The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-11-09
WILLIE OF GERMANY.
Story Showing Parsimoay and Good
Nature aud One Only Good Nature

nature ana One only G0od Nature
There is a common impression that
William III, of Germany is spendthrift.
The pomp which he has introduced at his
court is supposed to have outrun his in
come of 81, 000 900 a year, and his extrava
ganco in private life has bsen represented
as in Keeping with his official spendor.
Several court chroniclors Of recent times,
however, have maintained that tho young
Emperor was extravagant only when the
splendor nnd power OF the crown were to
be symbolzed and that at other times
he was almost parsimonious, taking as his
model the old Emperor. who would cork
UP half drunk pint Of champagne and
set it aside for next days luncheon. Two
or three stories now circulated by the
German press tend 20 confirm this view.
When William IL was Prince William
in Bonn University. twice removed from
the imperial throne, he cast his lot with
the duelipg corps, Borussia. He was not
prig. Ho joined his comrades in their
drinking bouts and excursions, and lore
as freshman the jokes and rebukes,
which fall Co the ordinary German fresh
mans lot. Only ouce did he show tenn
per when brought to book for his con-
duct. The object of his wrath was Otto
Ehlers, the traveller and writer who was
killed not long ago by natives OF New
Guinea.
Prince William went rowing on tho
Rhine almost every pleasant day during
his sojourn IN Bonn. Oftener than not
lie invited EhlCrs to 60 with him. On
one OF these excursions the boat ran fast
on a snag. All efforts OF the Prince and
Ehlers to break loose from the snag were
fruitiess, and eventually they had to call
to their aid fisherman. After the fish
erman had pulled them out into the
stream again the Prince took out his
purse to reward him, but found in il only
lot of tbalers.. A thaler (71 cents)
seemed to the Prince too much money to
be given away all at once and he turned
To Ehlers for change. Ehers without q
word, drew his purse, picked out thaIer
and gave :t TO the fisherman. As the
man rowed away Eblers answered thus
tie Princes questioning look:
hoydl tit lnlIu ludu III
whole German empire must acquit him
self in style.
Prince William looked Ehlers over, but
made no reply. The two rowed in silence
to the shore, and for two weeks Ehlers
received no invitation to row on the
river. At the end of that period the OK
cursions were resumed and the Prince
seemed to have forgotten tho rebuke.
One day after William ii. had been on
the German throne two or three years
Otto Ehlers appeared before the Emperor
with a special embassy of African chief
tians from the Empires colonial posses
sions The Emperor had presents a.
plenty for them. AS one costly trinket at
ter another was handed to the negroes
Ehlers grew uneasy Finally when tho
Emperor gave a magnificent diamond
ring TO the head chief he could restrain
himself no longer.
- beg your Majesty's pardon" he
said, "but these peonle are pleased with
any sort of cheap trifles. Such ring is
much too expensive to be wasted on
them"
Now, now, Ehlers" replied the En-
peror, "Who would expect to hear that
from you? Don't you remember what
srendthrift you We're with your thalcrs
hen you were in Bonn? Have you really
become parsimonious in your old age?"
Here is another story which does not
illustrate anything in particular, except
that the Emperor is not altogether the
prig which his English cousirs delight to
paint him. When several German uni
vcrsity corps unite in "a grand drinking
bout known as commers, it Is custom
arr for the representa- tives Of one to pro-
pose thus the he,lth Of another:
Il have the high honor and the pleasure
to drink full glass to the health of the
corps Borussia. - 10 this the represcn
tive of the Burussia responds:
"1ho corps Borussia links and drinks
too. "
When the Empress lass gave birth To n
son, Otto E1lers, in the nano OF tn, EN-
pcror's old corps, sent this congratulntory
telerram
Il have the high honor and the pleasure
tn drink n full glass to the health of the
youngest Hohenzoliern. And back cauo
the Emparor's reply:
lie Youngest Hohenzollern thanks
you, and drinks, toe. The Sun.