The Washington critic., 1888-03-31
PRINCE BISMARCK.
His BOyhOOd, Student Life and Early
Berlin Days.
"HARDENING" YOUNG OTTO,
His Life at Gottingen-Au Actor in
Twcuty-sevcn DueIs.
Philadelphia Record.

great and lasting regret. was sent to
school at an earlier age than 1t is
usual TO remove German boy from
the kindly influence of the home
circle. His father had imbibed Ger.
tain notions about the value Of the
hardening process" in education, and
young Otto was sent to the Plamann
Institute, in Berlin, at that time
famous school The system in vogue,
however was almost uncomfortable to
the sensitive boy, and he has con-
fcssed Of late years that the sight of
laborers working in a plowed field,
or anything that reminded him of his
home in Pomerania, would set him
TO weeping. The masters, who were
followers of old jain, were especially
dislilied by him They forced him to
take part in athletic exercises which
were beyond his strength, and be-
lieved that q low regimen and exposure
would tend to harden him; nor were
they any the less rigorous because
of his noble birth. The proud lad re-
bclled against such treatment, and
spoke with contempt of the demo-
cratic doctrines OF the masters; nor
does he seem at this time to have
made many friends among his school
fellows. later on he entered the
Frederick William Gymnasium where
he attracted the attention of the dis
linguished DR.. Bonnell, who never
lost his liking for the brightfaced boy.
Aiterward he was transferred to the
Berlin Gymnasium, and thence to the
Graue KlOstcr, where he remained
until he left the capital for the Uni
versitv of Gottingen. During the
last years of his school life he was an
inmate of DR.. Bonnell's house, and
the kind professor has himself told
how much he was interested in the
boy. "lhis is nice boy; I'll keep
my eye on him." the professor had
said to himself on first seeing Young
Bismarck at the Frederick William
Gymnasium, and in after days he
wrote;
"ln every respect he was an at
tractive boy. He seldom quilted us
of an evening, and if | was absent, as
sometimes happened, he would con.
verse in u Confiding and innocent
manner with my wife. He showed
a strong love of domestic life and won
our hearts
BY HIS BoyISH ADVANCES.
The good doctor lived to see his
pupil become famous man and
Prime Minister of Prussia; nor was he
or his family forgotten by Bismarck.
The weary statesman used to look up
at the window of the little room he
had occupied while he lived with
Professor Bonnell, no doubt dreaming
of old days and lost companions; but
changes have been made in the house
and the window is now built up.
AS school-boy Bismarck seems to
have displayed Il marked preference
for the study of history, more espe-
cialiy for that of his native Prussia
and the other States of the old Ger
man Confederation. He wrote Latin
with considerable facility, though
with but moderate degree OF correct
ness The decision on prize essay
written by him in 1882, at which time
he was rs years of age, was; "Oratio
est lucida ac Latina, sed non salts cas-
tigati" Crhe language is clear and
Latin, but stands in need of correc-
tion.)
Like all true school-boys, young
Bismarck lOnged for the freedom of
holiday, and even accepted the dan
gers of cholera with the philosophic
hope that ii might release him from
his studies. In 1881 there was a gen.
cral cholera mania in Germany, and
Bismarck's father had written to him
to return home as soon as the first
case should appear in Berlin. This
was IN order that young Otto was
only too anxious to obey, and that he
might anticipate the advent OF the
disease, he hired horse and several
times rode ont toward Frederick 3
Field, district in which the doctors
expected the cholera to make its first
appearance. On returning from one
of these excursions, however,
his horse fell with him, and
he was carried to Professor
Bonnell's house with sprained leg.
| The boy was put to bed, and, to his
intense disgust, was forced to lie there
and quietly await the approach of the
dreaded disease, his happy vision of
Il holiday in Pomerania fading away
! from him. When he become conva-
lescent and was finally strong enough
! to undertake the journey to Kniephof
the most stringent measures had been
taken to prevent the spread of the
cholera and to the light hearted
school-boy the incidents of the tril
were of the
MOST LAuGHTER-PR CHARACTER.
Travellers by stage, for instance
might not alight in the towns where
change was necessary; but the
coaches drove side by side until theh
doors touched, and the passengers
werethus transferred, while the Local
watch paraded with pixies and hal
herds, in q manner that reminded
the boy of Falstafl and his recruits
In one village where refreshments
were served TO the hungry travellers
he was allowed to descend from the
coach, hut not to enter a house, q
table having been spread in the oper
street, at which the boy breakfasied
on bread and butter and tea, while
the teIror-StriCken inhabitants watch
ed him from a distance. When Young
iiH'""'' ~ ''HiS' wa W 'Ntle5n W pay to'
his meal she turned and fled from
him, wildly screaming, and he wa'
forced to leave the money lying OF
the table. The doctors them
selves had lost their heads
and whom the srho"l-boy reached
Naugard he was put into quarantin,
by being locked up in the polio;
Office, and lac was subjected to a rope
tition OF this treatment ON arriving Il
his native place. On finally reach
ing his home lac found tllat his mothe
had placed the entire estate under tht
seveIest quarantine laws and had en-
eagcde-a etircd military surgeon