Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1880-07-14
Translated from the frsneh,l
Tho Happiness OF Queens.
SOME on THE EXPERIENCES WHICH
sovsReioss on EUROPE HAVE Pass
IN THROUGH.

IN THROUGH,
: There ID nothing Of which We hear
sooner than this, When We are
children our nurses charm W, and
make US enyious with their marvellous
stories Of lie 10 the palaces, Can we
! ever forget tho Prince Charming and
what the princess wore--her dress tho
color OF the sun how she rode In
carriage ornamented all over with big
rubies that her seeptrc was single
diamond, aud her crown made Of stars
snatched from heaven
Later tho Aimanaek de GoAa re-
calls these golden fables Of our in
fancy, and we see again the queens
with their blondehair and bright eyes,
their crowns high upon their heads,
and their great eloaks Of velvet trail
ing from their naked shoulders. They
smile with the smile OF tranquil god
desses they are beautiful among the
beautiful, happy among the happy !
before them one bows and goes upon
his knees the earth IL made sweet
by the caress Of their feet men only
breathe as they nod Joy is every
where about them.
o, sovereigns o rulers! look what
destiny has done for you.
Queen Victoria reached the throne
adorable, charming Crowned at
Westminster when just sixteen, she
married the husband Of her choice
ono OF those Coburgs, who were the
handsomest men OF their time. She
loved 20 passionately that she poison
ed her own life and that Of her hus-
band, who was martyr to her idola-
try. Her jealous imagination saw in
fidelity everywhere and always; Ia
dies once her dear friends became
odious 10 her. She drove away the
ladies' of honor aud, at a court ball,
she slapped the face Of a pretty girl to
whom Prince Albert had addressed q
few words.
A day came when death called this
husband, so fondly loved, and on that
day died also England's queen. The
heart had gone ont Of the body of the
woman, and nothing was left. Every.
thing seemed to have been brusquely
torn away, and 80 great was her dis
pair, and so long did it last, that yeas
atterward, they discussed regency in
parliament. The motion was defeat.
ed but alter that the living corpse OF
who had been Victoria came, from
time to time, to open parliament.-
The English, who respects the dynasty,
lowered themselves before the eternal
grief OF this old woman, for they saw
still the crown of the queen above the
widows cap. But she never smiled
save when, perchance, tho name OF
Prince Albert was mentioned.
The queen OF Belgium has an only
son. The child Of ten years is as
sweet and exquisite as a cherub, The
royal infant is sick. 1t is night, and
he suffers, for he burns with fever
He tries to smother his cries of pain.
The queen, Notwithstanding her agony
woln out with long watching, and
obeying the supplications of her
ladies, retires for little repose. But
she cannot sleep. She leaves her bed
and returns, in haste to her son. She ap-
proaches softly The prince appears
to l'r $oandly sleeping. His breath
ing is equal and easy. The pale face
of Marie Henrietta lghtens with hap
piness. Her boy was then saved,
since he could sleep. She goes out.
Then the royal baby calls the doctor.
The doctor bends over him. "Do
not tell my mother" he says, ut
makes her happy to think that
sleep"
That child will never be king. To-
morrow, in the evening, he IS dead.
1t is ten years since the Belgian
prince died, and no other child has
come to the queen. At Brussels they
seldom see her. She is always with
herself If she goes out she hears
nothing, sees nothing. Her hair is
white. Her dress is always black (
Her ladies OF honor are old aud ugly,
and made still more ugly by the ugly
enrm of this court in lethargy. No
one dares smile before the queen, who
still weeps, who weeps always, and
who cries, "For mo there is nothing
more in the world !"
All alone the empress Of Russia
plunoea into the intoxicatiOn of her