She was hard at work from morning
till night on these objects of art, which she constructed out of
heavy silk, and covered so thickly with symbolical devices, and
embroidered mottoes and inscriptions, that they were as stiff as
boards, and would neither flutter nor roll up. But when Wilhelm's
funeral monument was to be dedicated, she put aside Paul's banner
and coat-of-arms, upon which she was engaged, and wove a wreath of
wire and black and white and lilac beads, a yard and a half in
diameter, on which, between laurel leaves, were Wilhelm's name and
the date of his death, and the words: "Eternal gratitude." Nothing
the least like it had ever been seen in Hamburg before, and it was
much admired on the occasion of the ceremony.
Paul showed himself throughout as a man of feeling and character.
When his patent of nobility was signed, and he came to Berlin to be
admitted to the emperor, to thank him for the honor accorded to him,
he went to Schrotter, and begged him, as a personal favor, to accept
his invitation to the festivity which should take place on his
estate on the first of May. "I look upon you as Wilhelm's substitute
here on earth," he said, "and our friend must not be absent from my
side on this joyful occasion.
Pages:
545
546
547
548
549
550
551
552
553
554
555
556
557
558
559
560
561
562
563
564
565
566
567
568
569