THE PETITIONERS.
As the door closed behind Horja, the emperor continued his rounds, but
no more petitions were presented. Here and there, however, was heard a
request for an audience, which Joseph granted, and then retired to his
cabinet, leaving the door open.
"Have the goodness to walk in," said he to the lady, who was in advance
of the others. She obeyed, and the emperor, closing the door, took a
seat at his escritoire.
"Now, madam, I am ready to hear you; but, as there are nine persons to
follow, I must request you to be brief. What is your name?"
"I am the widow of the President von Kahlbaum."
"He was a worthy man. Have you any children, madam?"
"Yes, your majesty; I have two daughters and a son."
"Two daughters? I once had a little maiden of my own, but she is dead,"
said the emperor, sadly. "How can I serve you and your children?"
"Oh, sire, the fearful ordinance by which the pensions from her late
majesty's privy-purse were withdrawn, has ruined me. I beseech of you,
sire, restore to me my pension extraordinary."
"Are you not aware that the pensions extraordinary are abolished?"
"Yes, sire; but through your majesty's liberality, I hope to retain the
pension I held from the empress. The loss of it heightens my grief for
the death of my husband, and makes life unendurable. Without it I should
have to part with my carriage, with a portion of my household, and live
in complete retirement. I am sure that your majesty's own sense of
justice will plead for me."
"Justice is the motive power of all my actions, madam," replied the
emperor, curtly, "and for that very reason you cannot retain your
pension."
"Sire, I am sorely stricken. The merits of my husband--my position--"
"Your husband's merits have earned you the pension you already receive
from the crown; and as for your position, that can in no way concern me.
I grant that your loss is great; but your special pension will maintain
three poor families, and I cannot allow you to receive it longer."
"Alas!" cried the lady, "what are my daughters to do?"
"They can become good house-keepers or governesses, if they have
received good educations."
"Impossible, sire. My daughters are of noble birth, and they cannot
descend to the humiliation of earning a living."
"Why not? I am sure I earn my living, and earn it by hard work, too. No
one is too good to work; and since the aristocracy cannot shield their
children from want, it is clear that they cannot free them from the
necessity of labor."
"Then, your majesty, have mercy upon my son--the only son of a man of
noble extraction."
"What profession has he chosen?"
"He wishes to be an officer in the army; but he was so severely dealt
with in his examination, that he has not been able to obtain a
commission. Oh, your majesty, I beseech of you, grant him a command in
the infantry!"
"Madam," cried the emperor, impatiently, "a man may be the son of a
distinguished father without having the slightest claim to serve as an
officer. As your son was not able to stand his examination, he must
content himself with being the 'son of a man of noble extraction.'
Excuse me, but time is limited. I regret to refuse your requests, but
justice compels me to do so."
The lady burst into tears, and making her inclination to the emperor,
left the room. The latter, following her, said, "Let the next petitioner
advance."
This was an old hussar, a captain of cavalry, with lofty bearing and
snow-white beard. He came in, making a military salute.
"What can I do for you, my friend?" asked Joseph.
"I come to ask of your majesty not to deprive me of the pension
extraordinary which the empress of blessed memory bestowed upon me from
her privy purse," said the old soldier, bluntly.
"Oh, another pension extraordinary!" said the emperor, with a laugh.
"That cannot be, captain. The privy purse of the empress, which, in the
goodness of her heart, was thrown indiscriminately to all who asked for
alms, this purse exists no longer. It has a large hole in it, and its
contents have all run out."
The old hussar gave a grim look to the emperor, and raised his peruke.
Pointing with his finger to three wide, purple scars upon his head, he
said:
"Sire, my head is somewhat in the condition of your privy-purse, it has
several holes in it. They were made by your majesty's enemies."
"To stop such holes as those is my sacred duty," said Joseph, smiling,
"and enough remains yet in the bottom of the privy-purse to satisfy the
wants of a brave officer, who has served me to his own prejudice.
Forgive my refusal. The petition which you wear on your head is more
eloquent than words, and your pension shall be returned to you."
"I thank your majesty," said the captain, and with another stiff salute,
he marched out.
The emperor looked after him, laughing heartily.
As he disappeared, a pale, delicate woman came forward, accompanied by
several young children, two of which were hiding their heads in her
skirt. The group filed up the door like a picture, and the children
clung so to the pallid mother that she could not advance a step.
"As you cannot come to me, I will go to you," said the emperor,
contemplating them with a benevolent smile. "Give me your petition,
madam."
"These are my petitions, your majesty," said the woman pointing to her
children. "My husband served for many years in the twelfth regiment, and
died of the wounds he received in the Bavarian war. He left me nothing
but these orphans."
The emperor looked kindly at the little golden heads that were peeping
from among the folds of their mother's dress, and a cloud came over his
face. "You grieve for your poverty, poor woman," said he, "and know not
how I envy your riches. How many millions would I give if one of those
children were mine! Children are a great blessing."
"Yes, sire, when they have fathers to work for them."
"I will be their father," said Joseph, and at the sound of these loving
words, the children raised their bashful heads, to steal a look at the
speaker. "Come, boys," continued he, offering his hand, "will any of you
be soldiers?"
"Yes, yes," replied the two eldest, standing erect and making the
military salute.
"That is right. You are brave fellows, and if you behave well, you shall
belong to my body-guard.--Come to-morrow," continued he to the mother,
"and the lord-chancellor will attend to the maintenance and education of
your four eldest. Meanwhile, you shall have a pension for yourself and
the youngest. In a few years I will do as much for the little one there.
Be punctual in your visit to the chancery. You will be received at ten
o'clock."
"God reward your majesty!" faltered the happy mother. "Oh, my children,
my dear children, the emperor is the father of the orphan! Reward your
gracious sovereign by being good, and pray for him with all your
hearts!"
With these words the woman courtesied and withdrew, and the audience for
that day was at an end.
"And pray for him with all your hearts," whispered the emperor. "May God
hear the petitions of these innocents! Perchance they may weigh against
the curses of others. They are the little roses which I sometimes find
beneath my crown of thorns. But away with sentiment! I have no time to
indulge in heart-reveries. My vocation is to work. Here is a portfolio
filled with petitions. Gunther must help me to examine them."
He rang the bell, and Gunther seated himself and went to work.
Meanwhile, the emperor had taken up one of the papers and was reading
it. Suddenly he put it down and began to laugh.
"Listen, Gunther," said he, "listen to this touching appeal. One of the
discharged counselors orders me to give him a larger pension that he may
live in a manner befitting his position. Now hear the conclusion of the
petition. 'Our emperor is a poor callow mouse.'" [Footnote: Hubner, i.,
p. 199.]
"And your majesty can laugh at such insolence!" exclaimed Gunther,
coloring with indignation.
"Yes, I do," replied Joseph. "Nothing can be franker and more to the
point."
"And I, pardon me, sire, think that the writer of this insolent letter
should be severely--"
"Nay," interrupted the emperor. "You would not have me punish him for
being man enough to say to my face what thousands say of me behind my
back, would you? Now, I am so disinclined to punish him that I intend to
increase his pension just because he is an honest, plain-spoken fellow.
You need not make such a grimace, Gunther. If you feel badly, console
yourself with your work."
The emperor seated himself at the table and went on looking over his
petitions, occasionally murmuring to himself, "Our emperor is a poor,
callow mouse!"