The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-09-16
The Balmoral of Denmark.

6aSHing IN Berlin. Keen anxiety, 100.
sometimes, for Prince Bismarck was
boded i'll for Germany. The prince IN
his time hated many royal ladies' but
none of them did he hate quite so in
tensely as re hated the Danish que n;
perhaps because she was the only ore
among them whom he really feared
She is the cleverest woman in all Eu-
rope, and the most dangerous" ne used
10 say, and whenever his plans went
agley he had never a doubt but that the
blame lay with her. Her influence ovsr
her son-in-law, Gar Alexander. was a
source OF real danger 70 the peace Of
Europe, he always maintsined; and he
is said 10 have stamped with rage when
it was reported TO him that the ear
had declared ne was never so happy as
when at Fredensborg.
1t was a large party that used 10 as
sembe in the royal chateau in tho e
days. Gar Alexander and Czarina Marie
were there every autumn for many
lorg year; the Princess of Wales was
always there, too. With her daughters;
and the King OF Greece, the Duke and
Duchess OF Cumberland, 10 say nothing
OF the princes and princesses who live
in Denmark. On these occas. ons ali
state and ceremony We're banished COM
pIetely; the whole company lived TO-
sether in the simplest fashion, in the
open air whenever the sun was shining
boating, fishing, or just lounging about
under the beautiful old trees. From time
10 time the younger members of The
party would stroll into the village ex-
changing kindly greetings with al pass
ers-by as they went. They would make
a raid on the village shop, and buy up
ell the sweets or whatever else they
could find Meanwhile, their e.dsrs
would each in turn go TO Queen Louise's
little private sitting-room and have a
chat with her. The car would linger
by her side for the hour together, for
her kindly humor and her keen insight
into character were to him an unfai ing
source of delight. She was certainly q
most charming old lady. at once stately
and sympathetic. Although her face IN
repose was quite pathetic in its sadness
the loss of Schieswig- Holstein nearly
broke her heart-yet she could handy
bons-mots with the merriest. Clever
she undoubtedly was, although no woman
was ever more womanly; she had the
mind OF a statesman. She was a born
diplomatist too; she could read men
at a glance, and manage them with the
turn of a finger. Thus ii was not with
out reason that Bismarck looked on her
askance, and fumed and chafed when ne
heard that the car was her guest, for
he knew that she hated Germany, and
that she would have given her life glad
ly to wrest back from il those, lost prov
fnces.
To see Fredensborg at it's best one
should see it by moonlight; then it Is
beautiful as fairy palace. In the glare
of the sun it loses much of its charm
for it was built in 1720, a time when
architects in Denmark, as elsewhere,
1aa
taste. 1t is a low, white building in the
form Of a horseshoe Joined on TO a rec
tangle, and it is so small that it need
ed great planning and contriving during
these autumn gatherings 10 find places
for the royal guests. Even the most il
lustrious among them had TO content
themselves with rooms at which their
own servants must have scoffed
The most interesting apartment in thu
chateau is Queen Louise's private sitting
room. 1t is still today just as it was
when she lived in 1t; nothing has been
changed, even her little silk work bag
is lying on the table and her writing
desk is open. By the side of the chair
on which she used to sit there is that
great screen around which so many
memories cling. This screen is entirely
covered with the photographs of the va
rious members of her family. and quaint
old-fashioned little photographs they
are, many of them. There is one of
the Princess of Wales as a young grl
that is the prettiest picture imagina BILE.
There are several others Of her, taken
at all ages, some with her sisters, others
with her children others again alone
The Duke of Clarence too, is there. in
many different forms. Opposite the
screen, on the other side of the queens
chair, is magnificent life-sized portrait
of Czarina Marie, in the full glory of
her beauty. There was never but one
man who refused the czarina anything
for which she asked" the old guide re-
marked. as we stood looking at the pic
ture. He had known her all his life.
And that was Kaiser Wilhelm, he ad-
ded bitterly. The Danes all believe that
when the present kaiser paid his first
visit to St Petersburg the czarina ap-
pealed to him and in vain to put stop
to the persecution that was then going
on in Schleswig- HoIstein.
The great charm of Fredensborg lies
not In the house itself. but IN its sur
roundings, in its delightful gardens and
the beautiful scenery it has on all sides
These gardens We're Queen Louise's sp--
cial pride, and little wonder either FOR
they are laid out with the most exqui-
site taste, and every flower seems more
feet in form, more brilliant in hue. ONLY
a good stones throw away from the
house is Normansdal sort Of amphl-
theater around which are arranged six
ty-1ve Of the strangest. quaintest STAT
ues the world has ever seen. They rep-
resent Scandinavian peasants in their
various national costumes, and are the
handiwork OF the peasants themselves
by daylight these statues are quite gro
tesque in their rugged realistic ugllnes~.
but by moonlight they have a certain
fascination of their own: the- are 50
viking-iike, ruthless and strong. The
gardens stretch down to the shores OF
tsrom So, the most beautiful lake IN
all Denmark
The peasants think twice before ven
turing into the woods around Fraaara-
borg after dark. for they are firmly con
WINGED that Valdemar II. IS there every
night. and there is not one among them
nut would give his right hand-aye. his
right foot. too-rather than encounter
his majesty. This TaIdernar was The
hero Of a medieval r8marce. the scene
OF which was the old castle % Cure
by the side OF lake some Eve or az
miles from FredensborF. AZ the farther
side % the wood. on which o8ea7
LUise's eyes must have rested ever,,
time she looked out Of her window In
far-oacs days & vas The favorffe ~e=t
dence Of The Danish kings. who used n
betake themselves there -rhanevAr re-
wished 70 throw OF TIE cares ~ s.s.e
Faldemar. indeed. passed rro~t ~ ~.
time al Cure. for hs rad af9deu 49,
there safe from the reach q ne wffa
the lovely ToveilIie. hIs para n1o7f- vho~s
~ Eorshioed 81 happy Esa he MIR
her BY his side that h once. in = he'd
less moment exclaimed: FOR suxht
care. God may KEEP His heaven f1r
Himself y 1aY bat have Cure. A.
cording 20 tradition his wish vas v~s,.-