The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1872-03-02 00:00:00

THE PUBLIC ENTHUSIASM.

'flip Times it: ei:e'askliTir—oiti-le reception accorded to the
Royal party, says :—The murmur rose by a series of crescendo
gradations until it became a roar. This crowd, which It
would be a libel to call a mob—a crowd more decorous and
orderly perhaps than any assemblage ever before gathered
together in the metropolis—became, on the arrival of the
Royal carriages, almost beside itself with joy and excite-
ment. The enthusiasm seemed boundless. It rose to what
may be called fever heat. The masses swayed to and Ins
Men waved their hats and women their handker chiefs.
The cheering was hearty and nicesaant. The Duke of
Edinburgh received the truly English welcome always
given to a popular Sailor-Piinoe, and he acknowledged
the warmth of his reception by repeated courtesies.
Prince Arthur and Prince Leopold, who rode in the same open
carriage, also frequently raised their hats. hut it was the
next open carriage which stirred the loyalty of the crowd
to its depths. Every one seemed touched by a peculiar
satisfaction at seeing her Majesty in the smile carriage
with the Prince and Princess of Wales and their shiest
son. Her 'Majesty's loyal subjects could now cheer the Heir
Apparent without any apparent neglect or seeming disre-
spect to the Sovereign, and they could welcome the Queen's
appearance among them again without forgetting the Prince.
If her Majesty and the P eine° of Wales had been in
separate carriages their reception might have been no
respectful, but the hearts of the people would not have
been so deeply touched, as many were afterwards
heard to confess. The people cheered not so much
a Queen and a Prince as the Mother and her lon. The re-
collection of all she had suffered in those cruel days and of
her present joy blinded not a few eyes in tile crowd, while
others of sterner mould found relief in passionate outbursts
of delight, and almost frantic displays of energy in voice '
and gesture.
er.alajesty acknowledged the loyal salutations of her
people with gracious arid unwearied courtesy. Traces of the
fatigue undergone during this most trying day could not now,
perhaps, be altogether concealed but through the pensive
and chastened expression which has now become habitual
to the Royal rummer there shone a sweetness and con-
stancy that gave assurance that Her Majesty would
not only bear up till the end, but that the Queen felt
strengthmeil by these manifestations of her peoples love
and loyalty. The Princess of Wales took a quiet and some-
What reserved part in acknowledgment of the popular
loyalty, as if content that the Queen and Prince should be
the objects of the popular demonstratien, but her
Royal Highness surveyed with motherly pride and
satisfaction the graceful little courtesies of her eldest
son, Prince Albert Victor. The Prince of Wales Was
deeply moved by the enthusiasm of the dense nimses in both
parks. He lifted his hat without cessation, and if an extent
of caducity Ilisuited to his youth betrayed itself at such
moments the crowd had only to remember the Prince's
sevcre and wasting illness to discover the cause of his un-
happily increasing baldness.