Kaiser Wilhelm's Wonderful Tablecloth

1895

The German emperor is possessed of a remarkable tablecloth, which was presented to him upon the occasion of his wedding by the women of Schleswig and Holstein. Woven into its texture are a great number of proverbs and mottoes. These had become obliterated by use. The emperor, however, being desirous of having the words rendered readable, caused the cloth to be sent to Berlin, where it has been carefully cleaned. The following are a few of the proverbs to be found upon it:

"Willst thou here have spass (fun), be thou careful with thy glass," "Endurance gives strength that lasts," "Do not believe all you hear, do not say all you know, do not do all you would like," "Always hope, never fear," "Important to despise the past, well and maturely to contemplate the future, well to arrange the present, and thus a peaceful life is spent," "I await fortune according to my idea," "Heart seeks heart everywhere," "Wisdom govern, peace reign, love dwell, labor act, honor grace." — Philadelphia Record.