Page:The grandmother; a story of country life in Bohemia.pdf/129

Rh "A lovely lady, it gives one pleasure to look at her; but your sister does not resemble either her father or her mother; it is sometimes the case that a child takes after some distant relative. The face of this young man seems familiar to me; I cannot recollect where I saw it."

"That is the Russian Emperor, Alexander, you did not know him."

Indeed I knew him! why, I stood about twenty steps from him. He was a handsome man, here he is somewhat younger, but still I recognized him. He and the Emperor Joseph were excellent men."

The Princess motioned to the opposite wall, where hung a picture,—a life size figure of a man.

"The Emperor Joseph!" exclaimed Grandmother clasping her hands. "A perfect likeness! How you have them all together! I did not dream that I should see the Emperor Joseph to-day. God grant his soul eternal glory; he was a good man, especially to the poor. This dollar he gave me with his own hand," said Grandmother as she drew the silver dollar from her bosom.

The Princess was pleased with Grandmother's simple-heartedness and timely remarks; so she asked her to relate how the Emperor came to give her the dollar. Grandmother needed no coaxing and at once began to tell the story of her dollar. The Princess laughed heartily. When Grandmother took another look about the cabinet, she espied the portrait of King Frederic.

"Why, this is the King of Prussia!" she exclaimed. "I knew that ruler well, too. My late husband George served in the Prussian army, and I spent fifteen years in Silesia. Once he had George