Examiner (Launceston, Tas. : 1900 - 1954)(about) |
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Tuesday 18 July 1905
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THE GERMAN MARRIAGE. EVIDENTLY POPULAR. "UNSER CECILCHEN. On June 4 the special correspondent of the "Westminster Gazette" wrote the following charmingly interesting sketch of the princely couple married last month at Berlin:- I stood between two Berlin magis- trates, with silver chains of office over their evening dress, in the blazing hot Pariser Platz-the finest square in Ber- lin-on Saturday afteino?n. One of the c six magnilicent 'horses drawing the great b bridal coach turned restive, and the pro cession caine to a standstill, so that B there was a special opportunity for guz- i: ing upon the gill whose name is on every I t'Lngue and conceln?ing whcun even Ber lin and the Berliners know next to noth ing, although they regard her with a kindly patronage, and talk about her as t "unser Cecilehen"-our little Cecily. a "Donnerwetter," said one of my neigh bours to the other, "if that girl isn't pretty 1 should like to know who isi" lie had been making unkind remarks about the r?ain of girls in white gowns I anod pink rose-wreaths who stood close by a to receive the bride into the capital, and praise from such a critic seemed praise 1 indeed. And whoever saw 'the tall girl, with her delicate rose-petal complexion, her gentle eyes and the somewhat shy 1 grace with wihitd she nccepted the hom age paid to her, agreed that she is a be- i witching bride, anid my magistrate, adjusting 'ris white 'tie, gave uis the fur- I ther information that lie quite under- I stood why the Crown Prince, who 'had ridden by at the 'head of his regiment, should look so recklessly happy. She is 18, and 'the third child of Grand Duke Frederick Francis, a descendant of I that greatest of Prussian Queens, Luise, who died of a broken heart nearly a century ago when Napoleon's hordes, on their northward way to destruction, swept victoriously across Europe. Her i mother, as everyone knows, is the Rus sian Grand Duchess Anastasia, of whom it. is said that the German Emperor and Empress are inclined to give her a wide berth, but who is playing 'her part in the wedding festivities with a dignified kindliness which is as unex pected as it is gratifying. Mecklenburg Schwerin holds the memory of its late ruler very dear, and llen c ler country men and women say of the bride that she 'has inherited many of her father's qualities theyl give her the 'highest pos sible plaise. His was the kindliest heart, they will tell you, and 'his simplicity of life, ihis perfect tact, his interest in all things great and good; and his inde pendence of thought have descended upon all ihis three children and in a special degree upon his youngest daughter. THE BRIDE'S EARLY LIFE. There arc. probably few children be longing to the aristorcratic colonies along the Frcend Riviera who have seen less of the gaieties of 'the grealt world in that playground of Europe than the Duchess Oecilie. And in this her mother, other wise greatly given to the pomps and vanities and pleasures of life, has shown great wisdom. With regard to the child's education, she acted up to her convic tiaon that the children of Princes should grow up in quiet retirement and as little notice as possible should be taken of them. The result is that the young Duchess, or, to give her the title which she assumes on 'her marriage, the Crown Princess of Prussia, is an unusually well-read girl, who speaks English and French as fluently as her own language, and who reads Russian books 'in the ori ginal, which is .. very different thing from being able merely to talk Russian. sole is a good pianist, and music was one of the interests which she and Prince William had in comnien from the begin ning of their acquaintance. The Crown Primce plays the violin, and since his fiance 'has accompanied hIim he has found that music has a peculiar charm which he ,,ad not yet discovered. Those who have given her religious ini struction speak in the highest terms about her truly devout and thoughtful nature. "It is beautiful," she said When one or 'the other of the Psalms was read, and whlen she was about to be confirmed she chose as her special text, "Commit tllhy ways unto the Lord and trust in Iim,' and He will bring it to pass;" and when recently one of her religious teachers spoke to her of the great re sponsibilities, she said, "I knowe that to rule as wvell as to love is to serve," and Swhen she and the Crown Prince were recently reading a new life of Frederick l II., she was particularly impressed by I that great Sovereign's motto, "lThe King is the first servant of the State." But 'the Imperial bride is 18, and liher preoccupations with serious and solemni matters interfere in no way witlh her young delight in all things belonging to ier position. PRINCE WILHELM. It is said that correct conclusions as to a iUmain's character can as easily be drawn irom' the things with which he surrounds himself in his home as from i the proverbial frients. If this ba true, thleu the German CGrovin-Prince at the age of 22 is very easily read. For the last two years he, lhas occupied the upper loor of one of the nmaiy old yellow said stone palaces of which Potsdam 'is full to overflowing. Prince 'Eitel lives oni the ground floori Iris elder brotlher on thle loor above.' 