The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-07-09
He Talks to the Kaiser Mostly
in French and
English.
BY LA MARaUIsE DE F'oNTENoY.

" ing his visit last week with
his Queen to the Kaiser at
kicL carried on all his conversation
with him either In French or in Eng
iish, mostly the latter. For. although
he was carefully taught German as
a boy. he has forgotten it to such an
extent that ne no longer ventures to
speak 1t. and admits that he cannot
read IL without the assistance Of a
dictionary. This is all the more sur
prisinB when 1t is borne In mind that
his grandmother. the old Duchess OF
Genoa, a German princess of the
reigning house or SaXony. that she
was intensely Tcutor. ard that her
only daughter, Queen Marguerite, that
Is to say, the present Kings mother,
learned German before Italian, Ger
man being her mother tongue.
That King Victor Emmanuel should
speak English SO we'll Is due to tho
fact that. like most OF the other rulers
of Europe, he was brought up through
his infancy and childhood by English
or rather Scotch nurses. and after that
by English Eovernesses. His own
children are being educated in the
same fashion. their nurses being
Scotch women. Nicholas II. OF Russia
and his consort were also brought up
by English nurses. and few who were
in ST. Petersburg at the time will for
get how on particularly winterly,
snowstormy day in December, some
twenty years ago, the late Alexander
Ill. with his brothers. vladimir, Alexis.
Sergius and Paul, themselves carried
the coffin Of the old English nurse
who had cared for them in their child
hood. from the hearse into the church
at her funeral, after following II on
foot through the streets OF st.
Petersburg: an honor never accorded
to even the greatest dignitaries OF the
realm. AT Madrid the royal nurseries
are in charge OF three Scotch nurses.
and Queen Wilhclmine Of Holland was
brought up, first by Scotch nurses and
then by an English governess OF the
name of Miss Winter.
If Scotch women enjoy SO remark
able preference in the royal nurse
ries of Europe, 1t is by reason Of their
sturdy independence Of character.
which helps to keep them clear of the
petty intriCues OF every monarchical
household. and that also prevents them
from spelling their young charges by
undue servility. But what is most
highly priced in these Scotch nurses
IS their particularly musical voice; a
quality which they impart to the
youngsters contided to their care. and
in this connection / would call atten
ton to the fact that nurses from the
Scottish Highlands are more sought
after for their voices than those from
the lowland districts of the northern
kingdom.
These nurses, while their pay is not
exaggerated, nevertheless are treated
by their royal and imperial employers
with marked consideration AMI regard.
Queen NictL ria, who was so austcre.
SO authoritative and distant in her
relations with her ministers and with
the great dignitaries of the state and
of the court. would unbend altogether
towar DIS tho nurses of her children and
grandchildren, encouraging them to
talk freely: while some of my readers
may remember the little scene which
1 once described in these letters OF
how at Schoenbrunn the venerable
Emperor of Austria fetched a chair
across the lawn for the elderly Eng
lish nurse who was carrying in her
arms one Of his young grandchildren
the offspring of his youngest daughter.
Archduchess Valerie.
The Mayor of the great French ar
scnal and seaport town of Toulor has
issued municipal decree OF q some
what extraordinary character, pro-
hibiting yawning in the leading theatre
there. under the penalty OF ejectment
and arrest for "disorderly conduct
Apparently he does not take into con-
sideration the fact that the dreariness
OF the performance may invite yawns.
He is, however. by no means alone in
describing yawning as "disorderly con-
duct" For the Hon. Henry Turley.
Speaker of the Senate of the Austria
liam Commonwealth, Is reported to
have recently called a brother Senator
to order during 4 Legislative session
for ''disorderly conduct in "assres-
sively ynwning."
1t is lucky for the late Duke OF
Devonshire that he never was subject
ed to any such rulings whom still In
the House OF Commons, at Westmin
ster, as Lord Harrington FOR he was
wont to yawn throughout the DELHI
erations. when he was not actually
sleeping, with his hat down over his
eyes, and on several occasions actually
stopped in the middle of his own
speeches to yawn audibly. This was
not afectation, but the sluggishness
OF the Cavcndish temperament. com
bined with pronounced distastc for
politics, which bored him intensely. and
to which he only gave his time from
sense of patriotic duty, since he had
nothing whatsoever to gain thereby.
by.
One OF the most aggressive yawners
1T has ever been my lot to meet was
the late Prince Jerome Napoleon
PlonPlon). father of the present
Bonapartist prctcnder. In his case il
was not boredom. but liver, and 1t
mattered not with whom he was con-
versing. whether 1t was a monarch, n |
great statesman, a grande dam, or n |
beautiful demimondaine, he would |
yawn about every two minutes COW
ering his mouth with his hand In |
deed, the only times when no did not |
yawn was when he was either eating, |
drinking. OF asleep. It was very try |
ing to talk to him, since there Is moth !
Ing SO contagious AZ yawnins, and |
people who wcro not accustomed tn
him would be set off yawning Them
selves by sheer nervousness. which al-
ways irritated him and which no ]