The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-09-23
Boston Herald.)

proudly to his mother one day nearly
fifty years ago.
but" retorted the mother, smiling
at his confidence, could you earn your
living at the trade?'
why" answered the youngster, Il
could make a fortune at it; for If L
offered myself as bricklayer, any
master builder would be glad to take
me into partnership, as my name
would bring him more business than
my hands could do
And the boy was right. for any
master builder in Europe would have
been proud to have as partner Ludwig,
crown prince and future sovereign of
Bavaria, whose later history forms one
of the most thrilling chapters in the
romance of royalty.
AS a boy Ludwig, who was one day
to be notorious as the most prodigal
and luxury loving monarch in Eu-
rope. was brought up with Spartan
risor. He and his younger brother,
Otto, the mad king" of Bavaria today,
never had a toy; their scant pocket
money had to be earned by industry
at their lessons, and their only sub
stantial meal in the day was a single
dish of meat and cheese-a fare the
memory of which made Ludwig ex-
claim on the day of his majority that
for the rest of his life he would feast
every day on chicken and pudding for
dinner"
That the training of these boys might
lack nothing of completeness their
royal mother, a princess Of the house
of HohenzolIern, decided that each
should learn a trade; and thus Otto
served an apprenticeship to a carpen-
ter, while his elder brother. Ludwig.
learned the mysteries of the stone
mason and bricklayer, with results
that justified his boast to Queen Maria
that he could make a fortune at the
trade
Such were the opening years Of life
which was destined to prove one of the
most tragic and pitiful in human his
tory. As a youth, Ludwig, who was
singularly handsome and graceful, a
skillful horseman and fencer, was NOR
bidly sensitive and fastidious. He had
such a hatred of ugliness in any form
that he would turn his back on anyone
whose appearance did not please his
esthetic sense. He was a dreamer
whose ideal happiness was TO lie on his
back and watch the clouds sail across
the blue of the sky, and to weave
stories of the days of chivalry, or of
COLLINS, spirits and gnomes.
Such was the young prince who, be-
fore he had completed his nineteenth
year. came to the throne of Bavaria,
on the death of his father, King Maxi
MILAN II.
In appearance" says Mr. Molloy,
che was strikingly handsome. His
face was clear and cOlOrless, with
black hair waving above an imagi-
native forehead, it's features delicate
~ cut and expressing dignity; but its
chief attraction lay in the eyes, large,
gray and luminous. of impenetrable
depths. with the indescribable plain
tiveness of one set apart-veritable
windows through which were caught
sudden and bewildering glimpses of a
distraught SOUL
And never did a youth king COM
mence his reign under brighter aus
pices; for by his charm of person and
manner, and by the intelligence and
zeal with which he performed his royal
duties, he won all hearts.
HE is so handsome and intelligent"
wrote Wagner, enthusiastically, $50
splendid and full of soul. that 1 fear
lest his life should vanish like a fleet
ing dream of gods in this vulgar
world"
The satisfaction Of Ludwig's subjects
was complete when it was announced
that their youthful sovereign had
found a bride in the beautiful and gra-
cious Princess Sophie of Bavaria; and
the approach of the royal nuptials was
hailed with the greatest enthusiasm.
Hundreds of hands were kept busy,
night and day, preparing for the
splendid event; Odes were composed
and medals struck; and a magnificent
bridal carriage painted with rose
wreathed cupids and emblazoned with
gold, was built for the royal couple at
a cost of a million gulden.' And Just
at the moment when popular excite
ment was worked up to fever pitch
and the costly preparations were
nearly complete, the thunderbolt fell.
Ludwig refused point blank to go to
the altar, and the bride-to-be was
escorted home in tears and humilia-
ton.
CONSERVATION reigned everywhere:
Queen Maria was heartbrOken at this
failure Of her plans and hopes for
her sons happiness; but Ludwig was
adamant- He did not want a wife "
he declared, and he would not have
one thrust on him.
One more attempt. however, was
made to win him to matrimony: and
this time the chosen princess decided
to rely on her own destinations to
conquer the perverse young monarch.
One day he was walking through his
pathway, he found himself face to
face with a lovely and graceful girl
who was a complete stranger to him.
The picture, instead of charming him,
made him furious. To her smiles and
bushes he retorted fierce words Of
anger and abuse at this unwarranted
intrusion on his privacy, until the poor
girl, bursting into torrent of tears.
rushed wildly away.
There can be no doubt that the
faint of insanity in Ludwig's blood.
which had shown itself in his boyish
eccentricities, had now begun to man
ifeSt itself Enthusiastically, and each
succeeding year it became more pro-
nounced, showing itself chiefly in a
strong shrinking from public gaze
He would listen to performances of
Wagner's operas in the dark theatre.
sitting in solitude in his own box with
drawn curtains, so that even the per-
formers-the only other persons pres
ent-could not catch a glimpse of
him.
Another morbid pastime was to lis