The farmer and mechanic., 1915-08-03
FAMOUS WOMEN IN
MODERN HISTORY
By MARY HILLARD HINTON.

enjoy. In 1897 Frederick William IL
died and Frederick William III and
Louise became King and Queen OF
Prussia. The greatest warrior OF
modern times was turning Europe into |
a continuous battle-ground. Prussia |
for two decades had been free from
the horrors Of war and longed to
preserve peace. Ir the various
treaties Prussia labOreG to secure her
neutrality just as brave little Belgium
did in the year 1914, but in 1903,
against her will she was dragged into
the conflict siding with Russia. The
queen accompanied the king at each
review of the troops riding by his
side and inspiring bravery and
patriotism in the hearts of the army.
The troops idolized her and generals
urged her presence as essential on ac-
count of the good she impaired to
the men. General Ka1kreuth insisted
Her presence with us is quite neces-
sary."
At midnight on November 4, 1905,
in the Garrison Church at POtsdam
over the tomb Of Frederick the Great,
Alexander 1 Of Russia, Frederick Will
liam III and Queen Louise clasped
hands in a solemn pledge to bring to
pass the defeat Of Napoleon. How
futile prove the schemes Of mOrta1S!
Just one brief year later. to the day,
almost at the same hour, Napoleon
stood on the identical spot, after hav-
ing yanuuished the united armies Of
Prussia, Russia and Austria. After
the defeat that followed the queen
barely escaped capture as she sped
towards Poland with her children.
Many incidents are recounted of
those grief f-stricken days. Once in
fight from panic-stricken Berlin that
had fallen into the hands Of the
French, her carriage broke down
some miles from any town. In the
haste Of departure food had been for
gotten and the younger children be-
gan to cry from hunger as they sat
| by the roadside. The queen wept
| over their distress and surrounded by
wheat fields, in order to bcguile away
| the tedious hours, she had the crown
prince gather the blue cornf1owers
that grew in abundance among the
wheat which she wove into garlands
| for their tiny heads. This incident
was SO indelibly impressed on the
mind of her eldest son who in time
| became Kaiser William I, the first
emperor to rule over the confederated
Kingdoms. duchies and principalities
of Germany, that a vase filed with
| these beautiful blossoms was always
| placed upon the table in his study
without which he protested he could
not perform his best work, invoking
as it ever did the most hallowed
memories. Corn flowers were raised
aIl through the year to fill that vase
In the conservatory Of PolsdaEa. So
far did this love extend that blue was
the favorite color Of the emperor. A
comic paper Of Munich once stated
that be selected q certain individual
as private secretary because he wore
blue spectacles.
By the treaty Of Tilsit Prussia
emerged much injured but by no
means crushed, with half her terri
tory seized, a war indemnity Of one
hundred and twelve millions FIVE hun
dred thousand dollars and q standing
army OF forty-two thousand soldiers
Frederick William III seeing that
Napoleon aimed to crush him sent for
queen Louise that she might inter-
cede. She wept that such an ordeal
was necessary and declared This Is
!, the most painful sacrifice I can make
for my people" OF this historic in
terview her diary bears this record:
: God knows what a struggle it cost
me. For although I do not hate the
man, yet I look upon him as the
author OF the unhappiness of the king
and his people. I admire his talents
90 not like his character, which is
3 obviously treacherous and false. Z
l will be hard for me to be polite anG
3 courteous with him; still, the effor1
= is demanded and + must make tn.
sacrifice" She manoeuvred in vair
r to retain Madgeburg for her country
e Ialleyrand greatly feared her impres
l sion on Napoleon and warned him
/ Sire" said the wise diplomat, "shal
l posterity say that you have not proftet
: by your great conquests because Of :
t beautiful woman?" Had it not bee,
e for the intercession Of this charmin,
e queen Prussia may have Jared wors
: when the day Of reckoning arrived
e Even today Napoleon has been criti
: cized for his mistake in regard to tn
j. standing army Of forty-two thousan,
y men. That number was disbande