habits and customs not her own.
The Emperor petted and INDUCED her, but
curbed her temper and resisted her exactons.
At gala concert given in honor of the newly
married Queen of Portugal, the Princess Vic
toria, for the first time, had to relinquish
her bridal post of honor on the SOW
ereign's right Unable to hide her vexation,
she wrenched her long train from the hands
Of the pages in attendance, who were
about to lay it across the back of her seat, ac-
cording to etiquette, and flung it, with crashing
sweep of velvet and gold embroidery around her
feet Her father-inl law held up reproving fin
ger and shook his head at the petulant woman,
but with so benevolent a look that he coaxed
back smile to the pouting lips. He also put
stop to certain exgences of the young wife
which interfered with what the monarch con-
sidered public duty, such telegraphing three
or four times in one afternoon to the Prince
Royal to hurry back from review or maneuvre
at Potsdam, because she wanted him. He also
prohibited some indecorous vagaries attempted
only as trials of power, such as compelling her
husband to give her his arm while visiting on foot
late at night the booths of the Christmas fair on
the Castle square at Berlin.
The Emperors mode of life even to this day is
simple, regular, almost austere Only last year
ne yielded to the often expressed wishes of his
physicians, and consented to rise at o'clock,
instead of his usual hour of T. Above his bed is
large picture of his mother the beautiful
Queen Louise; and in his room lie scattered
profusion of handmade souvenirs, gifts from
his children and their children. his servants