The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-09-12
THE CHANCELLOR'S JOKE.
What Came of an Inquisitive Lady's CUES
ton to Prince Bismarck.

What Came of an Inquisitive Lady's Oues-
ton to Prince Bismarck.
The following incident, which oc-
Cured in 1866, is related by Herr Won
Sybel in the fourth volume of his book,
''The Founding of the German Empire
by William u: During dinner at the
Saxon embassy in Berlin, Countess Ho-
henthal, wife of the Ambassador, said
naively to the Prussian Premier, who
sat next to her: DO tell me, Excel
lency, is it really true that you want to
fight with Austria and take Saxony?'
Prince Bismarck answered, with great
amiability: Certainly it is true, dear
est Countess; from the very first day of
my ministry have thought of nothing
else. Our cannons are now ready and
you will soon see that they are more
powerful than the Austrian artillery
Dreadful cried the lady. But she
added, as you are in so frank humor,
give me some friendly advice. have
two estates. To which shall fly-the
one in Bohemia, or to that near Leipzig?'
"'If you will listen to me-, answered
Prince Bismarck, you will not 60 to
OOAOLi16S ~ 10 OhCIO, dAus IL l. oil HUI
mistaken, it is exactly in the neighbor-
hood of your estate that we shall beat
the Austrians. You might experience
some terrible adventures. Go to
Saxony; nothing will happen near
Leipz g, and you will not even be
troubled with quartering soldiers, for
your castle of Knautheim is near no
line of march,
'When the ex-Chancellor was anxious
~ questioned by other diplomatists as
TO this conversation, he was much
amused that the hooking repulse of an
indiscreet question should be taken
seriously. But Herr Won Beust, remem-
bering his long enmity against the poll.
cy of Prussia, really took up the matter
in earnest, sent the important news to
Vienna, demanded Austria's protection,
and declared that if Austria would arm
at once all the middle states would
stand by her, but that otherwise they
would turn their backs on her forever.
This communication from Herr Won
Beust was not without influence in the
decisions of the military circle in Wen
ma. The troops in Bohemia. Moravia
and West Galicia were strengthened, so
that in very short time $4,000 men
were ready to invade Silesia from three
sides, while before only 25, 900 men were
divided among the usual garrisons."
Romance in Everyday Life.
Our everyday life is not altogether
the same hard and grinding wheel
turning and routine existence which it
seems to us at times. On all sides of us,
in every nook and corner of this great,
big world of ours, are growing tile
flowers Of romance. blossoming so quiet
ly that we do not even smell their
fragrance or know that they are there.
But think it is well that we should
know that there is an element Of
romance in our everyday life; for what
takes US more completely out of our
selves and lifts US higher into realms
into which an occasional fight will do
Us no harm than just these little evil
dences that our life after all is not so
cold, hard, and practical as in gloomy
moments we are apt to believe? How
tired we all sometimes become if we let
our feelings control us! We allow our
selves to believe that the world means
nothing but work, work, work; that
what is around u.s. above US, below
Us, is naught but labor and worry.
But, you see, it is not SO; life is not so
prosaic as you think; and if we will but
LOOK for it we shall find blooming in
LIES garden the flowers of romance side
by side with the beautiful blossoms of
hope, cheer and happiness.