Rensselaer Union, Volume 8, Number 10, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 November 1875 — Offenbach’s Story. [ARTICLE]

Offenbach’s Story.

Says a writer to the New York Mercury: A short time since, as I am informed by a private letter from Paris, a number of literary Bohemians were assembled at JaCques Offenbach’s cosy little sittingroom in the French capital talking sprightly of everything in general and nothing in particular. Gradually the conversation drifted into a sort «f argument to the effect that the. most popular incidents travestied on the comic stage were really based on some actual occurrence in life. This was doubted by some, and one of those introduced the character of Fritz in the “ Grand Duchess” as so ridiculous and absurd, especially his being run through all grades of military promotion lo the highest in five minutes, that anything remotely like it could never have really happened. Offenbach smiled at this assertion and cut the debate short by. saying that the incident was taken from actual life: This was a stunner to the.company. who all asked for the proof, which Offenbach-at once gave by telling the following story: Years ago, he sale, he was examining the treasures in an antiquarian’s storC in London,' when a work attracted his attention bearing a title like the following: “ The Life. Habits and Manners of Peter the Great, Czar of Ail the Russ ins, with Many Truthful Anecdotes Never before Printed.” This book, lie said, was published in London about the middle of the last century and was now very rare. He bought it and in it was told the very incident after which the affair of “Gen.” Fritz in the “Grand Duchess” was patterned. One day, so runs the anecdote, a young recruit was standing guard before the door of the entrance to Peter’s private chambers in tjie palace at St. Petersburg. He had received orders to-adniit nexone. As he was slowly passing up and down before the door Prince Mentcliikoff, the favorite Minister of the Czar, approached, attempting to enter. He was stopped by' the recruit. The Prince, who had the fullest liberty' ! ’of calling upon his master at any time, sought to push the guard aside and pass him, yet the young man wtiuhl not move, but ordered His Highness to stand back. “ You fool!” shouted the .Prince, “don’t you know me?” The recruit smiled and said: Very well, your Highness, but my orders are peremptory to let nobody pass.” The Prince, exasperated at the low fellow's impudence, struck him a blow in tl> face with his riding-whip. “ Strike away, your Highness.” said.the soldier, “ but I cannot let yon go in.” Peter, in his room, IranTr)g the 'noise outside, opened the door and inquired what it meant, and the Prince told him. The Czar was amused, but saidfiiothing at the time. In the evening, however, lie sent for the Prince, and. tlie soldier. As they both appeared Peter gave his own cane to the soldier, saying: “That man struck you in the morning, now you must return the blow to that fellow with my stick.” The Prince was amazed. “ Your Majesty',” liesaid, “this common soldifer is to strike me?” “T* make him a Captain,” said Peter! " “ But I am an officer of your Majesty’s household,” objected the Prince! “ I make him a.Colonel of my Life-Guards and an officer of my household,” said Peter,, again. “My rank, your Majesty knows;is that of General,” again protested Mentcliikoff. “ Then I make him a General, so that the beating you get may come from a man of your rank.” The Prince got a sound thrashing in the presence of the Czar, the recruit was the next day' commissioned a General, with the title of Count Oroniizotf, and was the founder of-a powerful family, whose descendants are high in the imperial service of Russia. “This recruit,” said Offenbach, “is the original of my Gen. Fritz.”