Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-10-31

knees and extinguished the candle so that
only dim pale light Of dawn Illuminated
the room. The minister stepped TO the peo-
bent over the dead majesty and closed the
eyes that seemed to look at me even In
death. Then he announced aloud that
king was dead.
prove 1t.
a countenance of God-like serenity. The
face Of fighter 1t was who had 1ougnt the
fight. And see-the end of the tight was
peace.
While the death of the king was being
recorded in documents l did not stir from
my place. taking no eye from the peacefui
solemn face. Despite the wan light.
could see that my brothers forehead was
free from the little wrinkle between the
brows, free from it in death, as If the hand
of God had wiped from his forehead the
stigma of our race But announcer MARI
stood glowing on this royal forehead-a
tiny, very tiny, red wound. Where. the
crown had burdened his forehead he had
pierced 1t.
I took my brothers right hand that was
still warm and said to him, as II he We're
alive:
las 1 seize your hand and hold 1t, so in
this moment I seize the crown and the
throne, which I had to renounce un1us.y
and which 1 take to myself justly. succeed
| ing to the throne with Gods grace ana py
Gods grace.
And dropping the fast-chilling hand from
my hot, feVerlSh, living one, 1 tuiheu " 'ii0
assembled ones and said:
IF any here question my right to throne
and crown. let them step forward
1 stood and waited. Nobody moved. NOT
even that person OF whom l had expeG.e at
with certainty that she would be against
me even now Nobody dared to move.
Now the people were notified that their
ruler had completed his earthly career. Inc
standard Of the palace roof sank 10 ha!1-
mast The next moment from all the
| churches sounded the tolling of the bells.
I left the room. careless OF VINO tii'sn .,,
follow. Through the workroom OF my
| brother I passed, by the table where the
! two motionless youths guarded the blood
| of the king: passed through the long vista
| Of rooms, full Of high and higher officials.
| all of whom were my creatures hence1orth,
I I have carried in my soul ever since ana
| that Will remain with me when 1 heave my
| last sigh.
| In the presence of both houses swore
| 10 uphold the constitution, accepted their
| Allegiance and confirmed the composition
of the cabinet. Then | showed myseif 70
| the dense crowd. and 1t woke TO MAD en-
! thusiasm at the sight of the new king
!
| An official reason had to be given for my
hrother's sudden death. The mother OF the
| dead drew up the document herself
| Facing the necessity Of signing the dec
| laration of war, a declaration in which the
king saw the source of endless woe to his
| country: imbued with the vehement desire
| To snare the land from this war, the king
| found no other way except the one CHOSEN
| NV him He took 1t with full knowledge
| with clear purpose, leaving nothing behind
| about his last wish and Will except the I'M
| signed document and his freely given royal
blood"
| This announcement was followed by me
| with a message to the nation, in which
| made the solemn declaration:
| .,rhe matter for which my brother In
heaven went voluntarily into death he left
| to me For that for which my beloved
| brother died l shall live, for the olainte-
| nance of peace for the good of the land
for the greatness and the happiness of my
people"
Vast was the sorrow of the land, uneX-
ampled the sympathy of the governments
| AS the whole palace seemed one death
| chamber so the whole capital seemed one
house of mourning, the whole land as one
| graveyard, which waited to receive the
grave of the greatest of all its dead. In
the cathedral they thronged to the cuff1r
as If II held the body OF a wonder working
saint.
| l saw even then that the love and affec-
ton and belief and confidence of the people
| theHceforth would be with the dead man
| Even then saw that the dead would not
only seem better and purer. but would also
be stronger and more powerful than tie liv.
ing.
This knowledge will write 1t here-illed
me with envy, with malice, with hatred OF
| the dead. whose blessing had to rest on me
should my rule be blessed.
One single time my mothers agony broke
| forth.
1t was when she bade her dead son fare.