Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1886-02-04
A MISFIT MARRIAGE.

TRANSLATED FROM THE GERMAN.
Frederick the Great was very peculiar
man. He was as full of eccentricities as
shad is Of bones. Some writers who
have studied his character very closely
maintain that most of the time he was
crazy. One of his peculiarities was to
stroll out with demure sort of a look on
his face and a rattan cane in his good
right hand All at once he would bend
it, the cane, out of shape around the per-
sons of such of his loving subjects as he
found lettering or loafng. All such were
positive that he was little out of his
mind, and should be locked up in an asy-
lum for the feeble-minded.
Frederick's great hobby was his regi
ment of giants, of which he was proud
as if he was their parental ancestors. 1t
was the opinion of his majesty that mar
rying his giant soldiers to women of sim
liar stature race Of giants would be the
result. The wishes and feelings of the
parties thus mated were never taken into
consideration, consequently many of the
marriages entered into at the instigation
of Frederick were not satisfactory to any
body except himself.
One day Frederick was taking ride
on horseback in the vicinity of Potsdam.
He was then quite an old man. Not far
from the road was an object that at
tracted his attention. At first he thought
it was a haystack, but he was not quite
sure of it, as haystacks were not in the
habit fmoving. The object moved.
Frederick rode up to it, when to his ut
ter amazement, the object was trans
formed into the biggest woman he ever
saw. She was bending over digging po-
tatoes. As she stood up she shut out
from the view of the king, vast guam
tity of blue sky. In fact, the king, who
had dismounted, was almost frightened
as he looked up at this giantess.
She seemed to be about seven or eight
feet tall but well proportioned. She
held her apron with one hand, while she
allowed the potatoes, with which it was
filed, to drop into large basket by her
side. With her left hand she welded a
shovel with as much ease as if it had been
a toasting fork. She had faxen hair,
and face as round as full moon, but
there was merry twinkle in her blue
eyes that indicated much mother wit"
"What are you doing there?'' asked
the king.
Cant you see for yourselfi Pm dig
ging potatoes. Did you think 1 was
playing on the piano2"
''How old are you, sissy"
II was seventeen years old on my last
birthday, hubby"
"Only seventeen 1t hardly seems
possible that you should have grown all
that distance in such short time
''Well, | did, and 1 did most Of it by
myself, too, although l had a good start.
You are a polite gentleman, you are, to
ask lady her age. If l was to Judge of
your age by your size I'd say that you
hadn't been weaned yet, although your
face shows that you were not born last
week
The king, who was not accustomed to
this sort of talk, was angered, but recol-
lecting that this peasant girl had no idea
Of his identity, he smiled, and regaining
his good humor continued the converse
ton.
''You amuse ME, little one. You are
not married, l supposed"
mo, and l don't expect that will
have chance to get married for the next
hundred years, or, at least, until the old
king pegs out. The way that old sinner
holds out is scandalous. He takes all the
men Of any size and puts them in his big
overgrown regiment at Potsdam. You
amt going to propose to me are you, now
that you are talking about marriage2"
No, not just yet am too young.
If you are matrimonially inclined
was going to recommend my grandmoth-
er. She is widow about your age. She
was 105 last summer. She is just the
kind Of frisky young thing you need to
soothc you in declining years. She is q
daisy at frying pancakes. =
A happy thought flashed through the
monarch mind.
Look here, little one, want you tc
take note from me to gentleman il