546 IN THE DIPLOMATIC SERVICE -V 



was then engaged, two or three being of the highest 

 importance, among them the great war monument at 

 Leipsic. 



I also found that, although he had executed and was 

 executing important works for various other parts of 

 Germany, he had not yet put up any great permanent 

 work in Berlin, though the designs of the admirable tem- 

 porary statues and decorations on the return of the troops 

 from the Franco-Prussian War to the metropolis had 

 been intrusted largely to him. 



These facts I stated to my correspondent in a letter, and 

 in due time received an answer in substance as follows : 



SIR : Your letter confirms me in the opinion I had formed. 

 The intrusting of the great statue of Washington to a man like 

 Siemering is a job and an outrage. It is clear that he is a mere 

 pretender, since he has erected no statue as yet in Berlin. That 

 statue of the Father of our Country ought to have been intrusted 

 to native talent. I have a son fourteen years old who has already 

 greatly distinguished himself. He has modeled a number of fig- 

 ures in butter and putty which all my friends think are most re- 

 markable. I am satisfied that he could have produced a work 

 which, by its originality and power, would have done honor to 

 our country and to art. 



Yours very truly, 



Curious, too, was the following: One morning the mail 

 brought me a large packet filled with little squares of 

 cheap cotton cloth. I was greatly puzzled to know their 

 purpose until, a few days later, there came a letter which, 

 with changes of proper names, ran as follows : 



PODUNK, - , 1880. 



SIR : We are going to have a fancy fair for the benefit of the 

 Church in this town, and we are getting ready some auto- 

 graph bed-quilts. I have sent you a package of small squares of 

 cotton cloth, which please take to the Emperor William and his 

 wife, also to Prince Bismarck and the other princes and leading 



