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IAj Germany Is watching with Intense interest
L I the courtship of the Crown Prince FrederlcK
MJ I William. Interest in the far eastern war may
Jf Y. I flag, excitement over the revolution In Russia
may ale out, the quarrel Deiween me agra
rians and the socialists may be forgotten, but
the German people do not forgrt to follow
dally, with absorbing Interest, the lovemaklng
Of the crown prince and the fulr Duchess Cecilia.
The youth who some day Is to be emperor makes love In
an open manner. His will be no marriage arranged by the
chancellor for the political advantage of the empire, or to
heal some quarrel between petty German states. He has
chosen a girl for his wife who Is of his own people. She
Is German, has always lived In Germany.
Frederick William writes a love letter every day to his
betrothed. Perhaps he Is In a distant part of the empire.
He writes the letter and a smart orderly rides, goes by
train, or automobile, or by steam yacht, and delivers the
letter to ths young girl who some day will be the empress.
He waits for the reply. and carries It back to the crown
prince.
Perhaps the crown prince and the young duchess are In
the same city. The dally love letter Is written and de
livered by the orderly Just the same. Even If they are
under the same palace roof the letter, with Its message of
love. Is written and slipped into the hand of the happy girl
perhaps only a few mlnjtes before she meets the crown
prince In the drawing room.
The crown prince keeps the love letters of his betrothed
In a big Japanned dispatch box, each week's letters being
tied up separately with colored ribbons. Some day the prince
he will be kaiser then will keep another big Japanned tin
box, but It will be filled with documents of state; but just
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now his most Important "dispatches" are those written
.the big schoolglrllsh hand of the Duchess Cecilia.
All the German people know of the dully exchange of
love letters between their future emperor and empress. They
are proud of the lovemaklng. Every noble as well as every
peasant In the empire knows that the crown prince loves the
Duchess Cecilia, Just as Hans loves Gretchen in thf humblest
village of filleslu. '
Frederick William Is hardly more than a boy Just out
of college. He Is not a frivolous youth, but he enjoys the
sports of his younger brothers Just as he does those of his
father.
But In spite of his youthfuliiess all Germnny knows that
he became a man on the day that his betrothal to the
Duchess Cecilia was announced.
" Ills royal highness looks even younger but behaves
ten years older than before he was engaged," was the re
mark made by a member of the court circle a few days after
the royal betrothal was announced. Happiness, In act, goes
hand In hand with discretion, and the prince, every one Is
saying. Is likely to turn out t ho as good a family man as
ills father, the kaiser.
Berlin had recent proof of the crown prince's affection
tor his betrothed. The crown prince had been absent In
Silesia, and In tils absence a painting of the Duchess Cecilia
had been displayed in a window In an arcade off I'nter-den-Llnden.
Upon his return from Silesia the crown prince
learned of the fact. Without waiting to rest from the
fatigue o the Journey, not even changing his traveling
clothes, the prince hurried off on foot to see the portrait of
his sweetheart.
Crowds Follow Lovt-Sick Prince.
Naturally the figure of the crown prince, which Is
familiar to every one In Berlin, attracted attention as he
swung along with easy stride in Unter-den-Ilnden. Scores
of men and even women followed at a respectful distance.
As he neared the arcade where the picture was displayed
the crowd Instinctively guessed that he was on his way to
see It. The nem-s even ran ahead of him, and when he ar
rived at the little shop a crowd of two or three eager,
smiling people had already assembled.
" This way, your royal highness," some one said; " here
It Is."
" Yes, yes, here it Is," cried others In chorus.
The crowds In front of the window made a passageway,
through which the crown prince, not witnout some confusion
In manner, made his way.
For several minutes he stood looking with all the eager
ness of a boy at the fair features of his betrothed. Then, as
he turned around, a happy umlle on his face, he seemed to
realize for the first time the presence of the throngs. The
men first saluted the prince and then cheered. Others from
I'nter-den-Unden pressed Into the little arcade to see what
occasioned the excitement, and soon a throng of several
hundred people had gathered, all Joining the prince In good
natureif luughter. So great did the crowd become that the
prince was unable to make his way through It. He was not
hustled or crowded, and so he stood, blushing and laughing
good humoredly, until the crowds, with a parting cheer,
graduully dispersed.
