hey love to be
in the Neues Palais and stay there until after Christmas. Their
Christmas festivities must be worth seeing. Each prince has a
Christmas tree and a table of his own, makes his own choice of
presents, and ties up his own packages--as it were--and lights the
Christmas candles. These festivals are held in the mussel-room, on the
ground floor, original if not pretty--a combination of shells,
mother-of-pearl, and glass stone, which must be very effective in the
brilliantly lighted room.

The Empress is very fond of riding, but often drives a little
pony-carriage with two English "high-steppers." Once when the Shah of
Persia was spending the day at Potsdam the Empress offered to take him
out for a drive in the park. Half-way to their destination the lively
pace of the horses alarmed the Shah. He put his hand over hers, which
held the reins, and said in his pigeon-French, "_Vous-mourir seule_"
and got out and walked back.

The Emperor said to me, "Do you know Mr. Carnegie?"

I said that I did not.

"He is a clever gentleman," continued the Emperor. "Can you guess what
he said to me?"

I shook my head.

The Emperor then quoted Mr. Carnegie: "You and Mr. Roosevelt would
make a nice tandem."

"That shows tact and discrimination," I remarked.

The Emperor laughed. "I asked him which he thought would be the
wheel-horse?"

"What did he answer to that?" said I.

"I am afraid Mr. Carnegie did not find anything to answer just then.
He has not your talent for repartee."

"In this case," I assured his Majesty, "I should not have answered at
all, for I have no idea what a wheel-horse is. If it is the horse
which makes all the wheels turn, then it must be your Majesty."

"You see!" said the Emperor, shaking his finger and laughing.

We had the great pleasure of welcoming Prince Hans (King Christian's
brother). Johan was with him in Greece many years ago and has never
ceased to love him. He is the most polite gentleman I ever saw; he
almost begs your pardon for being kind to you. He dined with us
yesterday. We invited to meet him Prince Albert Schleswig-Holstein
(his nephew) and Prince and Princess Wied[3]. This young couple are
delightfully charming. The Prince has the most catching smile. It is
impossible not to be in good spirits when you are with him. We sat out
on the balcony after dinner and took our coffee and looked out into
the brilliantly lighted square of Brandenburger Tor with its network
of tram