The morning call., 1891-07-05
QUAINT CUSTOMS
AMONG GERMANS.
How an American Made the ACQuaint-
dnCG Of the Emperor.
Biography Of Won Moltke-Wedding Of q
Peasant Farmer-The Bride Changed
Her Costume Three Times.

AT one OF the EN- asSeS yesterday l heard
one of the best stories so far told of the
young Emperor. says Berlin correspon-
dent of the Chicago Inter Ocean. After
any amount of trouble and wire-pullihg a
young American lady, who had some reason
for claiming to be an expert paniste, OBJ
tained permission to play before the En-
peror and Empress at Potsdam. She had
never played before royalty before, nor had
she ever seen the Emperor, and so her ner-
vousness can be pictured as she was ushered
into the private apartments OF their males
ties. She was, however, much chagrined
and mortified on being informed that only
the Empress would listen to her perfor-
nance, as the Kaiser was not likely to ar
rive in time from Berlin.
The Empress entered with her suite,
smiled a greeting at the American lady, and
motioned her to begin. She played and
played well. and while in the middle of an
exceptionally intricate movement blonde
young man came into the room, attired in
undress uniform. The American lady did
not notice the addition to the company, par
tcularly as his Majesty indicated by a
gesture to the Empress and her surround
ings not to arise or disturb things by max
ing any special obeisance. The Emperor
approached the piano and stood listening
attentively. At the conclusion of one of
the morceanX he turned and paid some
slight compliment TO the performer. She
received his words very coldly, and did not
rise, but fixed her eyes on the Empress and
her suite in evident anticipation.
THE IMPERIAL LADY,
However, made no sign. The Emperor, no.
tlcing the Indifference with which his re-
mark was received, looked for the moment
angry; but his continuance cleared the next
second, and, turning to the American lady,
he smiled ana said, Il do not think we are
acquainted. Permit ME to introduce myself.
/ am the Emperor"
The financial affairs of Prince Albreeht of
Waldeck, cousin to the Duchess of Albany,
will be settled on July 1St, when the family
council appears before the Casse State
Court 10 plead their case. If the Prince
then continues to maintain his obstinate at
ttude toward his family a compulsory
agreement VIII be drawn up and sanctioned
by the court. Meanwhile his bankrupt
HighnesS is living at the little town of
Plappevile, near Metz. i'll a sparSely fur
niSned house and hardly enough money to
pay for the necessary food and service for
himself and family. If it had not been fol-
the generosity of the Duchess of Albany
and the Queen Regent OF Holland, Prince
Albreeht might have suffered from absolute
restitution, as all his personal properly has
been seized by his creditors, and he has al
present no means of borrowing any money.
A distinguished officer of the general staff
tells me that the Biography of Field Mar
shall Won M0ltke," which the former CO.
workers of the great strategist are prepar-
Ing, will also contain exhaustive biograph-
les of other Prussian army leaders who
came to the front during the reign Of the old
Emperor William. The material for these
additional chapters to the book will be
taken from the personal not1s of Won
Mo!tke, and the whole of the work will be
edited by the Emperor himself. 1t will,
however, take two more years
BEFORE IT REACHES THE PUBLISHERS.
This week | was invited to a wedding by
one of the peasant farmers of the little vii.
lage OF Rudow, near Berlin. The good yeo-
men of the Province of Brandenburg ara re-
nOwned for their solid possessions as we'll
as their passion for all occasional display OF
the same. | was impressed with this fac,
by the actions of the bride, who completely
changed her toilet three times during the
afternoon and evening, and each dress
was calculated 10 convince the observer
regarding the costlinesS OF its material and
the value OF the gems sewn and fastened
wherever it was possible on the young LADY, 8
attire. At the wedding dinner, to which 100
guests were invited, the bride was mass of
precious stones and metal. After grace had
been said at the beginning of the sumptuous
repaSt the brides father and host made a
short speech, in which he called upon eyery-
body TO eat and drink to their hearts con-
tent. las he intended to spend 5000 mark
on filling their stomachs." He closed his
remarks with the following: Though there
is an abundance of everything, let me trust
my dear friends, that you will not make
pigs of yourselves" The host was evi.
IDENTIFY well acquainted with the majority
of his guests.
The original builders of the great Berlin
Schloss do not seem to have been over-fas-
ticious with regard to their site This in
teresting fact is conspicuously illustrated by
excavations which are now in progress. A
graveyard apparently surrounded the castle
on three sides.
The German Empress, like the Princess
of Wales, is one OF those ladies whose "des.
tiny to wear a royal crown" comes after 9
childhood and early youth passed in a very
simple. almost bourgeois home. TIE thr ee
Danish Prlncesses, of whom the Princess of
Wales was the eldest and most beautiful
were their own dresSmakers in their youth
ful days; the father of
THE GERMAN EMPRESS,
Prince Frederick Of Schleswig- Holstein.
was too poor to keep private carriage
and according to an interesting article on
The Girlhood OF the German Empress" in
current number Of Good Words, when q
! drive became necessity it was taken in an
| ordinary hired equipage."
The Prince and Princess thems selves
undertook part of the education of theiI
children, winch was very carefully looked
after; but, ''amid all these provisions for
mental culture, physical education was by
no means neglected Early rising and
| systematic bodily exercise formed a part OF
each days duty. Every species of self-in
diligence was rigidly avoided, and tn,
Prince was in the constant habit of taking
long walks in all weathers with his daugh-
tiers, nho were the very models of blooming,
| stately young maidenhood."
| The following is one of the stories and
anecdotes in the same article. which is moi
as widely known as some of the rest BE
tween the aged Emperor and the youthful
consort of his favorite grandson, the bond
of affection was of the closest and most ten
der, from the moment when the gallant old
warrior received the graceful bride into his
family circle, until that sad and fatal hour
when, admitted after long entreaty to the
old mans dying chamber. the weeping
Princess cast herself beside the historic
campbell, and, tenderly embracing the
feeble form, sObbed out, 'Grandpapa
grandpapa, they would not let me come t
Won ~