Unter der Linden is as beautiful and imposing an avenue as I see on my tower, with tall, handsome houses risin’ up on each side on’t. And there are beautiful parks and pleasure ground and places of recreation of all kinds.
The Academy of Music is famous for its fine concerts, the city seems the very home of melody, and beautiful statutes are seen on every side. The equestrian statute of Frederic the Great is a grand one, and Josiah got all rousted up lookin’ at it, and talked considerable to me about what a imposin’ figger he himself would make if he could be sculped settin’ on the mair. He said it would be a lovely sight a loomin’ up in front of the M. E. meetin’-house in Jonesville. But I got his mind off from it quick as I could.
One day when we wuz out drivin’ through the handsome 429 streets we went to see the palace of Bismark. It wuz a large, stately mansion, opposite a pretty little park. But though this seemed the very abode of luxury, I wuz told that Bismark loved the country fur better, and as Josiah and I delighted in the fields of Jonesville, so he loved sweet Nature, and follered her all he could into her hants in the country. Josiah sot store by Bismark, and honors his memory, and he seemed real tickled when I sez to him:
“Bismark always reminded me of you, Josiah, from what I’ve read of him.”
Josiah was very tickled, and he sez with a proud happy look, “Yes, I spoze I am a good deal like him, he wuz as brave as a lion, had good sound horse sense and–––”
But I sez calmly, “I dare presoom to say, Josiah, that that is so. But I wuz alludin’ to his appetite, I have hearn that he had a splendid and immense appetite.”
Josiah acted huffy, and I drawed his attention off onto the corners of base relief and the white statters ornamentin’ the ruff.
To our great sorrow, we found that Emperor William wuzn’t to home. I spoze it will be a great disappointment to him when he hears on’t that Josiah and I had really been there right to his home and he shouldn’t be there. I well know how bad I should feel if Potentates come to Jonesville and I happened to be off on a tower. And then I honored Emperor William for his kind heart and kind actions and his good sense, and felt bad enough to think I wuzn’t goin’ to see him.
But owin’ to Robert Strong’s gittin’ a letter from somebody to somebody, we went through the palace just as I would want William to go through our house in Jonesville and the carriage-house and barn, if we happened to be away a visitin’ when he come our way.
And oh, what a sight that palace wuz on the inside when we come to go through it, and the outside too looked 430 well, very strong and massive and handsum and big, enormous big.