¶ Whenever the Chancellor was out, on foot or on horseback, the news ran like wildfire through Berlin! Offices were emptied, clerks stood in windows, the public uncovered and cheered. ¶ The German colony of Constantinople sent him a sword of honor; thousands begged his photograph, autograph, or lock of his hair; brewer George Pschorr, at great cost, sent thirty-three gallons of beer in a carved cask weighing 500 pounds, with solid silver tankards--veritable gems of art. ¶ Carried away by the general excitement, an inmate of the almshouse put his name down for $5, on a public list, and when confronted with his utter inability to pay, replied: ¶ "When the time comes for paying I shall ask them to let me off with so many days in jail! So many marks, so many days!" ¶ A little town in the Black Forest offered a huge patriotic scroll composed of bottles of raspberry brandy, with handsome labels, bordered with the German colors, red, white and black; a Bavarian organ builder forwarded a huge organ; the inhabitants of Stanaitschen, a gigantic whip; plovers' eggs came from the people of Jever; the King of Prussia made Bismarck a Count, presented him with a rich domain; and in the general excitement, the Chancellor's famous dog Tyras was honored with a magnificent blanket with his initials worked in gold, in the four corners, costly collars to match--and a sofa;--also this explanatory poem: "Tyras, sei huebsch, artig und gut, Sei es by Tag, sei es by Nacht! Bewache unsern Kanzler gut: Dan wird als Praeset dir dies Kanapé gebracht." Or, "Tyras, be good, gentle and kind; all day long and through the night watch over our Chancellor faithfully;--and this gift of a sofa you'll receive." * * * * * ¶ But this was only the beginning. At the Universal Exposition in the jewelers' section, one day a tall stranger was inspecting the beautiful display, and one of the exhibitors, bowing politely, asked the stranger to accept a magnificent diamond ring. "Your Highness knows very well that he cannot deceive me! I respect your Highness' desire to remain incognito, but your fame has preceded you!" In vain the stranger protested. The ring was passed, the exhibitor was highly pleased, the stranger offered a card, "Alexander Schnabel, Bavaria." The exhibitor still smiled, saying, "I respect your Highness' incognito!" The stranger then quickly disappeared in the crowd. What is that shouting over yonder? "Hurrah for Count Bismarck! He comes! He comes!" In a moment, the diamond merchant saw it all. He had been cruelly deceived, and furthermore had deceived himself! 52 Strange superstition ingrained in this Bismarck mind; what ikon do you believe in, as you urge to duty and glory? ¶ In this life, each man has, secretly or openly, some ikon against which to charge, by way of explanation, his personal history.