THE WHITE LADY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 609, 11 September 1909, Page 11

THE WHITE LADY.

While William is. a sincerely, 'religious man, more so assuredly ,than any of his.prddece3sors 011 ■ the 1 throne of. Prussia (says the "Metropolitan -it ,is a-..'.mistake' to: describe him asa'.inystio, arid the Btoric3 which' 'have been circulated to the'eilcct that he was' addicted to Spiritualism aro quite untrue., Indeed, .superstition is foreign; to his nature,- so'much so that, h© has oven been knotfn to', manifest scopticisni with regard'to the oxistencc of the famous. White Laay who, aocording - to German tradition, has, Haunted his palace : at,' Berlin for hundreds of years, her appearance [foreboding tho death -'of?.a 'member of' - tbo reigning .house. Some timp .ago one of , the Imperial footmen . was.. summarily.. dismissed by order of . the Kaiser for, having circulated & 'stoiy to' the, effect that ho had seen tho dreaded sjiectre, , gliding aloug the 'corridors, i By-a strange ooincidenoe a young lieutenant of the Guards, '.who -happened; to'. be ■ on' duty at/the time when'.the servant claimed to have; seen. .the White Lady, reported to his . commanding officer, on being relieved' that He, too, ■ had seen the celebrated 'spook. The subaltern /was examined and. cross-examined • in [every possible way by , his [colonel, who, subsequently , learning , of, tho story; of ; the foot-': mxt, considered . the • matter j sufficiently - [un- -. canny-to feel it,his. duty-t6;bring' : it' to the notice of; tho Kaiser. William the subaltern, who eriteredithe Imperial,presence even more-tremblingly: than when he had seen the ghost. The Emperor,'- noticing this, asked-him in'.kindly, tones: ■ ■. "What was the,lady like? Was-ahe-tall or short?" - ' ~ . "She was tell;.your Majesty."- , Kaiser: "How was Bhe'dressed?" . Lieutenant: "She wore a - white, pottwoat with a white bodice, had. a , white, cap on her head, and a long .veil* flowing over'it-all.'' ~ , : After a pause the Emperor .continued: . "Was sho carrying anything?" ;' "Oh, yes, your Majesty.", ; - "What did she have in her .right hand?" ■' Lioutenarit: "A candlestick*.'! ••• ' Kaiser: "And what was in her left' hand?" ..Lieutenant:'. "A box of .matches.". Emperor' William [has a very keen sense of humour, .and. the . idea of the White 'Lady j who dates. from some four hundred years ago or .more, promenading- about' the corridor of his palace carrying matches, which aro. an altogether modern invention, caused him; to burst into roars of laughter, tho young 'subaltern gazing at him in the meantime with open-mouthed amazement. When, finally,, the Emperor recovered, .his composure,, he remarked,, kindly but firmly: 'That will dp. .Don'i let- mo hoar anything., more about the White Lady. /And tako my advice, don't peer about in tho. corridors'of tho palace at night. For you might <U'tcn'seo ladies thero attired in whit© petticoats arid; bodicc3, . carrying candlesticks and boxes of. matches in their liandß," 4 How. is' it poaßiblo to baligve for one mo.nfiaat that a monarch vrho raokne so-much

fun 01" tho dreaded- banshee -of his 1 family 'should bo : sufficiently cre'dukms to .permit himselfto; bo,, in . any, way influenced or impressed by; spiritualistic manifestations and table, rappings?—"Metropolitan "Magazine.'',