MORE ABOUT THE SWEET ROYAL FAMILY LIFE
"Closed season" for petty meannesses--A prince who enjoys himself
like a pig--Why princes learn trades--A family dinner to the
accompaniment of threats and smashing of table--The Duke's widow and
children robbed of their inheritance by royal family--King
confiscates testament.
LOSCHWITZ, _September 13, 1896_.
They are treating me like a laying hen. Expect another golden egg in
December. Hence, "closed season" for imperious commands, "all-highest"
orders and petty meannesses.
When I learned that Bernhardt was in Dresden, I phoned him to come out
and see me--without asking either royal, princely, or the Tisch's
permission.
A junior prince, without fortune or high protector, is really to be
pitied. His title, the vague possibility that some day he may be called
to the throne, stand between him and enjoyment of life as a man. Nothing
left, but to enjoy himself like a pig.
Bernhardt admits it. "They planted me in the God-forsakenest hole in the
kingdom. If I saw a pretty woman in my garrison from one year's end to
the other, I would die of joy. And the newspaper scribblers wonder why
we are all Oscar Wildes.
"Just to kill time, I am learning the carpenter's trade--this Royal
Highness, you must know, lives in a carpenter's house, as innocent of
sanitary arrangements as a Bushman's hut. Of course, I run away every
little while to Dresden, incog. to pay my respects to Venus.
"Louise," he cried with comic emphasis, "may the three hours you steal
from my girl, by way of this visit, be deducted from your eternal
beatitude."
I lent the poor fellow five hundred marks and he rushed back to Dresden.
Tonight I told Frederick Augustus of my interview with Bernhardt, not
mentioning the five hundred, of course.
He laughed. "He's no worse than the rest of us used to be," he said. "I
did exactly like him, and father and uncle and brothers and cousins,
ditto. Behold--your husband-locksmith! Max spent all his time reading
the Lives of the Popes. That made him the dried-up mummy he is. But,
believe me, I gave the girls many a treat. All the money I could beg,
borrow or steal went for girls."
Which explains Frederick Augustus's bedroom manners--sometime
transplanted to the parlor.
* * * * *
DRESDEN, _January 1, 1897_.
I gave Saxony a third prince on December 9, and really I wasn't quite in
condition to be scolded at today's family dinner. But since, with three
boys growing up, the succession is more than guaranteed, the season for
insults is again open.
His Majesty, our most gracious, sublime, etc., sovereign, sulks.
Consequently the family looks glum, down in the mouth, utterly unhappy.
Max gets up to make a speech and one could fairly see the lies wriggle
out of his mouth full of defective teeth: exemplary family life;
traditional friendship of all members for each other; perfect unity; the
King and all the princes brave as lions; the Queen and all the
princesses paragons of virtue. And the fatherly love with which the King
embraces us all; his more than royal generosity; his mildness, his
Christian virtues!
The Queen is a goose. Max's lying commonplaces make her forget her many
years of misery spent at this court, and she grows as sentimental as a
kitten. Fat Mathilda, Isabelle and Johann George applaud Max despite
their better understanding, and now the King rises to make his usual New
Year's address.
The gist of his long-winded remarks is this: "I am the lord, your
master, and I will see to it that you--wife, brother, nephews and
nieces--will dance as I whistle.
"For obedience to the King is the highest law," he paraphrases
Wilhelm,--"strictest, unconditional obedience" (and he gave me a
poisoned look) "and let no one forget it, no one." With that he beat the
table with his clenched fist, and the whole assemblage turns an accusing
eye on me.
* * * * *
DRESDEN, _April 6, 1897_.
They have driven the late Duke of Saxony's wife and children from house
and home--put her on the high-road, piling her personal belongings,
trunks, wardrobe and knick-knacks outside, too.
She arrived in Dresden and sought refuge with her widowed mother. Her
father, a Court-Councillor, dismissed because of the relations between
the Duke and his daughter, died of grief and mortification, almost
penniless. And the Ducal widow is as poor as the mother--and three
children to bring up! Children of the royal blood of Saxony, children
sanctioned by the Church of which they prate so much, for there is no
doubt that the pair married in secret.
The late Highness kept all his papers in a strong-box, and it's said the
King's representative, who searched the safe by Royal orders, found
neither acknowledgment of the marriage, nor a last will in favor of the
widow and children. Hence, all the Duke's belongings revert to the
royal family, and the estate he lived on goes to his next of kin, Johann
George.
Johann George, who has more money than he knows what to do with,
promptly sent the bailiff after his cousin's wife and children.
"_Noblesse oblige_,--the way you interpret the old saying, will advance
the cause of monarchy immensely," I said to the official heir.
"Is it any business of mine to support my relatives' mistresses?" I saw
he was mad clean through.
"You know very well that she was his wife."
"There is apparently no official record of the marriage."
"Maybe not in Dresden, as the nuptials were solemnized abroad. But what
about the testament?"
Johann George grew very red in the face. "If there is one, the King must
have confiscated it. That often happens in royal houses."
"And you mean to say that, with all your riches, you are heartless
enough and contemptible enough----"
"Take a care, Your Imperial Highness. The Duke's strumpet was today
indicted for _lese majeste_ in connection with the testament matter."
This junior prince dared to speak thus to me, the Crown Princess.
"Johann George," I cried, "forget not that sooner or later I will be at
the head of the royal family of Saxony. I forbid you to introduce your
mess-room jargon into my parlor; at the same time I am sincerely sorry
that a Prince of Saxony should stoop to buy cigarettes and gasoline with
the pittance stolen from his cousin's widow and her three little
children."
I went to the door and told the lackey on duty to fetch his Royal
Highness's carriage.