Connecticut western news., 1875-03-05

than family wish, and the Princess at least was left freely to the impulse of her own inclination. Her uncle, King Leo pold, saw that the impression was favor able, and made her aware of his wishes in the matter. Her answer made it i'm possible to doubt how entirely those of the Princess were in accordance with his own. In June, 1886, soon after Prince Albert's departure from England, she wrote to the King: ''I have only now to beg you, my dearest uncle, to take care of the health of one now so dear to me, and to take him under your special protection. I hope and trust that all will go on prosperously and well on a subject now of so much importance to me. .a-" 1 '"
 The Prince, however, was still kept in -l the dark; but his education was directed with view to the possibility of his mar riage with the English princess. He and his brother were sent to Brussels, where, under the care of Baron Wiech, mann, retired officer of the English German Legion, they remained for a period of twelve months, closely occu- pied with. the study of history, the modern languages, the higher mathe- 'matics, etc. Prom Brussels they went to Bonn, where they renamed eighteen months. While they were still at that university the death of William IV., June 20, 1887, threw upon the Princess Victoria, then only eighteen years old, the grave responsib bilities of Queen of England. Her accession to the throne revived the rumors, which had been for some time current, of contemplated marriage with her cousin, and it was thought expedient by their uncle, with the view of withdrawing public attention for the time from the young princes, that they should spend the autumn of 1887 in making tour through Switzerland and the north of Italy. September and Oc- tober were accordingly spent in thor ough exploration of Switzerland and the Italian lakes on foot-a mode of travel ing of which Prince Albert was very fond.
 But the time had arrived when the question of the English marriage had to be settled. King Leopold desired that some decisive arrangement should be made for the year 1889; but to this the Queen demurred, for reasons which her uncle considered conclusive. She was herself she urged, too young, so also was the Prince, and, moreover, his mastery of the English language was still very imperfect. The Prince, on being made aware of what was proposed, and of the necessity of delay, very sensibly declared himself willing to submit, if he had only some certain assurance to go upon. 'sBut, he said to King Leopold, "n after waiting perhaps three years I should find that the Queen no longer desired the marriage, it would place me In ridiculous position, and would, to Q certain extent, ruin all my prospects for the futurc." This serious question was, however, soon settled in a way entirely satisfactory to the Prince's mind, and in the winter of 1888 he set out on pro- traeted and interesting tour through Italy, returning to Coburg in the follow ing May. ] "'' ,''@ ''-''
 Meanwhile political events in Eng land, which it is needless to go into, made it desirable that the question of the Queens marriage should again be pressed. Those who had her welfare most at heart were anxious to secure for her without longer delay a husbands guidance and support. To effect this was, however, no simple matter. All that the Queen had heard of the Prince was most favorable. Her inclination to- ward him remained unchanged, and, to use her own words, "she never had an idea, if she married at all, of any one else." Still she desired delay; and the Prince went to England with his brother in October, 1889, under the impression that she wished the affair to be consid- cred as broken off, and that for four years she could think of no marriage. Her reasons for delay were, however, destined to give way before the irresisti- ble feeling inspired by the Prince when they again met. The three years which had passed since the princes were last in England had greatly improved their personal appearance. Tall and manly as they both were, Prince Albert was eminently handsome, But there was also i'll his countenance 8 gentleness of expression and peculiar sweetness in his smile, with look of deep thought and high intelligence in his clear blue eyes and expansive forehead, that added q charm to the impression he produced in all who saw him, far beyond that derived from mere beauty or regularity of fea- lures. The Queen was most favorably impressed. On the second day after their arrival she wrote to her uncle |: "Alberts beauty is most striking, and he IS most anliable and unaffected-in short, very fascinating" The question was soon settled. The Prince arrived at Windsor Castle on the 10th of October :: on the fifth the Queen informed Lord Melbourne of her decision. To Baron Stockmar, her uncle's lifelong friend and confidential counselor, to whom she had recently and strongly expressed her resolution not to marry for some time, she wrote with naive embarrassment ::
 WINDSOR CASTLE, Oct. 15, 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 complete ly won my heart, and all was settled be- tween us this morning. I feel certain he will make me very happy. I wish I could say felt as certain of my making him happy, but | shall do my best, Uncle Leopold must tell you all about the details, which have not time to do. Albert is very much attached to you." D The next day Prince Albert wrote to give Baron Stockmar what he knew would be the most welcome news pos sible." He added:
 "Victoria is so good and kind to me that am often puzzled to believe that I should be the object of so much affec- tion. I know the interest you take in my happiness, and therefore pour out my heart to you. More or seriously I cannot write; am at this moment too much bewildered to do so.
 "'Das Auge sieht den Himmel offen,
 Els schwelgt das Herz in Seligkeit.'"
 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