Page:Great Men and Famous Women Volume 6.djvu/60

242 WORKMEN AND HEROES upon the child also. Another incident was not less discouraging : the empress had " protected a person named Gassner," who fancied himself inspired, and af- fected to predict events. "Tell me," she said to him one day, "whether my An- toinette will be happy ? " At first Gassner turned pale and remained silent, but, urged by the empress, and dreading to distress her by his own fancies, he said, equivocally, " Madame, there are crosses for all shoulders." Goethe notices that a pavilion erected to receive Marie Antoinette and her suite in the neighborhood of Strasburg was lined with tapestry depicting the story of Jason, "the most fatal union " on record ; and a few days later, Vhen the young queen arrived from Versailles to witness the rejoicings of the people upon her marriage, she was compelled to fly, terrified, from a scene remarkable not for festivity and hap- piness, but for the variety and horror of its accidents. These circumstances threw a gloom over the prospective triumphs of the impressionable bride ; but her nature and age were alike favorable to vivacity, and she shook off the mor- bid influence. Something of her mother's wise advice to her as to the course she should follow in her new position has been preserved in the following letter : "My Dear Daughter: " . . . Do not take any recommendations ; listen to no one, if you would be at peace. Have no curiosity, this is a fault which I fear greatly for you ; avoid all familiarity with your inferiors. Ask of Monsieur and Madame de Noailles, and even exact of them, under all circumstances, advice as to what, as a foreigner and being desirous of pleasing the nation, you should do, and that they should tell you frankly if there be anything in your bearing, dis- course, or any point which you should correct. Reply amiably to every one, and with grace and dignity ; you can if you will. You must learn to refuse. . . . After Strasburg you must accept nothing without taking counsel of Monsieur and Madame de Noailles ; and you should refer to them every one who would speak to you of his personal affairs, saying frankly that being a stranger yourself, you cannot undertake to recommend any one to the king. If you wish you may add, in order to make your reply more emphatic, The empress, my mother, has expressly forbidden me to undertake any recommendations.' Do not be ashamed to ask advice of any one, and do nothing on your own responsibility. . . . In the king you will find a tender father who will also be your friend if you deserve it. Put entire confidence in him ; you will run no risk. Love him, obey him, seek to divine his thoughts ; you cannot do enough on this moment when I am losing you. . . . Concerning the dauphin I shall say nothing ; you know my delicacy on this point. A wife should be submissive in everything to her husband, and should have no thought but to please him and do his will. . . . The only true happiness in this world lies in a happy marriage ; I know whereof I speak. Everything depends on the wife if she be yielding, sweet, and amus- ing. ... I counsel you, my dear daughter, to reread this letter on the twenty-first of every month. I beg you to be true to me on this point. Mv