New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1890-04-02
THE QUEEN WINS.

THE QUEEN WINS.
The bastille had not yet fallen. The
thoughtess youth of the French aristoc-
racy still danced through the saloons
of the royal castles. Maurepas still
reigned prime minister - the same
friend of humanity who made the COM
passionate decision concerning the peo-
pies welfare: "Why build hospitals.
Can not the people die on the roads if
they like?"
This evening Maurepas had the honor
of being permitted to lead the beauti-
full Marie Antoinette TO the eard-table,
but, complai,piH e Of a severe headache
. as they passed through the saloon, the
good queen excused him from further
attendance that the pain might not be
increased. AS he was fastening back
through the ante-chamber to the dane
ing hall, where the king was taking his
coffee, he perceived beneath the gobelin
tapestry of the famous Louvois window
man in citizens dress, who regarded
him expectantly and bowed low before
him.
1T is all right, Dumonet, F" whispered
his majesty will taste of it," And he
forthwith thrilled out one of his hun
dred madrigals, which, in truth, were
tame enough, but which his fatterers
found very witty. In the royal apart
ment he saw just then Louis XVI. take
from sugar basin two delicately
broken Jumps of sugar and sweeten his
coffee with them. As the king took
mouthful of the coffee the ministerial
friend of the people approached and
asked respectfully:
How does your majesty find the
coffee this evening?'' " Is.
LAS usual, excellent. ..a. al
The lest mocha is always upon your
majesty's table: but does the sugar suf-
ticiently moderate the bitterness of the
coffee?' ...,..s-.s. ii s5,..
Louis XVI. was sensitive to mockery
and irony even to timidity; therefore he
said inquiringly:
what do you mean by thatp'
Maurepas laughed. your majesty,
permit me one question. How much,
sire, do you think these two pieces of
sugar cost?" The king looked uneasy.
do you wish to test my mathema-
tical abilitypn Maurepas continued to
laugh. 'Well, then, will answer
your problem: Sugar costs the people
about so sous a pound. If I reckon
eighty pieces to the pound it makes 1
SOU for each piece; but since to me as
king everything is quadrupled, l have
this evening consumed 8 sous worth of
sugar" s.-~. .at-
This sugar is the gift of one of your
subjects, who counts himself happy
that it is considered worthy of a place
on your majesty's table; therefore it
costs you nothing, sire, but the giye1
values every piece at full Louis dor"
You are beside yourself M. de
Maurepas. Eighty Louis dor for .
pound Of sugar! At that rate I should
be compelled to sell Rambouilet to sup.
-, ply my brother with sugar for a year,
for you know he takes handful to
every cup. But explain to me your
jest"
SIN moment, your majesty" And
he took the sugar-basin and emptied
the contents upon the marble table and
counted the pieces. Forty three, with
the ones used forty-fve, worth 1,O80
francs; but look, your majesty. what
dazzling wilderness and how light it is
and how sweet, without any bitter after
TASTE"
Come, now" said Louis, interrupt.
ing his babble, sis sugar ever bitter?"
And your majesty will never guess
from what this sugar is made" Il
/ The king was not without some
! knowledge of chemistry, therefore he
answered hesitatingly:
Naturally from the sugarcane."
mo rour y,oaioctv aboot
root sugar"
"Beet-root! What is beet-rootp"
The duchess of Chartreuse. who was
sire, are little red leaves, of which my
servants make salad"
NJ. de Maurepas cut off her explana.
ton with malicious laugh. .Beets
are edible roots, which people as well
as cattle find palatable, and now they
have been found to yield sugar. 2
Respect kept the brilliant company
out of hearing distance, and they
watched eagerly the strange proceed
ings. All this examining, weighing,
and counting of the sugar tossed up the
court gossip among them like bright
soap-bubble Who first whispered it:
The king has been poisoned by q cup
\ OF coffee?"
Heaven forbid! And we have drunk
the same coffee!"
No, not the eofee-it was the
sugar.
Some one go tell the queen!''
So whispered, murmured, and chat
tered the excluded circle.
Marie Antoinette sat with the duchess
OF Polignac, her tender1y loved friend,
at cards.
What ais you, Agatha" asked she
kindly, as the fayorite sighed.
Agatha de Polignae raised her rogaisb