Imperial Valley press., 1914-10-08

nodding vigorously, thinking, | am
sure, good deal about Nelsol' and
the fleet.
Miss Topham taught the ladies Of
the German court how to MAKE pan
cakes.
Fancy an Englishwoman knowing
how to cookw quoth His Majesty.
"Ah, ah!" he laughed, "the British
Dreadnaught' again to the FORE" for
so Miss Topham was genially nick
named.
One gathers that in his light I'd mo-
ments the Kaiser is friendly to jokes
and careless chat; not, however, on
the principle of 'laugh and grow fat"
for he has horror of getting stout,
and Keeps the enemy at bay with
characteristic pertinacitv.
Once at fancy dress ball given
by Prince Adalbert, his sailor son,
at Kiel, the Emperor came to it, un-
known to the guests, wearing the
dress of his own ancestor, the Great
Elector, full-bottomed flowing wig
and the long coat and breeches anrro-
pirate to the period. During the first
part of the ball the dancers were
masked, and the Emperor was talk
ing with a lady, who, believing him TO
be the Crown Prince, whom she knew
very well, said to him, archly:
"Your Imperial Highness is splen-
oidly disguised. How did you make
yourself appear so stout. A little
cushion stuffed inside somewhere,
suppose"
His Majesty told this story against
himself several times, especially when
the lady, who, previous to her mar
riage, was attached to the service Of
the Empress, happened to be pres
ent. He would roll his eyes in pre-
tended anger while he said:
"Of course, there was no cushion
there was only me; but l believe she
said it on purpose. She knew who
it wis all the time.''
War and politics, art and music,
everything, as we judge from Miss
Topham's book, has come within the
interest of the Kaiser. His patron
l;ge of music has been unfortunate
but he comforts himself by inveigh-
ing against the want of musical tasro
shown in Berlin. And here is mu-
sical anecdote from Miss Topham:
"O1 my first visit to Wilhelmshohr
as we wended our way to the little
chapel in one wing of the palace the
Emperor said that he hoped l would
sing in loud, deep voice in church
ecausc the singing was usually very
? bad / commented on the slownes$
of German hymn singing and His
Majesty told me how surprised he wa!
once, when visiting at Windsor, 'witl
! Grandmama,' a year or two before
she died, to hear the organ burst ou
suddenly into the Austrian nationa
anthem, not knowing that it had beer
, adopted as an English hymn tune
Always the book returns to tn.
Emperor's affection for his daughter
and only the other day there was al
example of it in pious war tele
gram which he addressed to her. Say
Miss Topham:
"Her bright, alert intelligence evi
| IDENTITY responded to something in him
self, her constantly exhibited affec
ton; her love for his society flattereo
i, him irresistibly, as they would any
father in the world. He wrote Ions
, letters to her when away, sent hel
picture postcards, and small triflins
presents from places where he wa
staying. Her first letter to him r
r English was something of an event
f, written with the greatest care ant
: after much anxious consultation witt
me rs to the intricacies of "that aw
full English spelling" 1t received al
! immediate and flattering reply, alst
in English.
"'Papa was delighted with my let
ter she said, her face glowing witt
happiness"
She is, this little girl, now grown
up and a mother herself, very fonC
of animals, and one of her childhood
thrills was the gift of ''tiny dimpleC
, piglng" from her father. 1t came t
her newly scrubbed and washed, witt
blue ribbon round its neck, and shc
, was charmed with "Papa's scherkel,
and rather annoyed at not being al
lowed to have it in her own rooms
Alas, Christmas brought that piglint
the usual fate of fatted pigs. Fortu
: rately:
"His mistress suffered no sentimen
tai regrets with regard to his death
eating without a qualm the SAVIOR!
sausages he provided and retaining +:
grateful memory of the nice sum ht
, brought her, for, naturally, although
she never paid for his keen. she de