Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1880-02-12
The Happiness Of Queens.

The Happiness Of Queens:
Translated from the French.
There is nothing of which we hear
sooner than this. When we are 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 OF the sun; how she
rode in a carriage Ornamcnted all over
with big rubies; that her sceptre was
a single diamond and her crown made of
stars snatched from heaven?
Later the Almdndct de GotAu 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 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 or goes 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, sovereigns ! o, rulers ! look what des-
tiny has done for you.
Queen Victoria reached the throne
adorable, charming Crowned at West
minister when just sixteen, she married the
husband of her chOice-One of those Co.
burgs, who were the handsOmest men of
their time. She loved So passionately that
she poisoned her own life and that of her
husband, who was a martyr to her idolatry
Her jealous imagination saw intidelity
everywhere and always; ladies once her
dear friends became odious to her. She
drove away the ladies of honor and, at 4
court ball she slapped the face of pretty
girl to whom Prince Albert had addressed
few words.
A day came when death called this hus-
band, so fondly loved, and on that day
died, also, Englands 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 afterwards, 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 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, the
name of Prince Albert was mentioned.
The Queen Of Belgium has an only son.
The child of ten years is as sweet and ex-
| quisite as 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, notwithstand-
ing her agony, worn out with long watch
ing, and obeying the supplicatlons Of her
ladies, retires for little repOse. But she
cannot sleep. She leaves her bed and re-
turns, in haste, to her son. She approaches
softly. The prince appears to be soundly
! sleeping. His breathing is equal and easy.
! The pale face of Marie Henriette ightens
with happiness. Her boy is then saved.
since he can sleep. She goes out. Then
the royal baby calls to the doctor. The
doctor bends over him. "DO not tell
mother,' he says. cit makes her SC
happy to think that sleep"
| That child will never BIC a king. To-
morrow, in the evening, he is dead.
1t is ten years since the Belgian prince is
dead, 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. Hel
hair is white. Her dress is always black
Her ladies of honor are old and ugly, and
made still more ugly by the ugly ennui OF
this court in lethargy. No one dare smile
before the queen, who still weeps, who
weeps always, and who cries, g For me
there is nothing more in this world: ~
All alone the empress of Russia plunge:
into the intoxication of her tears. She
knows that, for long time, the true
crown of the empress is not that which
she wears. She has always with her the
portrait of the emperor-the likeness Of
the man who loves her 10 more.
Margaret of Italy dies slowly with :
terrible malady. She knows that her days
are numbered.
The Empress Eugenie lies upon thu
ground with seven spears driven right
through her heart. Throne, husband, son,
beauty-all are gone.
For having touched the crown of Spain
two young queens fall as if struck by light
ming. The Duchess AOsta flies to Italy
and wastes, in sickness and agony, tt
death. Mercedes, that queen of eighteeI
| years, for whom life seemed SO full, is cold
! as marble in the tomb.
Christina of Austria hears nothing but
the noise of the pistol, sees nothing but
the gleam Of the dagger.
Maximilian went to Mexico, and paid
for his ambition with his life. When the
grave closed over him it held also the world
for Carlotta. Since then her present is the
past Her brain is blinded, and she does
not even know that she suffers.