The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1922-11-09
The Kaiser Wife

Princess Hermine of Reuss, almost
unknown even in her native Germany
two months ago, is today one of the
most conspicuous women in Europe,
for she has repeated the words that
unite her life to that of the former
German Emperor, William Hohenzol-
lern, and which also make her "Queen
of Prussia" empty though the title be.
The new chapter in Princess Her.
mines life constitutes her second mat
rimonial venture and comes after she
she has struggled for more than 20
years through the vale of sadness and
misfortune that has pursued her I'M
happy family. But as most of this i'll
luck began when political differences
arose between the House of NReuss and
the government of ex-Emperor Will
liam, there are many'i in Germany today
who, perhaps governed mite by SUI
perstition, their reasoning, believe
that the marriage will break the long
spell of misfortune, and that hereafter
the Reuss household will be in the as
cendancy.
Political troubles, however, have not
been the only clouds lowering above
the ancient Reuss manor. Financial
reverses, deception, blasted romances
and insanity have been familiar shad-
ows to the five daughters and one son
that graced the hearth of Prince Henry
Of Reuss-an eccentric autocrat, who
died when Princess Hermine was still
in her cradle.
The house of Reuss is composed of
two branches-the elder and the
younger line, and all the princes have
been named Henry for the past 800
years. In the elder line this has gone
on unbroken to the present heir, Prince
Henry XIV; but in the younger
branch the sons have been so numer-
Gus that a special rule was made to
begin new series of numbers every
hundred years. Even this has had it's
drawbacks, for the 18th century pro-
-duced exactly IA Henrys, and the fol-
lowing hundred years gave so more of
them to the world.
The father Of Princess Hermine car
ried his autocracy to such an extreme
that he would not allow a house to be
erected in his capital or a tree to be
cut down without his official sanction.
When any of the public school children
were to be spanked, he insisted upon
doing it himself, holding that as he
was the father of his country, he alone
was qualified for the task.
His gloomy palace at Greiz was de-
void of every modern comfort, for the
old prince believed it would be a sacri-
lege to change anything that had been
good enough for his ancestors. There
was no running water, no bath tubs
and no sanitary equipment of any kind,
while the cooking was done in kitchens
so far away from the dining room that
the dishes arrived on the table stone
cold, with.their contents UNBEATABLE
While the old prince was usually so
busy with what he believed to be "af-
fairs of state" that he had little if any
time left for his daughters, he was,
nevertheless, deeply affected by the
tragedy of his infant son, brother of
Princess Hermipe
The child, despite the fact that he
was deaf and dumb, was idolized by his
mother, Princess Ida of Schaumberg-
Lippe, and when it was decided that he
should undergo an operation to correct
some defect of the eyes, she insisted
upon holding him on her knees while
the surgeons worked. At the most
critical moment of the operation, how
ever, she suddenly recoiled in terror
and thrust the boys head forward in
such manner that the surgeons Ian
Get was driven deep into the eye and on
into the brain. He has been complete
ly blind and imbecile from that mo-
ment.
Princess Ida, overcome with remorse,
died soon afterward, while the father
was SO sensitive regarding the affIic-
tion of his only son that he decreed
against any mention being made of it,
and even prohibited the churches from
offering special prayers for his recov-
cry The prince and later his daugh-
ters travelled over Europe, seeking