I Came To Know, As Their Guest, The Best Of Old Military Society.
They Were Very Old-Fashioned And Precise, And Frau Generalin
Often Told Me That American Girls Were Too Ausgelassen In Their
Manners.
She often reproved me for seating myself upon the sofa
(which was only for old people) and also for looking about too
much when walking on the streets.
Young girls must keep their
eyes more cast down, looking up only occasionally. (I thought
this dreadfully prim, as I was eager to see everything). I was
expected to stop and drop a little courtesy on meeting an older
woman, and then to inquire after the health of each member of the
family. It seemed to take a lot of time, but all the other girls
did it, and there seemed to be no hurry about anything, ever, in
that elegant old Residenz-stadt. Surely a contrast to our
bustling American towns.
A sentiment seemed to underlie everything they did. The Emperor
meant so much to them, and they adored the Empress. A personal
feeling, an affection, such as I had never heard of in a
republic, caused me to stop and wonder if an empire were not the
best, after all. And one day, when the Emperor, passing through
Hanover en route, drove down the Georgen-strasse in an open
barouche and raised his hat as he glanced at the sidewalk where I
happened to be standing, my heart seemed to stop beating, and I
was overcome by a most wonderful feeling - a feeling that in a man
would have meant chivalry and loyalty unto death.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 5 of 274
Words from 1177 to 1446
of 72945