Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-06-18
Arist0cratic Cares.

3T1StUCEdtIC SdEeS.
To THE disconnected, ordinary mortal
whom accident of birth, chill penury, or
want of energy have kept upon the thornv
side Of life, it may appear a great and a
glorious thing TO be princess. To read
of gorgeous pageants and glittering
servitors, of royal pOmp and oueenIV
homage, is a very fine thing; and doubt
less the longing soul Of many an envious
maiden has drunk in with eager zest the
glowing accounts of priceless Jewels and
costly dresses which lay spread before
her illustrious Rigbness, the Duchess of
Edinburgh; and vet, perhaps, if the truth
were known, the imperial maiden would
gladly resign her proudest tiara for few
hours of the simple happiness enioved nv
her humber sister at a village dance
Happiness is relative. 1t is the result of
a well-OrganiZed mind, welI-assorted
union, happy disposition, work, and ?
virtuous and GOd-fearing spirit. "TTn-
easy lies the head that wears the crown y
and it is a Northumberland historical
fact that MANY of England's proudest
monarchs would gladly have laid aside
the sceDter to share with their humbIast
cotter the merry laugh that speaks the
sunny mind. Of course the surroundings
and surveillance to which members of the
aristocracy are exposed have become with
them a necessity; and, like bird to
whom a cage and human attention have
become second nature, they wOuId
probably pine and wither if sent out into
the wide world to share the COM
mon lot of humanity. But the very sur
roundings to which they are accustomed
the trammels of birth and precedence.
the all-observing eyes Of their attendants,
the demands Of society, and the duties of
their exalted statiOn-are all restraints
little calculated to foster that joyous free.
dom of soul, that ingenious happiness of
nature which are the portion of those in an
humble sphere of life. Let anyone stand
within the borders of Rotten Row on an
afternoon during the London season, and
mark the faces which pass within that
long cavalcade of cOrOneted carriages.
He will observe upon the cOuntenances of
the young, beautiful though some of them
may be, an almost painful mobility of
expression, an educated look, which saws,
as plainly as physiognomy can speak it,
that the soul has sacrificed its freedom
upon the altar of aristocratic breeding.
Pale, beautiful, listless, statuesque, the
smile that plays upon that chiseled face
is as the flicker of moonlight, not the
warm glow of the sunshine which tells of
youth and JOY. You can behold in the
countenance of the naughty dame with
eagle eye and Roman nose, and a general
expression of contempt for the whole hui
man race, including herself, the result of
a system which has reduced the heart and
the emotional nature to state of worldli-
ness unapproached by the widest specu-
latiOns of the most mercenary schemer.
While it is to be regretted that many
of our cOuntrywOmen are madly pursu-
ing that willie '-the-wisp, aristOeratic con-
nection, it may be taken for granted
that such a connection, except in
the rarest instances, can only lead
to sorrow and regret In this world
nature has about equally divided her
gifts and graces. To the scion of
noble house she has awarded a GER
tain formation of nose and a pride which
supplies the same purpose in life that
cork-fOats do to a drowning sinner; to
the humble peasant he has given health,
the glory of honest labor, the right to
laugh when he is merry and to cry when
he is sad, the freedom to bestoW his heart
where he pleases, and the sleep which
follows health. Speaking generally, we
do not consider the aristocracy as happy
as the middle classes. Plenty of money
and nothing to do are very well; but
"Satan finds some mischief STILL" and if
the great ones of England are not obliged
to come down to lowly labor they find
plenty of time to squabble and metaphor.
ically tear each others eyes out on a
question of precedence.
It is a notorious fact that happy though
the married life of Queen Victoria was,
the reverse has been the case with The
majority of her family In fact, since
the death of Prince Albert, this excellent
and motherly woman has been absolutely
kept in perpetual hot water through the
disagreements and jealOusies of her mar
ried children. The marriage Of Louise
and Lorne has Enthusiastically proved a
failure; and now, the honeymoon scarce
ly passed, come murmurS Of discomfort
from the recesses Of Clarence House.
The Duchess of Edinburgh is homesick.
She finds her quarters shabby; and seeing
that they are located in a stable-yard, we
can scarcely blame her. And there is a
dispute as to question of precedence at
court. Of course the daughter of an
Emperor is somebody, and having been
accustomed to be first at home does not
believe in playing second fiddle abroad.
Poor Lorne has to sneak in by back door
like an ordinary gentleman in waiting,
terrible blow to the proud Argyles, who
were wont in the olden time to chop up
Sassenach or two before breakfast and to
be kings in their own small way on the
rocky coasts of Scotland. Now royalty
has become allied to trade through the
Marquis younger brother, and there is a
pretty kettle Of regal fish all around.
There may be, perhaps, just the slightest
touch of the Satanic in the feeling Of sat
isfaction experienced by us when we
think that these who are blessed with
what Abraham Lincoln would call
"sinecure" are permitted to suffer just a
few of the notifications which flesh is
heir to- At all events, it Is very certain
that those who are obliged to plod their
honest path through life have every rea-
son to be thankful that their lot will bear
so favorable a comparison.-Chic0g0 Inter-
Ocean.
The Cast of Sham.