New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-06-19

l have borrowed already and shall borrow mere
after, though they were not meant to be printed
T.. saw the Prince for the first time, and says
Bismarck's personality gives one great I'M
preston of size, but still more of strength anu
force, physical and mental. lie looks at you very
directly when speaking to you. Sat very straighe
in his high, straight backed armchair, one hand
holding his pipe the other generally on the hei'
of of the dogs. His gestures few but 1orcolc'
Did everything with energy and earnestnesS' even
10 blotting his autograph with great care so 'iia'
it should not be smudged. His eyes very pfls"'
and full of fire when he was interested with MANY
wrinkles of fun. English rather an effort al hrS''
hut came more and more easily Very courteous
would not light his pipe till he had asked w''e'hei
minded. Evidently very kindly. and beloved
by his household. Delights in his woods ana III
his pets. not only in the dogs and the swans ana
ducks but in his chickens, which allowed 10
invade the lawn, TO the despair of the gardener
'Rcbecca' or 'Bukchcn, tic favorte OF the TWO
Great Vlmar dogs, having been longer with MN
than that Imperial intruder, Cyrus, VINO was
given him by the present Emperor when thc oos
that old William gave him died.
IIc smoke throughout in English. not without
certain effort. His mastery OF Enghsh' LOT oo'
vcrsational purposes and upon wide range OF
Fnclish. nor that of the student, but idlomatc'
voorous. often .olloouial and ever the English OF
the man of affairs and of the world. Language
is 70 him an instrument. to be used as h" uses
othcr Instruments for his own ends lie has
audacities of speech as well as of act. what Is
wanting TO him in English is practice. lie ha'
of late he said no occasion TO speak English more
than twice a year, and his huency was less than
il had been But if he sometimes had TO search
for the word, he always found II, ana Always '"'
right word and sometimes picturesque one where
greater familiarity might have led nm or aho'"'i
70 use a commonplace one. II was all me no'o
instructive to behold him struggling amo 'heNc
LINGUISTIC difficulties; you saw the machinery ''
wort as when on great steamship you look
,hroucb Glass partiton at the engines dong thelr
,vortv knots an hour Still, the medium some
times bampercd him; but wheE a change was SUI
oested. he refused. 1t seemed as II IL were par'
of his conception of his duties as host To express
himself in the native tongue OF his TWO gnes's.
Many years ago i. was said OF MN 'Na' hc 'au
refused to allow French, which he knows as Wen
AZ German. 10 be spoken in his presence but
This he declared was an idle tale. u never pre-
sumad 70 dictate to others in private life. "ha'
ala was IN protcst against the use Of French III
A., prussion Diet, and in matters of German busl-
ro. His Fuolish grew more and more fluent as he
talked When at one moment, some wishcd-lo'
nbr,s, would not frame itself to his mind, he
turned to f., with the humorous smile SO cn'r-
actoristic of him and so frequent, ana saiu
There was a time when could speak kussiah'
and he added that he still occasionally read Kus-
sian newspaper His appointment as Ambassador
% Petersburg dates from March, lS59-thcn IL
w,s no doubt, and during the three years
ba remained there that he pursued his studies
in Russian, and it may be taken for granted ne
Knows the language now as we'll AS then HIS
is not mind which lets 80 OF any usciu' kho"i
edge once acquired.
IL did seem, will add. as if there were pan
unon French Princess Bismarck much prefers IL
10 English which she speaks and understands not
without effort But when anything was SAD 10
her in French, she took pains TO answer III Ing
lish or German Two years ago. In lomours' l
had heard her speak French during the greater
mart of a long and interesting dinner. lrihcc
bismarck used a single French expression put
that belongs to another part of the story
e. w. 5.