The Red Cloud chief., 1877-11-08
A Child Queen.

L wonder how many OF the little CIR
readers of st. Nicholas are fond of his
tory? If they answer candidly, IdOno
doubt that a large proportion will de
clare they prefer the charming storie!
they find in st. Nicholas to the dull
pages of history, with its countless bat
ties and murdered sovereigns. Blu,
history is not every bit dull, by any
means, as you will find if your elder
sisters and friends will select portions
for you to read that are suitable to your
age and interests. Perhaps you are very
imaginative, and prefer fairy tales to all
others. l am sure. then, that you will
like the story / am about to tell you, OF
a little French princess, who was mar.
ried and crowned Queen of England
when only eight years old, and who be-
came a widow at twelve.
This child-sOvereign was born many
hundred years ago-in 13S7-at the pal
ace of the Louvre in Paris, of whose
noble picture gallery 1 am sure you all
have heard-if, indeed, plany of you
have not seen it yourselves. She was
the daughter of the poor King Charles
vi, whose misfortunes made him in
sane, and for whose amusement playing
cards were invented, and of his queen,
Isabeau of Bavaria, a beautiful but
very wicked woman. Little Princess
Isabella was the eldest of twelve chill
dren. She inherited her mothers beau
ty, and was petted by her parents and
the entire court of France.
King Richard ii, of England, who
was a widower about thirty years old,
was urged to marry again; and, instead
of selecting a wife near his own age,
his choice fell upon little Princess Isa-
bella.
"She is much too young" he was told.
Even in five or six years she will not
be old enough to be married" The
king, however. thought this objection
too trifiing to stand in the way of his
marriage, and saying, The lady's age Is
a fault that every day will remedy" he
sent a magnificent embassy to the court
of France. headed by the Archbishop of
Dublin, and consisting of earls, mar
shals. knights, and squires of honor un-
counted. with attendants to the number
of FIVE hundred.
When the embassy reached Paris,and
the offer of marriage had been formally
accepted, the archbishop and the earls
asked to see the little princess who was
soon to become their queen. At first
the French Council refused, saying 50
young a child was not prepared to ap-
on public occasions, and they could
not tell how she might behave. The
DOblemen were 80 solicitous,
however, that at last she was brought
before them. The earl marshal imme-
knelt before her, and said, in the
Did fashioned language of the time:
Madam, if it please God, you shall be
,ur lady and queen"
Queen Isabeau stood at a little dis
ance, curious and anxious, no doubt
o know how her little daughter would
ms wer this formal address. To her
,reat pleasure. and the great surprise
# all present, Princess Isabella replied:
"Sir, if it please God and my father
hail be Queen of England, 1 shall be
veil pleased, for l am told l shall then
'e a great lady" |;
Then, giving the marshal her tiny
land to kiss, she bade him rise from his
nees, and leading him to her mother. ,
be presented him to her with the grace
nd ease Of a mature woman, II
According to the fashion of the time. ! (