A TERRIBLE KISS.

Pelorus Guardian and Miners' Advocate., Volume 13, Issue 48, 24 June 1902, Page 2

A TERRIBLE KISS.

A biography of Augusta, Empress of Germany, wife of the warrior king, William 1., has just been published by Messrs. Swan Sonnenschein and Co. It is from the pen of Clara Tschudi. The writer shows that on the outbreak of the Frsnoo-Gcrman war the Empress devoted herself to the organisation of the hospitals, and the nursing system. While there were wounded soldiers in the hospital the Queen visited them every day, and as she had not spared her time in the task of oiganising, neither did she spare her feoliugs whore sympathy was needed.

The following anecdote will show that the stiffness which made her unpopular at Court disappeared when brought into contact with suffering: She did not spare her nerves one painful Impression, and was sometimes even cruel towards herself. An officer was lying in awful agony, and his noseless bleeding fare was almost mare repulsive than one can fancy. Both doctors and nurses entreated her not to approach his bed, but she insisted on sitting by the sick man, and speaking a few words of comfort which for one moment made him forget his pain. Then, without realising the hideousness of his appearance, he suddenly sat up, seized the hand of the Queen and kissed it. She sat still for a second, then left him irith cheerful words, but no sooner was she outside than she fainted, as she murmured: “ My God, my God, how awful!”