Jasper County Democrat, Volume 16, Number 79, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 January 1914 — A GREAT FEUD [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

A GREAT FEUD

It Was Between Workers In Wax

By F. A. MITCHEL

Mote than half a century ago there was a craze for modeling in wax. Among these waxworkers one became so much more skillful than the others that she at last found herself an object of jealousy to the other workers and their friends. This lady was the young Countess Hildegarde. a person of .great modesty, who was not pleased in finding herself in such a position. When it was reported to her that she was an object of envy, that she was exciting antagonism among those at court, she was quite at a loss what to do in the matter. Her nearest rival was the daughter of Prince Lichtenstein, who ruled over a territory some ten miles square. This princess, Sofia, being heiress to

a large fortune, was a person df influence and much sought after by the marriageable young aristocrats attached to the court. The king heard of the quarrels of the adherents of the two ladies and, naturally taking the part of a princess of the blood, treated Hildegarde with marked coolness. The poor girl was at her wits’ end. To be brought into a contest with one so far above her in rank was sure to result disastrously to the weaker vessel. She was not permitted to leave the field, and if she remained in it she would surely come to grief. To make matters worse, a young officer of the garde du corps, Captain von He Ims midi er, must needs fall in love with the countess and advocated her claims to superiority in wax working so loudly that he Called forth the antagonism of 1 Tim e Herbert, the king's youngest son. who was devoted to the Princess tSofia. What had before- been a gale now became a hurricane. The king, who deprecated quarrels among his courtiers, strove to quiet the contending partisans, but failed.** It seemed to Hildegarde that she must retire from court. But when she meutionedThis plan to her partisans they one and all intimated that they would consider such action an acknowledgment of defeat, a desertion of her supporters. The countess, unwilling to leave them in the lurch, after long deliberation finally hit upon an expedient which would show the folly of the war that was being waged and, she hoped, would end it. She induced ojie of her friends to offer a suggestion that the two rivals each make a wax peach; that the models be exhibited for a time,'’at the end of which a vote be taken as to Which was the better work, the artist receiving the higher vote to be considered in possession of the field, the one receiving the lower vote to 1 refrain from further waxwork. The suggestion, being talked about, reached the ears of the king, who, seeing in it a possible way to end the war, seized upon it eagerly, issued a command embodying it and adding to it an important feature. He decreed that the artist whose work was voted to excel ,the other was to be appointed Waxworker to his majesty for life. There was now nothing for it but that the contestants should give their whole attention to the work in hand! The princess took two weeks to do hers, while Hildegarde took but one. When the models were ready for exhibition each contestant put her peach in a glass receptacle provided for it and sent it by her own maid to be placed on a stand in the room of the palace provided for the exhibition. A silken cord stretched across the room, ten feet from the works to be voted on, kept those inspecting from going too near them. Alas for hopes of peace! The very first day of the exhibition Prince Herbert and Captain von Helmsmuller met in the room where the peaches

I had been deposited and got Info a I quarrel over which peach was the bet!ter production. “No one ever saw a peach,” said the prince, referring to the countess’ work, , “of a hue like that —a yellowish brown. I And look at the specks on it—they are j unnatural.” “I grant, your royal highness,” retorted the captain, “that the Qthe.r peach is a representation of fruit, but as to naturalness, why, any one can see easily that it is made of i wax.” "Do you mean to tell me,” retorted the prince, “that shrunken thing is a more perfect work of art than the luscious fruit beside it? You are a fool!” “Were I of ike ie rank as your royal highness,” the captain retorted angrily, "I would teach you that you cannot call an officer of the garde du corps a fool.” “I waive my rank.” “Very well; I will send one of my comrades to your royal highness immediately.” There were but two other persons in the room at the time, and the , prince gave them the choice between keeping the matter secret and incurring his royal displeasure. Both persons promised not to tell, but the affair leaked out and was soon the talk of the court. TllO'prince and the captain were regarded respectively as the I champion of the princess and the countess.

Never before was such a hubbub raised in a court of Germany. The king was furious. He at once issued an order confining both his son and the captain in a fortress till he could be assured that they would not light. He visited the room where the peaches were on exhibition and, seeing that the one that had been made by the princess was a far more beautiful fruit than that made by the countess, felt sure it would be pronounced so by an overwhelming vote and the controversy would be ended permanently. So lie gave orders that the next day at noon the election should take place and that Prince Herbert and Captain von Helmsmuller should be present. From 0 till 12 the next morning the room where the peaches were depdsiti d was thronged with members of the court. The princess stood near her work and the countess near hers. Just beyond the cord before the princess stood Prince Herbert, and in the same relative position on the other side stood Captain von Helmsmuller, each champion glaring at the other. At 12 o’clock the voting commenced. There was not the slightest doubt as to which would win, for the admiration for the Princess Sofia's work was unbounded, while Hildegarde’s was pronounced a miserable, shriveled little thing of no merit whatever. At 12 o'clock the king ordered the two champions to act its tellers, and, taking their hats in their hands, they collected the votes. The chamberlain counted them and when he had finish ed announced the result: “Her royal highness’ work has received eighty-Seven votes and the Countess Hildegarde’s one.” The prince turned and greeted the captain with an insulting laugh. The captain threw his glove at the prince and struck him squarely in the face. The king, seeing his son thus attacked, indignant at such an affront to one of royal blood, gave his royal sanction to the meeting and was about, to leave, the room when the Countess Hihle garde advanced and, kneeling before I him, said: yc “It Ims been decided, your majesty, that 1 retire from the field of wax making. It only remains to assure these hotheaded champions that they have no cause for quarrel. Will your majesty deign to inspect the fruit that 1 have produced'.'” Receiving the royal assent, she rose and, going to her work, raised the glass cover and took out the peach. Then, advancing to the king, she broke it in two halves, juice dropping on the floor, and, putting one half in her mouth, she gave the other to his majesty.

“Why, it's not wax at all!" he cried. "It's a real peach.” Then, putting the fruit in his mouth, he smacked his lips. "It's good, too; better than it looks,” he exclaimed. For a few moments the assembly stood gazing at one another shamefacedly. Then those nearest the door began to slip out. followed by the others, till none were left but the king, the prince, the princess and the countess. “My son,” said the king, “give the captain your hand." The prince hesitatingly did as he was bidden, and the captain, delighted that lds beloved Hildegarde had shown a higher skill than in working wax. grasped the prince’s hand warmly. Then the king said to Hildegarde: “I am convinced that by your wisdom and adroitness you have ended a feud tohich if it had continued would have spread over my whole kingdom. M hat can I do for you to show my appreciation of the service you have rendered ?” “A boon, your majesty!” cried Von Heln'ismulhw’ "Let me receive the reward.” He looked at the who. blushing and laughing at the,same time, by a nod assented to his request. “I ask your majesty,” said the captain, “that L be rewarded with the lady’s hand.” Hildegarde bowed her head and said nothing. “Be it so,” said the king. The Princess Sofia swept haughtily out of the room. Within a few days the court circular announced her betrothal with Prince Herbert. And that was the last of the feud of the workers in wax.

THE CAPTAIN THREW HIS GLOVE AT THE PRINCE.