Show INCREASING THE GAIETY OF NATIONS S NA-TIONS When Garrick died goad gruff Dr Johnson said that his death had I eclipsed the gaiety of nations Yet It I must be confessed that when Bozzy asked him how this came about the I doctor was somewhat put out for a reply though he might have answered as the Manchean knight answered his I squire when the latter had something not over complimentary to say about II the peerless beauty of Toboso I tell 1 thee Shneho thy frumps nippe Now when the present emperor of I Germany was born it was destined 1 that the gaiety of nations should be I added to The latest instance in which I he has done this comes in the form of I a stor from Berlin The story runs that the officers of the imperial yacht I Eohenzollern had been in the habit of I ridEng bicycles upon the promenade deck of the yacht His majesty learning learn-ing of the fact wemt to the offlbers and asked xviiy they had not Jnviled him to join in their sport The officers with a great deal of trepidation admitted ad-mitted that they had ridden their bicycles bi-cycles in disobedience of the orders of Captain Brussata the commander of the Hohenzollern whereupon the eiu 12 1 I II < peror summoned Captain Brussata and compelled him to mount a bicycle his majesty holding the machine steady while the unhappy captain and the group surrounding him were photographed pho-tographed amid the illconcealed titters tit-ters of the officers This is a story that is not important If true It recalls another about the sultan of Turkey who compelled one of the queens of the harem who had incurred his displeasure to mount a bioyclk that had been sent him and ride or rather attempt to ride around the court of the harem Poor Haidee never having learned the gentle art of managing a wheal though accustomed to bloomers from earliest youth fell as often as she bestrode her wheel receiving re-ceiving many and severe bruises and affording much amusement to her sister sis-ter rivals It may be that from this source William obatned the idea of compelling compel-ling Captain Brussata to bestride the wheel for the delectation of his majesty ma-jesty and the discipline of the crew Being the source of wisdom to his people peo-ple why should he not occasionally serve as the fountain of folly to them I |