Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1898-08-21

when the latter was drilling his sol diers, and when he grew to an age where he could hold his own took an active part in the reviews and exceed ingly rough sham battles of which the king was so fond and was very proud of the knocks and bruises he received on these occasions. His father died in 1897, when Charles. was only 15. This event seemed to offer the monarchs of northern Europe an opportunity to wrest from Sweden her possessions east and south of the Baltic, and an agreement to this end was entered into by the kings of Poland, Saxony and Denmark. A hostile force was sent into the territories of the duke ef Holstein-Gattorp Charles brother in-law. At this critical juncture the young king astonished everybody, his enemies most of all, by his skill and frmness. He made an alliance with England and Holland, and, assisted by the combined fleets of these two na- tions, invaded Denmark and compelled the Danish king to sue for peace. He next gave his attention to Peter the Great of Russia, who had taken part in the conspiracy and was laying siege to Narva. He forced him 10 raise the siege, which left the young hero free to punish Saxony for her part in bring ing on the war. All this success was. won before he had attained his ma jority.
 There is no more romantic figure in history than that of the marquis de La Fayette, who gave his sword and cour- age to the cause of American liberty. The French king had endeavored in vain to keep the young soldier at home, his friends and relatives had tried to restrain him. but all to no avail. for he purchased ship in which to escape from France, his king and his ever- solieitous friends and family.
 He was an exceedingly rash youth, from all accounts, for he did not hesi- tate to freely express his sympathy for the American people while dining at the British ambassadors, as we'll as his determination to aid them if pos sible in their struggle for liberty. The British ambassador was so impressed by the young enthusiast and the use he might be to the enemies of his coun- try that he demanded his arrest of the French government and the seizure of his ship, which lay at anchor in the harbor at Bordeaux.
 La Fayette avoided arrest, reached Bordeaux ahead of the royal warrant detaining his ship and put to sea. ha Ial ir X ri ha coolly met. Congress was in great need of money, and there were many brave native officers who desired the rank the gay young Frenchman had come so far to claim.
 La Fayette had not crossed the At lantic for nothing, however; money and rank were secondary considera- tions with him. He declared his willingness to serve as volunteer in any capacity and without pay. Con gress was so much impressed by this that on July 31, t777, a resolution was passed accepting his tender of serv- ices, and Gen. Washington, who had been greatly attracted by his ardor, made him a member of his military family
 The battle of Brandywine afforded La Fayette the longed-for opportunity to distinguish himself, which he did to such good purpose that congress gave him the command of a division. So that before he was 20 he was actually q general.
 But the day of the boy soldier did not cease with the age of chivalry and romance. Many of the generals who are leading our armies in Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Philippines began their careers at the time of the rebellion as boy soldiers, too, and were doubtless quite as brave and gallant as any of their predecessors in the past.
 Cause for Gloom.
 Ned-What makes you look so de-