The Indianapolis leader. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1879-1890, 1880-03-13
THE HAPPINESS OF QUEENS.
An Inside View of the Delights Of Palace
Life.

An inside View Of the Delights OF Palace
Life.
From the French
There Ia nothing of which we hear sooner
than this. When we are small children our
nurses charm us, and make us envious with |
their marvellous stories of life In the palaces.
Can we ever forget the Prince Charming, |
and what the princess wore-her dress the |
color &c the sun; how she rode in q carriage
ornarle nted all over with big rubies, that
her scepter was single diamond, and her
crown made of stars snatched from heaven
Later the Almanach de Gotha recalls
these golden fables of our infancy, and we
see again the queens with their blonde hair
and bright eyes, their crowns high upon
their heads, and their great cloaks OF velvet
trailing from their shoulders. They smiled
with the smile of tranquil goddesses; they
are beautiful among the beautiful, happy
among the happy; before them one bows or
goes down upon his knees; the earth Is made
sweet by the caress Of their feet; men only
breathe as they nod JOY is everywhere about
them.
o sovereignsl o rulers! look what destiny
has done for you.
Queen Victoria reached the throne-ador-
able, charmingl Crowned at Westminster
when Just l6, she married the husband Of
her choice, one OF those Coburgs, who were
the handsomest men of their time. She loved
so passonately that she poisoned her own life
and that of her husband, who was n martyr
to her idolatry. Her jealous imagination
saw infidelity everywhere and always; ladies
once her dear friends became odious to her.
She drove away the ladies of honor, and at
court-ball she slapped the face of pretty
girl to whom Prince Albert had addressed q
few words.
A day came when death called this hus-
| band. so fondly loved, and on that day died
also England's queen. The heart had gone
out of the body of the woman. and nothing
was left. Everything seemed to have been
brusquely torn away, and so great was her
despair, and so long did it last, that years
afterward, they discussed regency In
| Parliament. The motion was defeated, but
after that the living corpse of her who had
| been Victoria came from time to time to open
| Parliament. The English, who respect the
| dynasty, lowered themselves before the eter-
nal grief of the old woman. for they saw
! still the crown of the queen above the widow
| cap. But she never smiled save when, per-
chance, the name of Prince Albert was men,
toned.
The queen Of Belgium has an only son.
This child of 10 years is as sweet and exqui-
site as a cherub. This 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 his agony, worn
out with long watching, and obeying thesup
plications of her ladies, retires for little re
pose. But she can not sleep. She leaves be-
bed and returns in haste to her son. She ap
proaches softly. The prince appears to b
soundly sleeping. His breathing is equal ant
easy. The pale face of Marie Henriett
lightens with happiness. The boy is thel
saved, since he can sleep. She goes out
Then the royal baby calls to the doctor. TIL
doctor bends over him. "Do not tell mother,
he says, sit makes her 80 happy to think tina
Sleep"
That child will never be king. To-mor
row, in the evening, he is dead.
1t is 10 years since the Belgian prince
dead, andno other child has come to the queen
At Brussels they seldom see her. She is al
WAYS with herself. If she goes out she hear
nothing. sees nothing. Her hair is white
Her dress is always black. Her ladies G
honor are old and ugly, and made still NOR
ugly by the ugly ennui of this court in leth
argy. No one dare smile before the queer
who still weeps, who weeps always, and VIII
cries, "For me there is nothing more in tn
worldp'
All alone the empress of Russia plunge
, into the intoxication of her tears. She know
: that, for long time, the true crown Of tn
, empress is not that which she wears. Sh
} has always with her the portrait of the en-
J peror-the likeness of the man who love
her no more.
Margaret of Italy dies slowly with tel
rible malady. She knows that her days ar
numbered.
The Empress Eugene lies upon the groun
7 with seven spears driven right throug
, her heart Throne, husband, son, beaut
all are gone.
For having touched the crown of Spail
two young queens fall as if struck by Ggh
ming. The duchess of Aosta flies to Ital,
and wastes in sickness and agony to dealt
Mercedes, that queen of 18 years, for whol
life seemed 80 full, is cold as marble in he
tomb.
Christina of Austria hears nothing but tt
noise of the pistol, sees nothing but the gleal
: of the dagger.
Macmillan wentto Mexico, and paid f
his ambition with his life. When the gray
9 closed over him it held also the world f
a Carlotta. Since then her present is the pas
: Her brain is blinded, and she does not eve
!. know that she suffers.