efeat of his armies by the Serbians and of the retaking
of Belgrade, the old man first burst into a furious rage and then sat
down with elbows on the table, his head in his hands, and prayed for
forgiveness and future successes.

In Austria's history one discovers no victories. She is an unusual and
pliant State to survive so many defeats. One finds her the easy prey
of Frederick the Great, the pet victim of Louis XIV., the foe against
whom Napoleon made his first youthful efforts and the vanquished of
his prime, the defeated foe of Napoleon III., the vanquished tyrant of
Italy united, the loser in Prussia's Thirty Days' War of 1867, and now
the gradual loser against Russia's wild, numberless hordes. She has
already lost all of Galicia and stands with her back to the
Carpathians and has been held off on equal terms by Serbia these four
months past. A supine State, she is always defeated, and yet always
remains and ever grows.

Austrian money is now greatly depreciated. In ordinary times one gets
about 487 crowns for $100, while today one obtains 575. American money
has at present the highest rate of exchange.

* * * * *

_Wednesday, December 23d._ This morning I had a most interesting
interview with Count Szecsen, the Austrian ex-Ambassador to France,
and spent the afternoon in conference with Captain Briggs.

* * * * *

_Thursday, December 24th._ I made a verbal report to Prince zu
Stollberg this morning on the situation of German subjects in France.
After luncheon I had a most interesting talk with Mr. Nelson
O'Shaughnessy, of Mexican fame, who is Conseiller at the Embassy.
Later I went for a most delightful automobile ride with Ambassador
Penfield, who showed me the Prater, the Danube, the Basin, the
Exposition Building, and the Ring. Afterward Mr. Thomas Hinckley, the
second secretary, took me to see the Christmas tree in the American
Hospital, all ready for tomorrow's fete for the wounded soldiers.

* * * * *

_Friday, December 25th._ It seems very triste to be way off next to
Asia on Christmas Day, on the day when one most wants to be at home.
However, I had two Christmas feasts and a warm welcome into two
American homes. I took luncheon with Mr. and Mrs. Nelson O'Shaughnessy
and dinner with Captain and Mrs. Briggs, enjoyable visits that made a
happy day out of what would otherwise have been a very sad one.

In