The Sun.
London, England, 1865-08-10 00:00:00

Queen Emma at Chelsea Hospital.

Yesterday our Royal and interesting visitor, the
Queen of the Sandwich Islands, was present at a
parade of the little red-coats of the Duke of York's
School in connection with Chelsea Hospital. Queen
Emma will, we understand, compensate herself for
having arrived in London at a dull time of the year
by staying long enough to see as much of our dull-
ness as will disclose to her the good that is some-
where in it; and we, having welcomed a lioness at
the wrong end of the leonine season, may hope to
retain her for some time in silken strings. It is, at
all events, arranged that Queen Emma will stay
until the return of her Majesty the Queen of these
Islands, and of certain other tracts of dry land,
upon which the sun has a certain reputation of
never setting ; and it is quite on the cards that,
after a promised visit to Scotland, she may be again
in London when London has come to itself. The
public have yet to learn something of Queen Emma;
and in the first place they will be agreeably inte-
rested to know what she is like. Already report
has spoken of her pleasing person and manners.
But report has already gone so far as to say that
which is true, almost beyond the possibility of any
difference of opinion, namely, that the Queen of
those sometimes savage isles in the Southern Sea
is really one of the most unaffectedly dignified,
as well as one of the most prepossessing young
ladies whom one is fortunate enough to meet in any
society of the civilised world. Her age is a point
that has hardly yet been touched upon ; but there
has been no need for the,reticence which the polite-
ness of proverbial philosophy has prescribed on the
general subject of a lady's age ; for when a lady's
age happens to be a lady's youth, the difficulty dis-
appears. Queen Emma cannot be more than five
or six and twenty, and she does nat appear to be
even that. Her fine oval face is expressive of the
amiability and the intelligence which are indeed
parts of her character. Her complexion is no darker
than that of many a Spanish beauty, and is scarcely
so dark as that of at least one-third of the popula-
tion of Portugal. She has very fine eyes, implying
long eyelashes, of course ; regular brows, which
move as she smiles or looks grave, so as to help
essentially the pensive or the vivacious expression of
her face; a well formed mouth, which discloses two
perfect rows of pearly teeth when she smiles ; and
rich silky black hair, which she wears in the simple
braided fashion that has been called, from pictorial
associations, " the Madonna style." This was the
lady who, plainly but handsomely attired in black
silk, sat yesterday on the lawn in front of the Duke
of York's School, a crimson carpet having been
spread and a few chairs placed for her and her
suite, or, rather, private friends. Accompanying
Queen Emma was Lady Franklin, whom any
assembly would have felt honoured in welcoming
for her own sake ; and a tall, handsome lady, who,
though of the same nation as the Queen, was
darker by several tinges of tropical blood, filled
the post of lady-in-waiting. This member of the
little group, who was dressed very much in the same
manner as her royal mistress and friend, is the
wife of the Hawaian clergyman who has accom-
panied Queen Emma to this country, but who was
not present yesterday. Colonel Yorke, the com-
mandant of the school, received the distinguished
visitors, and there were among the company Miss
Yorke, Sir Edward Lugard and two nieces, Sir John
Wilson, the Honourable Mrs. Hope Johnstone, the
Hon. Mrs. Abbott, Miss Hope of Pinkie, Major-
General and Mrs. Hutt, Colonel and Mrs. Ran-
dolph, General Lewis, Dr. Balfour, Dr. and Mrs.
M'Lachlan, and Mrs. Godfrey Turner. The Rev.
Mr. Langmead, M.A., chaplain of the institution,
Colonel Adams, the secretary and adjutant, Mr.
M‘Leod, the head-master, Dr. Harrison, the phy-
sician, and Paymaster Cousins, were also present,
and were introduced in their several official capaci-
ties.

The evolutions of the boys included, besides
several manoeuvres which men could hardly have
been expected to execute with more soldierlike pre-
cision, the ceremony of trooping colours and march-
ing past. Sword exercises and gymnastics fol-
lowed, and completely satisfied every spectator
on the ground that perfection of physical train-
ing is among the advantages till6se scholars, the sons
of soldiers, enjoy. The best juvenile band of mu-
sicians in England, beyond any possible comparison,
is that which is attached to the school, and which
reflects the highest credit on Mr. John Wilson, the
bandmaster ; and if it be true, as was rumoured on
the ground, that the little lad who plays the princi-
pal cornet-a-piston with so admirable a skill and
taste is pretty forward in the second book of Euclid,
he is not only a most musical mathematician, but a
good example of the practical wisdom of cultivating
the ratiocinative and the aesthetic faculties in early
combination. The programme of music yesterday
included an original " Grand March," by an ama-
teur composer, Mr. Reynardson, the effect of which,
as rendered by the spirited band of forty boys, was
very striking.
After the sight and the sounds on the lawn, Queen
Emma, who repeatedly expressed her great delight
with the proficiency of the lads in their drill, say(
them at their dinner in the hall, or rather halls, for
the very little boys have one to themselves. She
again expressed much pleasure with the appearance
and conduct of the lads, and with the domestic ar-
rangements, superintended by the matron, Mrs'
Webb. The royal visitor; being engaged to tak°
luncheon with the Bishop of Oxford, then entered
her carriage, and drove quietly away, thus stealing
a march on the boys, who were preparing to give
her a lusty farewell.

Their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess
of Wales, attended by the Hon. Mrs. Harding©, Ler('
Murray, Major Teesdale, Colonel Hardinge, the o°'
Charles Carrington, and Major Knollys honoured the 1141
-
market Theatre with their presence last night. E.
A LIFE-LIKE PORTRAIT OF GENERAL ROBERT
LEE, the one • great Captain produced by the
American War, has just been published by 1,06 n r
Saunders, Otley, and Co. It is the engraved preseutan.obl!
of a very noble countenance, and one that it is impossi
to contemplate without our feeling aroused within us seutl:
manta of profound and most respectful sympathy for a nl4"
worthy of our fullest admiration.