The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1864-11-19
The last Hours Of PriisC &C
Albert.

The Belfast Ireland) Northern Wing says
IS There has reached US from abroad a most in
teresting extract from u letter which was written
by a member of the Queens household shortly
after the death of Prince Albert. The extreme
" confidential position which the writer held at
the time not only gives the assurance of perfect
trustwOrthlness, but invests the following lines
with a special interest. After describing the
grief and fears Of the whole household for the
Queen, she speaks of the personal loss sustained
in the death of Prince Albert
The last Sunday he passed ON earth was 4.
very blessed one for the Princess Alice to look
back upon. He was very i'll and very weak, and
she spent the afternoon alone with him, whilst
the Others were in church. He begged to have
his sofa drawn 10 the window, that he might see
the sky and the clouds sailing past. He then
asked her to play TO hin, and she went through
several of his fayOrite hymns and chorals. After
che had played some time, she looked round and
saw him lying back, his arms folded as if in
prayer, and his eyes shut. He lay so long with
out moving that she thought he had fallen asleep.
Presently he looked up and smiled. She said,
{" Were you asleep, dear papa?' ooh no." he
answered " only | have such sweet thoughts"
During his illness his hands were often folded
in prayer and when he did not speak, his serene
face showed that the happy thoughts" were
with him 10 the end.
The Princess Alice's fortitude has amazed us
all. She saw from the first that both her father
and mothers firmness depended upon her firm
ness, and she set herself to the duty. He loved
TO speak openly OF his condition, and had many
wishes 10 express. He loved to hear hymns and
prayers. He could not speak to the Queen OF
himself, for she could bear 10 listen, and shut
her eyes to the danger. His daughter saw thar
sine must act differently, and she never let her
voice latter or shed Il single tear IN his presence.
She sat by him, listened 10 all lie said, repeated
hymns, and then when she could bear it no
longer, would walk calmly TO the door, and then
would rush away to her room, returning soon with
the same calm and pale face without any appear
ance OF the agitation she had gone through.
L have had several interviews with the poor
Queen since. The first time she said, You can
feel Tor me, for you have gone through this trial"
Another time she said how strange IL seemed,
when she looked back, to see how much for the
last six months the Princes mind had dwelU upon
death and the future state their conversation
had so often turned upon these subjects, and
they had read together 4 book called Rearen our
HODte, which had interested him very much.
He once said 10 her, - We don't know in what
state we shall meet again, but that We shall re-
cOgnize each other and be together in eternity |
am perfectly certain 1t seemed as if it had
been intended to prepare her mind and comfor,
her-thOugh, of course, it did not strike her
then. She said she was a wonder TO herself, and
she was sure it was in answer To the prayers of
her people that she was So sustained. She feared
IL would not last, and that times OF agony were
before her. She said There's not the bitter
ness in this trial that | felt when | lost my
mOther-l was So rebelliOus then but now |
can see the mercy and love that are mixed in my
trial. Her whole thought now is to walk worthy
of him, and her greatest comfort to think that
his spirit is always near her and knows all that
she is doing.