Such a scene could not have been witnessed in any other
monarchical country of Kurnpe, unless, perhnps. In England
and even In England a crown prince might not have escaped
without a few hearty, 'familiar slaps on the back.
The youthful king of Spain would not have dared walk
alone through a popular thoroughfare of Madrid and trust
himself in the midst of a miscellaneous crowd of people. An
heir to the throne of Russia would have been surrounded by
Cossacks and a swarm of secret spies. An heir to the crown
of Italy would have been guarded by gendarmes.
Walks Berlin's -Streets Unmolested.
The crown prince of Germany, however, walks the
streets nt Berlin alone and unafraid, lie rides on street
cars alone, or on horseback, or In carriages. He hasn't an
enemy In the city. The people know his boyish, eager ace,
and love him. They hnve loved him all the more since they
learned that he selected a German bride and that he loves
her In the German way.
' There are other things In the crown prince's lovemaklng
that he makes no pretense of concealing. A few weeks ago
the Dunhess Cecilia had a birthday, Just as all German girls
do. K few days before the crown prince went to a Jewelry
store In Berlin, alone. Just as any young clerk would have
done. He purchased a pearl necklace and the word passed'
through the store and out Into the streets, and In an hour
half of Berlin knew what the Duchess Cecilia was to receive
on her birthday. But, while they were proud thnt their
future empress was to have a glorious pearl necklace, they
were still prouder when they learned that the crown prince
had bought for his sweetheart a little gold ring with two
plain hearts engraved on Its surface. It was Just such a
ring that any clerk or workman In Berlin would have bought
for his sweetheart, and when the humbler people of the
capital learned of It they were prouder than ever of their
future emperor. '
It
Real Wooing Is in Country.
some quiet country chateau, that the crown prince and the
young duchess really enjoy their courtship. Then they are
free from the restraints of court circle and palace life. The
duchess dresses In plain frocks and braids her golden hair
und ties the ends with big bows of ribbon, Just as any Ger
man girl does. The prince wea's a comfortable slouch hat.
They take walks in quiet country lanes and more than once
they have been seen strolling along, hand In hand, talking
earnestly together. Just as Hans and Gretchen walk and talk
on their way home from the village fair.
The prince and the duchess go hunting together In rough,
comfortable clothes. They take long rides, shoot, play ten-,
nls, flsh, and have picnics with their Intimate friends. They
have been known to take " straw rides ' and to Join parties
of country lads und lasses In the hay flcMs.
The Germans are proud of their crown prince. He Is
loved as a boy far more than was his fatjn-r, the kaiser,
who always was a serious youth and who burdened his mind
with problems of state early In life.
Likes the Fun of Courting.
The crown prince Is enjoying his courtship. He does not
conceal his enjoyment. He knows the day is coming when
It will be ended, and when he, too, must take up the burden
of ruling an empire. For It Is a burden to rule an empire In
these modern days. The kalHcr must be a statesman, for he
alone controls the political relations between Germany and
the other Jealous European powers. He must lie a banker,
for In his hands rest the finances of the empire. He must be
a great railroad manager, for he controls a system of rail
roads as complex as any In Europe. He must be a soldier,
for he commands a great army an admiral, for he commands
a great navy.
The present kaiser Is all these and more, for he Is an
artist, a musician, a landscape gardener, an architect.' He
writes poetry, valla a yacht, preaches, compose operds,
leads an army at the sham battles of the fall muneuvers,
directs the evolution of fleets In squadron practice ut s inl
and does a score of other things equally spectacular. J
I The Crown Prince Frederick William may not be as ver
satile as his famous father, but he Is a steady, clear headed
youth, upon whom the shadow of the empire's burden has
not yet fallen. Just now he Is enjoying his courtship, and
Is when they are away from Berlin and Potsdam, at all the empire la enjoying It with him.
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