Evening star., 1898-10-22
4 DIPLOMATIC TRICK.
How bismarck Insured the safe Pass
age of His correspondence.

From the Cornhill.
Stepping to the counter Herr Won Bis
marck asked a grfnning young shop boy
in shirt sleeves, a blue linen apron, not OF
maiden freshness and blessed with pair
of large, red, greasy paws, engaged in
weighing some Dutch cheese, to oblige him
with sheet of writing paper, some sealing
wax and pen, to direct letter
On the boy producing the needful with the
traditional What else, sr?" Bismarck said
My hands are rather cold; you had better
do it fer me-, and he handed the boy
couple of letters wrapped in the sheet of
blush paper forming an envelope, for in
those days made-up envelopes were still
unknown il Germany. Evidently fiattered
by the request of such an imposing-looking
client, for Herr Won Bismarcks tall hat was
almost touching the ceiling of the saualid
little shop, the greasy-handed youth took
the parcel, and, having closed it skillfully
with some brown sealing wax and indorsed
it with the initials of the firm. he returned
II to its owner to write the address.
Sorry. my friend, to give you more
trouble said the future chancellor, in his
jovial way, but l can't manage to write
with my gloves on, so Just address it for
me- and he handed him pencled slip
with the name of Herr Fritz Piepenbrink
or some such name oil and colonial ware
nouseman, No. 600 Friedrichs strasse, Ber-
lin.
II,
tally" and paying for the paper, &c, with
a small tip to the oily boy with the stereo-
typed grin, he pocketed his letter, and We
left the place to continue our walk.
Il dare say you are wondering why L
treat my correspondents to such greasy.
evil-smelling missives?' and he showed me
the cheesy fngermarks of the boy on both
sides OF the inprovised envelope. I'm tell
you secret, and teach you useful lesson
for future times. You may some day thank
me for the hint exclaimed Herr Won Bis
marck, laughing heartily. you know we
re blessed here in Frankfort, as through
out all south Germany, with the Thurn and
TaXiS Postal Administration, q mine of
wealth to that fortunate family, but the
most wretchedly managed concern under
the sun. AS you may imagine. it is under
the thumb of Austria, hence Slow and the
triumph of red tape, with a pronounced
weakness for diving into other peoples bus
mess and skimming, of course, the eorre-
spondence of all German and foreign en-
voys, accredited to the diet, with a prefer
ence for mine, the ever-suspected Prussian
.ulprit and traitor. They have established
post office, where specially trained imperial
and royal wiseacres peruse our prose with
critical eye, transmitting copies Of extracts
of all 'treasonable' matter, or particularly
interesting reports, to the august Ballplatz
where Gentand, and after him Klindworth
have established lynx-eyed system Of DO
litical espionage (politisches Schnuffeln) ex-
tending all over Europe, and comprising go
ipso all German courts and chancelleries.
Not being particularly anxious to gratify
the morbid curiosity of our Austrian ally
/ have thought II advisable to send Inn
portant reports to the Berlin F. O., as well
as all my letters to the king, to Herr Won
Manteufel, and to my sister and some par
ticlilar friends. under cover to some mercan-
Tile firm In Berlin. changing frequently and