pany No. 1 of the First Guard Regiment."

The little prince drew himself up, gave his father a prompt military
salute, and retired. An hour later he reappeared before the king,
attired in the uniform of his new rank; and, repeating the salute,
announced to his royal father that "he was ready for duty."

[Illustration: WILLIAM BEFORE HIS FATHER.]

Even at so early an age, William was no fancy soldier, holding rank
and title, and leaving to humbler officers the duties and hardships.
He at once devoted himself to the task of a junior ensign; and from
that time onward became an officer in truth, laboring zealously to
master the military science, and rising step by step, not by favor,
but by merit and seniority.

At the age of eighteen, William was in Blucher's army at Waterloo,
taking an active part in the overthrow of Napoleon, and witnessing
that mighty downfall. A little later, he was promoted to the rank of
major for cool courage under heavy fire; and from that time on, for
nearly half a century, William devoted himself wholly to the
military profession.

When he ascended the Prussian throne, there was no more unpopular
man in the kingdom. He had put down the revolutionary rising in
Berlin with grim and relentless hand; and the people believed that
their new monarch was a cruel and haughty tyrant.

It was not until after the great triumph over Austria, in 1866, that
the Prussians began to discover that King William was not only a
valiant soldier, but an ardent lover of his country, and a
kind-hearted, whole-souled father of his people.

THE STATESMAN.

For the last sixteen years, no sovereign in Europe has been more
devotedly beloved and revered by his subjects. Although William is
autocratic, and believes in his "divine right" to rule as sturdily
as did his mediaeval ancestors, and has not a little contempt for
popular clamors and popular rights, his reign has been on the whole
brilliantly wise and successful. While this has been in a great
measure due to the presence of a group of great men around
him,--notably of Bismarck and Von Moltke,--the emperor himself has
had no small share in promoting the power and towering fortunes of
Germany.

His paternal ways with his people, his military knowledge, his fine,
frank, hearty, chivalrous nature, his sound sense in the choice of
his advisers, and his perception of the wisdom of their