What pleased him especially in the book was the optimistic tone which pervaded it, the preaching which stimulated belief in life, and the manner of accepting the misfortunes of existence, as well as the trust in the future and trust in humanity. "This," said the Emperor, "makes such an impression upon me because I am an optimist through and through and will allow nothing to prevent me from remaining one to the end of my days." He spoke of himself as a man full of his work and one who believed in his tasks. He said further: "I will go forward. I would greatly rejoice if men would understand me and would support me in my desires." In this connection he spoke of the difficulty every one encountered in his work on account of distrust. He again recalled a passage from Ganghofer's "Schweigen im Walde" which had also especially appealed to him because it had expressed his own point of view concerning life. The passage runs: "He who distrusts, commits a wrong against another and harms himself. It is our duty to believe that every man is good so long as he does not give proof to the contrary." "On this basis," said the Emperor, "I have always accepted every man with whom I had anything to do. One may sometimes meet with unpleasant experiences, but on that account he dare not give up. One must always go on again with new trust in humanity and in life." The Emperor then directed the conversation to a tablet which he had had made and which contained, besides the above-mentioned quotation, certain aphorisms of a like tenor from Ganghofer's novels. These quotations appealed to him so strongly because they expressed entirely his attitude toward life. With a good bit of optimism and a bright and trustful outlook a man will go much further, not only in his own personal life but in his vocation also, than he will if he looks upon all things with a pessimistic eye; and even in politics the case is the same. The German people certainly have a future, and there is one word, "_Reichsverdrossenheit_" [sullenness toward imperial destiny], which always offends him as often as he hears it. "What have we to do with sullenness? Rather work and look forward. I work--yes, not unwillingly--and I believe that I progress." In connection with this word, the Emperor described the way in which he worked every day and told how the difficulty of the many duties and tasks which stormed in upon him often made him very weary. It was at such times that the need overcame him to get out of harness and see another part of the world, to become acquainted with other men who stimulated him again. Thus, his journeys to the north always invigorated him both mentally and physically.