The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1886-04-02
miscellaneous.
A MISFIT MARRIAGE.
Translated From the German.

|
man. He was as full of eccentricties as 9
herring is of bones. Some writers who have
studied his character very closely maintain
that most of the time he was crazy. One oil
| bis peculiarities was to stroll out with de.
mure sort of n look on his face and rattan
cane in his good right hand. All at once he
would bend it, the cane, out of shape around
the persons of such of his loving subjects as
| he found lettering or loafing. All such were
| positive that he was a little out of his mind
| and should be locked mp in an asylum for the
| feeble-mindcd.
Frederick s great hobby was his regiment
| of giants, ofwhich he was proud as if he were
| their parental ancestor 1t was the opinion
| of his majesty that marrying his giant sol
| ders to women of similar stature Il 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 instga-
| ton of Frederick were not satisfactory to
| anybody except himself.
One day Frederick was taking q ride on
horseback in the vicinity of Potsdam. He
was then quite an old man. Not far from the
road was an object that attracted his atten-
ton. AT first he thought it was a haystack,
but he was not quite sure of it, as haystacks
were not in the habit of moving. The object
moved.
Frederick rode up to it, when 10 his utter
amazement, the object was transformed into
the biggest woman he ever saw. She was
bending over digging potatoes. AS she
stood up she shut out from the view of the
king, vast quantity 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
tpll lint wpll DrDpDrt ipppI Sha hold har
apron with one hand, while she allowed the
potatoes, with which it was filled, to drop
into large basket by her side. With her
left hand she welded shovel with as much
ease as if it had been toasting fork She
had f1aXcn hair, and face as round as full
moon, but there was a merry twinkle in her
blue eyes that indicated much mother wit.
what are you doing there?" asked the
king.
Cant you see for yourself I'm digging
potatoes. Did you think | was playing on
the pano?"
How old are you, sissy?'
Il was seventeen years old ON my last
birthday, hubby"
only seventeen 1t hardly seems posi-
BILE that you should have grown all that dis
lance in such a short time"
"Well, did, and did most of it by my
self, too, although had good start. You
are polite gentleman, you are, to ask lady
her age If / were TO judge of your age by
your size I'd say that you hadn't been wean-
ed 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 recollecting
that this peasant girl had no idea ofhs iden.
tity, he smiled, and regaining hisgood humor
continued the conversation.
you amuse me, little one. You are not
married, suppose
mo, and 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
scan,lalous. He takes all the men of any
size and puts them in his big overgrown reg
iment at Potsdam. You amt going to pro-
pose to me are you, now that you are talking
about marriage"
mo, not just yet, am too young"
"lf you are matrimonially iucined l was
going to recommend my grandmother. She
is Il widow about your age She was 1903
last summer. She is just the kind of risky
young thing you need to soothe you in your
declining years She is daisy at frying pan.
cakes"
A happy thought flashed through the
monarchs mind.
Look here, little one, want you to take
note from me to gentleman. in Potsdam.
Here is thaler for your trouble" and taking
his note book, Frederick tore out leaf, wrote
few lines, and handed the note with his
ring, to the giantess. "You take this note
and ring to the colonel of the guards at Pots.
dam, and tell him that the gentleman who
gave it to you said to be sure and carry out
the instructions contained in the note"
"All right, sir" she said, taking the money
and the note, do you want me to lift you
back in the saddle, old man ?"
mo, | thank YOU" little girl, replied the
king, mounting his horse, AS he rode off
she called after him,
BE careful, hubby, that you don't spill
yourself off that big horse"
The king rode off smlingy. He was
under the impression that he had done some
thing very shrewd.
The giantess possibly suspected that the
old gentleman on horseback was playing
some trick on her. 1t is also possible that
she opened the note and read it, 1t is not
altogether impossible that the sly piece knew
all the time that she was talking to his mai
esty, and her ignorance was altogether as.
sumed. Who can tell what woman knows
or don't know?
AT all events she made up her mind not to
deliver the note. AS it happened an old
woman, bent and wrnkled with age, came
down the road. The giantess motioned to
her to approach.
Good morning, grandmother Shipped, do
you want to earn a thaler?"
Did she want TO earn thaler? That was
more money than the poor old creature had
seen at one time in years.
She took the ring and note'and hobbled off
in the direction of Potsdam at a rate of speed
that was astonishing in one so aged The
giantess looked after her and then throwing
back her head she laughed so loud that
peasant blowing in field half mile distant
paused in his work, and looked to see what
was the cause of the atmospheric concus-