The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1880-03-05
The Happiness of Queens.
SOME OF THE EXPERIENCES WHICH SOW
EREIGNS OF EUROPE HAVE PASSED

Translated from the French.

THROUGH.
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 envi
Gus 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 carriage ornamented
all over with big rubies; that her sceptre
was single diamond, and her crown
made of stars snatched from heavenp
Later the AlnaGnacb de Gotba 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 shout
ders. They smile with the smile OF
tranquil goddesses; they are beautiful
among the beautiful, happy among the
happy; before them one bows and
goes upon his knees; the earth is made
sweet by the cares of their feet; men
only breathe as they nod; joy Is every
where alb out them.
o, sovereigns! o rulers look what
destiny 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
Coburgs, 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 martyr to her
idolatry. Her jealous imagination saw
intidelity everywhere and always; la
ladies once her dear friends became obi
Gus 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 n few words.
day came when death called this
husband, 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. Every
thing seemed to have been brusquely torn
away, and so great was her dispair, 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 re-
spects the dynasty, lowered themselves
before the eternal giief 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 mention
ed.
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 suf.
fers, for he burns with fever. He tries
to smother his cries of pain. The
queen, notwithstanding her agony,
worn out with long watching, and obey
ng the supplications OF her ladies, retires
or little repose. But she cannot
sleep. She leaves her bed and returns,
n haste to her son. She approaches
ioftly. The prince appears to be sound
Y sleeping. His breathing is equal and |
Easy. The pale face of Marie Henrietta
ightens with happiness Her boy was
hen saved, since he could sleep. She |
goes out. Then the royal baby calls the |
ioctor. The doctor bends over him.
DO not tell my MOTHER he says, sit |
makes her happy to think that sleep"
udL ClIlt Will hGNti Db IL hiHg, To-
in the evening, he is dead.
1t is ten years since the Belgian prince |
Is dead, and no other child has come to
he queen. At Brussels they seldom see
ler. She is always with herself If she |
goes out she hears nothing, see nothing.
Her hair is white. Her dress is always |
black. Her ladies of honor are old and
lgly, and made still more ugly by the |
Ugly enrui of this court in lethargy. No |
)ne dares smile before the queen, who |
till weeps, who weeps always, and who
cries, ''For me there is nothing more in
he worldm
All alone the empress of Russia plunges
nto the lntoxication of her tears. She
Knows that, for long time, the true
,rown of the empress is not that which
he wears. She has always with her the
portrait of the emperor-the likeness of
he man who loves her no more.
Margaret of Italy dies slowly with
errible malady. She knows that her
lays are numbered.
The empress Eugene lies upon the
round with seven spears driven right
through her heart. Throne, husband,
on, beauty-all are gone.
For having touched the crown ofSpain,
wo young queens fall as if struck by
ghtning. The duchess of Aosta flies to
tally and wastes, in sickness and agony
D death Mercedes. the queen of eight
en- years, for whom life seem ed so full,
cold as marble in her tomb.
Christina of Austria hears nothing but
ne noise of the pistol. sees nothing but
ne CLEAN of the dagger.
Macmillan went to Mexico, and paid
)r his ambition with his life. When the
rave closed over him it held also the
'orld for Carlotta Since then her
resent is the past. Her brain is blind
d, and she does not even know that she
lffers.