The Louisiana Democrat., 1891-04-29
A BELOVED SOVEREIGN.
uow Emperor Joseph of Germany En-
deared Himself to His Sukjects.

uoF Emperor Joseph of Germany En-
deared Himself to His Sukiecta.
Joseph IL, emperor of Germany, will
always be remembered for his many
acts OF kindness to those around him;
indeed. it is said Of him that h. never
passed day without doing something
for the happiness of his fellow-men.
He was in the habit of walking about
Vienna unattended, observing all that
went on, and losing no opportunity of
showing by his words and deeds that
he was fully persuaded of the truth, so
often forgotten, that in Gods sight all
men are brothers. He ordered the Pra-
ter, the great park of Vienna, to be
thrown open to the general public, and
by SO doing he greatly annoyed the Aus
trian mobiles, who wished to keep it for
their own use. They represented to the
Emperor that the place would be over
run by a vulgar crowd, and limited that
it would be better if he, as well as
themselves, associated with only their
equals. Joseph replied that in orcer to
follow their advice he would be com
peeled to spend .his life in the vaults of
the Capuchin monastery, where lay the
bodies OF his ancestors, adding that he
loved men because they were men, and
distinguished them for their actions,
and not for their birth
Many stories are told of the good en-
peror's kindness to the poor. One day,
as he was walking in the city, little
boy ran up to him, cGying that his
mother was at the point of death and
that he could not summon a doctor, as
he had not the twenty pence required
for his fee. "Oh," said the poor child
''if your majesty would but give us
twenty pence, how happy we should
be. -
Joseph instantly put the money into
the boys hand, at the same time in.
quiring who he was and where he lived.
The lad hurried away to the doctors
house and presently brought him to his
mothers bedside.
''But the doctor has already visited
me" exclaimed the woman. "He sat
by me, and after many kind words he
wrote for me this prescription, and she
handed paper to the physician. II
was note bearing the Well-known sig.
nature of the emperor, assigning to the
woman a pension of fifty ducats.
On another occasion Joseph went to
the house of an officer, whose friends
had been presenting petition on his
behalf. Age or ill-health had compelled
him to leave the army, and he was in
very poor circumstances, having fam
lily of ten children dependent upon him.
The emperor arrived during the dinner,
hour and found simple meal of vege,
tables upon the table, around which
were seated the officer and eleven chill,
dren. A poor orphan boy had appealed
for help, and the officer, after trying in
vain to persuade some of his richer
him into his own home, and was provid-
ing for him as well as his poverty per-
mitted. The emperor was delighted tc
find that the officer had such kind
heart, and at once granted him an in
creased pension for himself and small
sum annually for each of his children
The good emperor was well known
throughout Europe, and when travelling
he did not fail to show kindness to any
strangers who might be in need of it
Once, when in Paris, he entered small
coffee-house early in the morning an6
asked for u cup of chocolate. While
waiting for it he conversed pleasantly
with the landlord, and the old mans
daughter happening to come down
stairs at that moment he wished her q
good day, after the usual French Gus
tom.
ISIS it not time your daughter mar
ried?" he said to the father
"Ah," replied the landlord, "there is
a worthy young man who loves her ant
would marry her if l had but the money
for her dowry. But here is your choco
late"
The emperor drank his chocolate and
then asked to be supplied with materi
ais for writing. The pretty French
girl brought him pen and paper, and We
may imagine her astonishment when
the unknown guest handed her an order
for six thousand livres.
We need not wonder that so benevo
lent a sovereign was beloved by his
people, and that his death, after a short
reign of only ten years, caused deer
sorrow to many grateful hearts. He
died in l79O. He had succeeded to the
empire in 1880, on the death of his
mother, the celebrated Maria Theresa
! N. Y. World.