Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1880-06-28
PRINCE ALBERT'S FIRST VISIT
TO VICTORIA.

TO VICTORIA.
When the Princess Victoria was
seventeen, developing into womanhood,
and the moment evidently approached
at which she must assume the crown, it
became time to bring together the two
who had been trained for each other.
Whether any knowledge had yet reach
ed the Princess mind of this family
hope we are not informed but the
young Prince could not be entirely igno
rant that his fate hung in the balance
when, in the month of May, 1886,
handsome and nobly gifted boy of sew
enteen, he came with his father and
brother, with no fear of the event, but
some of the sea and the terrible cross
ing which lay between them and Eng
land, to pay visit to the aunt and
cousin whom he had never seen. With
what excitement the elder people must
have watched the first encounter The
young people were of the same age,
agreeable, and attractive in looks, two
blue-eyed human creatures, looking
their great life frankly in the face, as
hopeful, as unclouded, as became their
years. What the Princess was will be
seen from the youthful portrait with
which by this time even those who rem
ember it of old must have grown unfa-
miliar-losing the fair, young, candid
countenance in the maturer face so ia
miliar to us. What Prince Albert was
is described by Baron Stockmar in a
letter written, on the eve of this event
full meeting, to the anxious uncle, King
Leopold, whose long-cherished plans
were now to be put to the test:
"Albert is fine young fellow, well
grown for his age, with agreeable and
valuable qualities, and who, if things
go well, may in few years turn out
strong, handsome man, of a kindly,
simple, yet dignifed demeanor. Exter-
nally, therefore, he possesses all that
pleases the sex. and at all times, and in
all countries, must please.
The boy was merry and light-hearted
as became his age, full of youthful
laughter as we'll as youthful wisdom,
and as capable of keeping his fellow
students in roar of genial fun as of
winning the appreciation of the elders.
The Duke of saze-Coburg and his sons
arrived at Kinsington Palace in the end
of May, and there in no record of the
Prince, published in his MenaOar, which
give few details. His aunt and cousin
were Every kind" and ''most amiable.
The father and sons staid some weeks
| court dinners, and concerts, long pro-
| longed, during which the young visitor
had many '.hard battles to fght.against
sleepiness, SO young was he, and so
untried in fashionable dissipations. On
S one evening at least, there was ''a bril-
: liant ball at Kensington Palace" at
i which the young Germans, unused to
such late hours, renamed till four
o'clock in the morning. The curious
reader would like to know how often
n the cousins danced together, and if each
e threw chance to the other, as happens
r sometimes, over all the music and mirth.
There were stories going, which we rem
ember to have heard some cite, of flow
i, ers bestowed and looks exchanged-the
$ gossip of the ballroom; but these are
y not things likely to be specified in let
n tiers to the mother at home.
a When the Prince left England. how
: ever, anxious King Leopold in the back
: ground, who was still, as always, watch
# ing over everything, broke the silence.
and wrote to his niece. The Princess
replied warmly, with frankness which
must have made the heart of her care
!, full and anxious guardian rejoice, en-
), treating her uncle to take into his spec
ial protection zone now SO dear to me. )"
;. This, however, was not revealed to
6 the world, nor even, it would seem, to
!. the chief person concerned, who, still
linked in thought and fancy to the pref
ty cousin of whom all his attendants
had spoken to him all his life, thought
of her still as he went forth upon his
: travels, sending her such token of
remembrance as an Alpine rose gathered
! on the Righi, a book of prints to show
6 his route from time to time-very natu-
raj, simple tokens of the delicate amity
Opening into warmer emotion, such as
. pass every day between youth and maid
: en- on the verge of love.-Mrs. Oh
= pnant, IN Harper's Magazine for
u July.
DIsINFECTANTs AS the warm wea-
ther appears. disinfectants will be need
i ed Lime, plaster, charcoal, dry earth