The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1874-10-22
Queen Victoria.
HER suMMERING AT THE ISLE OF wIGl

Her life when in the country is that of
an ordinary lady-always excepting the
attention she has to give to dispatches and
to the visits of the members of the Gov
eminent. The documents she reads with
the most zeal are those that come from the
Foreign Office 1t was Prince Albert who
imbued her with this peculiar taste She
rises early, generally about seven, and
spends the first hour OF two in her bedroom
After this she is soon out Of doors. No
gypsy could indeed be tonder of the open
air, as she spends every available moment
IN exercise. In her morning walks she is
always accomparied by one lady generally
the Princess Beatrice.
John Brown, 1.-THE pampered menal,
| walks behind them The Queen evidently
| Is impressed with the force OF Lord Lyttle
tons saying. that Women, like Princes,
| lind few real friends" as, through good
| report and evil report. she sticks to John
Brown. her faithful Scotch valet. In these
rambles stranger would never imagine
| the plain woman before him was the Queen
of England. Her dresses are of the plain
est black stuff, and not fashionablv made
Her hat is mushroom-shaped and in it
| is her tavOrte feather. but it costs her
nothing, as the bird has been shot for her
| by one OF her sons OF by a gamekeeper
| belonging to the estate IN connection
with these feathers. a story was recently
| circulated about the royal household. a
| well-knOwn Scotchman was sent out TO
shoot gull. His visit to the Medina he
managed to protract considerably Victoria
| l.
forthcoming. At length he appeared and
was ushered into the royal presence where
he received warm rebuke. Nothing
| daunted, he replied: "Weel. il one is to
| he tied to an hour on twa mn chit as weel
nae gang at a. His audacity triumphed
and he was simply directed to prepare for
| the morning drive The only thing that
marks the approach of royalty here is the
cantering OF an outrider-always on q
white horse-betore the Queens carriage.
| This is usually sociab.e holding four.
and drawn by two horses The coachman
and Brown are on the box. There is no
| gentleman in waiting. unless the carr lagr
is state one drawn by tour horses.
| The Queen breakfasts early and heartily.
| Like her predecessor, Elizabeth, She mani
tests a decided partality tor beetsteaks
| The morning repast over, she has her let
! tiers read to her. and gives instructions to
| her secretary. She very seldom writes an
autograph letter She then drives or walks
| out. and pays visits to her Iaborers and
| tenantry So accustomed are these people
| to her calls and WAYS that she inspires
them with none OF the awe and tlntter
which the Younger members OF the 'ppel
| Ten feel when they are presented to the
| Court for the first time In the course OF
| these visits an attendant carries a canister
containing the most fragrant Bohea 1t is
not At all 50 formidable As the golden
| vessel carried before the Shah on all his
| Journeys, and which excited SO much
| comment and merriment among the Lon
| doners during his stay in the great Bah
! ylon- Tea is generally provided twice
| during each round at some one OF the
| lodges ut the gate entrances to the estate
and is partaken OF by Her Majesty with
| evident relish. The substantial meal OF
the day is eaten at , o'clock-the State
dinner at s in the evening, being one
| devoted chiefly to guests and courtesy.
Her Majesty retires early to rest
Does the Queen drink This question
has long agitated social circles in Eng
IL
gossip and scandal, both here and abroad
Judged by her appetite the Queen should
be ut once acquitted of any undue liking
for Vine at other times than "across the
walnuts" But, unfortunately, like Simon
the Cellarer, she is blessed with an uncom-
monty high complexion at times, set of
with dubious redness of the nose. No
reasonable person would Of course, attri-
butte what may be 4 purely scorbutic at-
tection to indulgence in the testal cup
but the world judges hastily. and an I'M
generous verdict is rendered ON this
ground alone against Her Majesty by Il
very large section of the community. II
the Queen drinks. her secret is we'll kept
by her dependents in and about Osborne
One and all say ''No' to the aSpersion
Weak claret they admit, but nothing more
In the best circles brandy is mentioned as
a stumbling block Men who ought TO be
supposed to know. and whose mouths are
not closed by policy OF office, tell it in
sorrow that the best cognac suffers large
ly at the hands OF royalty And the ilri-
liability of her hayward moods. as when
she slapped Lady Paget, one Of her maids
OF honor, in the face, and got one back
for it, somewhat tavors this theory A
plebiscite Of the people would certainly
vote the Queen constitutional in her cups
The people believe in the Queen, and look
upon her life as sound and perfect. So, if
she has not been a disciple OF Theobald
Mathew, she has certainly kept very quiet
on those occasions when she is reported to
have got tipsy.
Among the princesses, Louise, vile OF
the Marquis Of Lorne, has displayed the
largest amount OF mental capacity. She
is a clever painter, and has taken prizes in
the South kensington Museum for her
modelling. And yet she is not happy. The
fact that the Queen looked about assidu-
ously for a husband for her among the
richest order of the nobility is well-known
1t is also equally notorious that the
Marquis of Harrington, eldest son of the
Duke of Devonshire, and Chief Secretary
Of Ireland under the Gladstone Govern
mcnt, was obliged to give the cold should
er to those who approached him on the
subject. Others did likewise. Then the
Marquis of I.orne, heir to the Duk edom of
Argyle, doomed up, and became the hus-
band of the Princess The marriage has
not been happy one, and there are no
children by it, Prince Louisa7s first love
was the Rev Mr.. Duckworth, tutor to
Prince Arthur, who was presented to a
handsome living in the country by the
Queen in a very timely and graceful man
ner. AT the present time only Prince Leo
pold-who is ill-and the Princess Beat
rice are staying with her Majesty,
A LUCKY RAILROAD CONDUCTOR. The
VI 4