1 an amnused every timi~ 1 pass the door to note the things whlichl by courtesy must be called plants, and which form the decoration of the balcony above the front door. In the decon-tion of balconies the Berlinsr and Potsdamer is not easily beaten. As in the selection of lis food, so in the choice of ihis bal cony Ilowers he displays iimagination. He fcrces the lovely purples of cineraria into the service, and mingles them with the mnystesy of 'the ihydamngea; he trains wonderful convolvulus witih flowers like chaimpagne glasses df Venetian glass. and he fringes his stone garden withi ferns of nmany kinds, ronl emerald green to nut brown and silvery wvlite. But thle plants on the Crown Prince's balcony look like so many little Ieatiher-brooms, desperately struggling to keep 'alive. These, and the very simple wvindow hangings are, I suppose, under the con trol of sone ministering spirit. But the rooms behind the baleoniy and behind the windows are full of peroional touches of their owner's testes and interests. Th'Pey are, of course, absolutely pfivate, and cc oeassible only to personal friends. The furniture is of the sinmple, solid, not tob : artistie kind generally imet with in middle. class GerCman housellolds, standing aloof both from the croze for "Old Gernmsn" household gods iaid for tlint whlich points, with spindle-legs aurd long lines leading nowh?ere, to the imost modern form of de eorative art as seen through German eyes. 1 believe thie Eumpress, ilfectionate inio thier and careful Ihousewife as she is, considered tcihat this stout and well-made furniture would best suit tile require mients of "the boys." But on it and about it the occupait has left Iris own staomp abundantly. le lhas put somec weapons upon the walls--remiinders, 1 suppose, of his student-days at Bonn; lihe has put up some sporting p)rints among the ghravcr and very uninteresting pic tures. and tlhere, amonig Ilue ll, a n tle gram-tlheo onlinary, uninteresting Ger manm telegram, witht p typcritten talpi pasted on the whlite paper-is lheld by four pins angainst tile w?ll. It lhas been tile young nman's birthday some time early in the year, and many lihae been the mes sages sent to hlim. But this is ifromi his mnother, viho, I suppose, vwas ansay at the time, and it is r'eserved amongst the tireasures, It is. by tihe way, a pretty ,
sight to see thant tall, thin youth with the Empress, who is all stately dignity, and whose eyes are often grave almost to sadness. Little Princeo Luischllen, who is reckless in her treatment of her father. the Elmperor, stands just the least little bit in waolesome awe of her M3a jesty, whom, on public occasions, she tries to imitate in a delightful nlanner. But the Urown Prince's love for his mo ther is tle .perfect love which castetih out fear, and to see him put his arms round her shoulders, look laughingly into her face, arnd kiss her without further ceremony, is a very pretty sight. Of course, protograplhs of his parents Lnd brothers and sister are about the rooms. Also a few whips and books and papers. But what seemed to me a far more "tell ing" features were two boxes of chocol ates, displayed as frankly as if they wecre cigarettes. Judging by the appearanlce of his rooms the Crown Prince is simplicity itself, and this also appears fromn Iis daily life, such as it is to-day at Potsdaim and as it has bewn since he has been on his own feet, as it were. The ladies of Potsdann where, of course, lie is far better known thann at Berlin-are all in very good hu. mour with him, and not only the young and pretty ones but the staid matrons and the small schoolgirls, for all of ?vhom he 'has the same sunny smile, and none of whom he forgets to salute, without wait ing for them to make their curtsey to him. He walks about the cobble-paved streets in far less unostentatious manner than some of the gorgeous Grenadiers and bodyguards quartered in the large garrison, and it happens not infrequently that lie hails some comrade or acquaint ance across the road in a phrase couched in the Berlin cabby's own peculiar and expressive slang. He rides on the elec tric tram like any conunoner, and he is not above going into a shop and buying goodies for the drchins, who adore him, or things of wlhioh lie himself may etand in momentary need. Young for his age, a little reckless, but full of kindliness and good nature-that is tie general impression of the Heir-Ap parelnt to the Imperial German Crown. But he is a good soldier as well, and one who does his duty conscientiously at all 'times. As a budding sportsman, who plays tennis with skill and understand 1ig, can hlandle an our in excellent fash ion, and drive a motor-car to the satisfac tion of those whom he drives, men speak well of 'him; and hlis.music-mnasters are unanimous in attributing more than or dinary taste and talent for the violin to Mhil. In the depths of these light blue, happy-looking eyes there lurks a somne tfhing of great promise for the future of the youth stanrding on the threshold of life.