Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1871-01-18
The Royal Family of Denmark

\ country man Of our own, Captain Al
exander Murray, u. 5. ~, had an oppor-
tunity a few years ago Of seeing the royal
circle in its domestic privacy, and of wit
Messing the simple and aftectionate inter
course existing between its members. Capt.
Murray, it may be remembered, sailed for
the Baltic IN May 1866, in the Augusta,
with the Miantonomi in charge, conveying
Mr. Fox, our government messenger, to the
emperor of Russia After touching at
Queenstown and at Portsmouth, he sailed
up the Thames, gave an entertainment to
the Prince of Wales and his roval broth
ers, and few days atterward was present
ed at Buckingham Palace. Thus il will
be seen that when he reached Denmark in
July, he was not unfamiliar with the man
ners Of courts, even had this been his first
hob-nobbing with royalty, which was by
no means the case. When, therefore,
while he was lying off Copenhagen, an el-
egant little steam yacht was put alongside
the Augusta, and a lovely girl of seventeen
sprang on board, and running up to him,
placed her hand upon his arm, saying in
/ the easiest and most graceful English, |
want to see everything about this vessel ;
you must show me every part Of 1t, from
the anchor to the studding sails he knew
her to be lady ofthe highest rank, though
it was not until some time atterward that
he discovered she was the Princess Dag
mar, the eldest daughter of the King OF
| Denmark, the sister of the Princess of
I Wales, and now the wife Of the czarowitch
and future empress Of Russia.
While investigating the minutest details
connected with the Augusta, the Princess
/ Dagmar remarked to Captain Murray,
Y ou are coming to dine with US on Sun
day and the king, who had previously
joined them, reiterated the command, for
it is not the custom Of crowned heads to
request, but to order the presence of their
guests. As, however, not even the most
democratic mind has any invincible objec-
tion to regal entertainments, the command
ers Of the Augusta and Miantonomi ac-
companied Mr.. Fox on the following Sun
day to a country residence Of King Chris
tian's, where the party which sat down to
dine was about seventy in number, includ-
ing the ladies and children of the royal
household
The king remarked to his guests that
this was a residence he had owned while
private gentleman, and he was sure they
would appreciate his receiving them there
as higher compliment and greater evi-
dence of his friendship for their country
than if he had treated them with more
ceremony. This country house was built
of white marble, with French wind ows
opening upon a verdant lawn, and in size
and appointments not much superior to the
country residences of some of our mer-
chant princes. After the preliminary
courses had been despatched, His Majesty
filled an immense goblet, and with a grand
sweep Of his arm, designed as a signal to
the band stationed on the lawn in full view
of the windows, he proposed the United
States of America Crash went the in
struments, but to the horror of all present,
instead of pouring forth, as had been in
tended, one of Columbia's national airs,
they struck up a ponderous melody of
Scandinavia.
The king said never word, but put
ting down his glass. he strobe through the
open window on to the lawn, and seizing
the band master by the collar, kicked him
around the enclosure three several times,
and, dismissing him at last with a vigorous
shake, walked quietly back to his seat.
As may be supposed, sudden silence fell
upon the assembled company, the code of
etiquette furnishing no rule or precedent
whereby guests might guide themselves
when royal hosts kicked their band mas
ters. Our worthy representative relied
upon a state of mastery inactivity; and