Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1875-03-25

met. The three years winch Aao
passed since the princes were last in
England had greatly improved their
personal appearance. Tall and man
ly as they both were, Prince Albert
was eminently handsome. But there
was also in his countenance gentle
ness of expression and peculiar sweet
ness in his smile, with look of deep
thought and high intelligence in his
clear blue eyes and expansive fore
head, that added q charm to the i'm
preston he produced in all who saw
him, far beyond that derived from
mere beauty or regularity of features.
The Queen was most favorably i'm
pressed. On the second day after
their arrival she wrote to her uncle:
"Albert's beauty is most striking,
and he is most amiable and unaffect-
ed-in short, very fascinating" The
question was soon settled. The Prince
arrived at Windsor Castle Oil the
10th of October; on the 18th the
Queen informed Lord Melbourne OF
her decision. To Baron Stockmar,
her uncle's lifelong friend and con-
Gdential counselor, to whom she had
recently and strongly expressed her
resolution not to marry for some
time, she wrote with native embar-
rassment:
WINDSOR CASTLE. Oct. Is, 1889.
"I do feel so guilty, I know not
how to begin my letter ;>but | think
the news 1t contains will be sufficient
to insure your forgiveness. Albert
has completely won my heart, and
all was settled between US this morn
ing. 1 feel certain he will make me
very happy. I wish I could say l
felt as certain of my making him
happy, but I shall do my best. I'm
Gle Leopold must tell you all about
the details, which l have not time to
do. Albert is very much attached to
you"
The next day Prince Albert wrote
to give Baron Stockmar what he
knew would be "the most welcome
news possible. He added:
Victoria is so good and kind to
me that I am often puzzled to believe
that I should be the object Of so
much affection. I know the interest
you take in my happiness, and there
fore pour out my heart to you. More
or seriously I cannot write; am at
this moment too much bewildered to
do 60
"sDas Auge sieht den Himmcl often,
Es schwelgt das Herr in Seligkelt.
(Heaven opens on the ravished eye,
The heart is all entranced in bliss.)
While offering to the Prince his
hearty congratulations on the happy
event, Stockmar coupled them with
earnest counsels as to the course
which must be pursued in laying the
foundations of his future happiness,
and in fulfilling worlhily the duties
of his high position. To this the
Prince replied in a strain Of lofty as-
piration, and with deep sense OF
the great part he was to play in his
new career, which evinced true no
,s:ll;ty cs ahars.es. a=ak:f.:.-s:zcr<Tss
for the future. Neither the happi.
ness of love-a happiness in his case
made more intense by the singular
purity and unselfshness This own
nature, on which the devotion shown
him seems to have come with a be.
wildering strangeness-nor the bril-.
liancy of the position into which this
love had raised him, blinded him for
a moment to it's sterner features.
Treu und fest (Trueand FIRM was
the motto Of his house, and he was
prepared to grapple with difficulties
and face opposition with manly
heart. "With the exception of my
relations to the Queen" he wrote to
his step-mother, "my future position
will have it's dark side, and the sky
will not always be blue and uncloud-
ed. But life has its thorns in every
poe.tion, aud the consciousness Of
having used oae's powers and en-
deavors for an object SO great as that
of promoting the welfare Of 50 many
will surely be sufficient to support
me-"
The announcement of the betroth-
al caused great rejoicings in England
and among the Princes own people.
But when the question of the annui-
ty to be settled upon him on his mar
riage came before Parliament there
was squabble which must have been
very disagreeable to him and to
the Queen. The cabinet proposed
ESQ, 900 year, the same that had
been granted to Prince Leopold on
his marriage with the Princess Char
lotte; but after an acrimonious de-
bate this sum was reduced to $780,
900. Tie Prince took it in a manly
manner, merely remarking to Baron
Seockma, that his only regret was to
find that his ability to help artists
and men of science, to which he had