The Kaiser and his eldest grandson

The Kaiser and his eldest grandson. Photograph by Selle & Kuntze
Identifier: memoriesofkaiser00toph (find matches)
Title: Memories of the Kaiser's court
Year: 1914 (1910s)
Authors: Topham, Anne, 1864-1927
Subjects: William II, German Emperor, 1859-1941 Germany -- Court and courtiers
Publisher: New York : Dodd, Mead and Company
Contributing Library: University of California Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN



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trees at one end ofthe palace. After it is finished the Emperorand Empress, with their family and guests, go topartake of the feast with the soldiers. They donot as a rule sit down, but eat their meat andprunes standing. All the ladies in their trainedsilk dresses, the ambassadors, generals, andadjutants in their uniforms, are served with aplateful of boiled beef, and eat it wherever theycan find elbow-room. When Their Majesties havefinished, they walk, followed by the assembledcompany, down between the tables, inspectingthe soldiers and asking them questions. Wheredo you come from ? How long have you served ?Have you had a good dinner ? seem to be thestock questions, varied by inquiries as to name,fathers business, and any other queries thatseem to fit the occasion. Here it may be remarked that the Emperorand his family possess in an unusual degree whatKipling calls the common touch. They knowhow to talk to poor men, working men, withoutany shadow of that patronizing affability often
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THE KAISER AND HIS ELDEST GRANDSON BAUERN-HAUS AND SCHRIPPEN-FEST 173 mistakenly employed by one class when trying tobe nice to another which is not on the same socialplane. An absolutely frank and unreserved interestin other peoples affairs is implied in their con-versation, an obvious desire really to know some-thing of the conditions of other peoples lives.It is not perfunctory, though it easily, perhaps,might become so, especially in view of the thou-sands of soldiers and other people to whom theEmperor talks in the course of a year. ThePrincess herself from childhood always had thehappy knack of choosing the right thing to sayto the poorest children she met. She alwayswanted to know their names, how many brothersand sisters they had, what class they were in atschool, and what they were going to be whenthey grew up. One small boy confessed once toa desire to be a chimney sweep. Never wasshe at a loss for something appropriate to say tothe most cross-grained and morose of her fello