Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1869-10-15
tFrom Packard's Monthly.l
QUEEN VICTORIA IN HER
PRIME.


1t was in March, 1851 [ was writ
rug In the office which the United
states Commission had cree ed at the
extreme end of the unfinished Crys-
tal Pel4ee. The huge building, en-
cum bered with lumber aud work
benches, iron girders and packing
boxes, and resOund ing with the noise
of SIX thousand carpenters, giaziers
aud laborers, Fastening It's completion
Oy the of May, was not open 90
the pubic. Ministers pIenipotentiary,
members of the cabinet, a few of the
higher orders of nobility, royal and
foreign commissioners, aud the Queen,
Prince A AlbeFJ aud the rest of the
royal family, were all to whom was ac-
corded the>priviiege Of admission. Il
was a vast workshop, crowded with
mechanics from thirteen countries,
speaking thrice that number of Ian
guages and dialects, where each all9t-
ted section WAS vIeing with every 9TH
er In producing perfection of carpen
try aud beauty of decoration for the
forthcoming inauguration.
A tap upon the window iu front of
me caused me to look up. It was Alb
bOtt Lawrence speaking through the
glass. He asked,
Have you seen the Queen ?"
Il have not.
Then come with me-" And tax
ing my nat l joined him at the door.
Passing alonR the transept, the floor
Of which was knee deep with shavings
aud bits of wood, and entering a side
aisle, he pointed towards two ladies
dressed 10 black, who were struggling
p
cry now and then laughing at the mis-
steps and pluBges they made,e unat-
tended save by a servant in livery, aud
said
"The shorter of the two is the
| Sutherland. Follow them aud you
WI see Her Majesty. Exc Ise me
wi nOt accompany you, for | should
be recognized, and it would detain me
from the embassy"
Thanking the minister for his po-
| iiteness, I followed the ladies into the
Bavariau Department, and Whils the
commissioner was describing various
articles just unpaeked and preparing
for display, | placed myself where
unObserVed as I thOught, could close
ly scan the face and figure of the
Queen. Her Majesty at hat time was
shirty tWn years old. To a short
dumpy figure, sixty-tWo inches il
height. large aDkle and wrists, we'll
packed muscles upon arms and legs
a ane bust. neck and sh ulderS, aud I
Wel-poised head, she added Dig
nified presence and easy carriage
Her conn lexion was Indifferent!
good her hair soft, Wavy, and of ;
light brown color; her forehead OroaC
but too high for beauty her mouth
small, Rith full red lips aud regula
teeth her nose retrouSSe and he
eyes, the most prominent aud notice
able of her features, large, dull of
pale gray color, and so fuli as to b
flush to her brow-the very eyes O
, George the First. vividly descr' bed b,
CARLYLE IN his Life of Frederick tn
Great, reproduced in the Queen afte
five generations. I was not certai
: that | should have a second Opportu
nifty to see her. As the descenden
uf hundred kings she was to me a
object of intense interest. [ desire
, to fasten every expression of her fac
and movement of her person in N
> memory. Rudeness was the furthes
possible from nv intention as [ follow
L ed her TO the Austrian Department
T the Portuguese, aud The French. N
/ eyes carefully surveying her manne
4 and my ears catching every intOnatio
I Of her voice. This pursuit may hav
lasted half an hour. Once or twice
thought she noticed me. Ny fu
), purpose, however, had hardly bee
gained. when, as if intending to pI
an end to annoyance, she turned fu
upon me, looked me steadily In III
face III dropped my eyes, and mad
me fes keenly enough that whetht
a. Queen or woman she knew how
command respect.
did not see the Queen again unt
she held, some weeks after yards, th
irst drawing room" of the seasoI
2, r. luctantlg enough-for I could ii
/ ford to spend fifty pounds sterliI
(clothes, carriage hire, foOtman, Sc
wants, and gratuities costing mnre tia
that SUN rather than less, for even
that day an American was known e.
erywhere, and the extravaganza of
3. few had become a griev0us tax upC
all) In return for that snObbish not
= riety. valuable in the most fraction
degree to an Englishman of the mi,
; die classes anlv, who desires the 8
cisl position among his superio
y. which mention in the C0Urt JOurH
', Rives-but in Difference to the OPT
i'd ION of the foreign commissioners,
IS consented to De presented Provide
with the court dr. ass. at that day /
dIspensable for ll-a dress precise
the same, with its bag wig. sleeve al
breast rufaes, tapped wais;cos
: breeehes, silk stockings, aud shn
III. with broad buckles, as those worn
- Addison and his contemporaries hu
dred years befOre-and equipped wi
chapeau aud small sword. I was dri
: en- 80 the pal ce OF St. james, whs
slightipg aud showing my. card. =
-, presented by the American Mi
lister, was ushered up the gra
staircase. "Yeoman of the guar
and gentlemen at arms in their
Gu lar uniforms Of scarlet and 90
each with q crimson We vet cover
barls-sxe on his shoulder. lined I
way; tai laekeys shouted thrOu
ba and guard chambers the ma
60 of tie new cnmer fOotmen 10 I
Queens livery showed were TO 2
pages opened doors sergeants ma
A., military salutes ushers bowed
ms guest forward aud gentlemen in wa
f. ing introduced TO the tapestry roc
.1Z There were more than two hundl