Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1880-07-01
A ROYAL ROMANCE.

HOW PRINCE ALBERT CAME AVOIDING AND
WON THE YOUNG QUEEN OF ENGLAND.
From Mrs. Ophant In Harpers for July.
1t was in October of the year 1899
that the two young Coburg princes
came to England They brought with
them a letter from King Leopold,
which ran as follows:
Ny DEAREST VICTORIA Your
cousins will themselves be the bearers
of these lines. | recommend them to
you. They are good and honest
creatures, deserving your kindness
not pedantic, but really sensible and
trustworthy. | have told them that
your great wish is that they should be
quite at their ease with you.
The young men arrived. Their
cousin, no longer the little girl of
kensington in the homely, old fash
ioned house, but a great Queen, re-
ceived them at the top of the Royal
staircase, amidst all the magniliccncc
of Windsor Castle, rs if these two
wondering knights had been emperors.
But after this grand reception the
commonest of incidents brings back
the princely travellers and the royal
circle into the sympathy of homelier
life. Their portmanteaus, it is to be
supposed, had gone astray, as happens
to so many Of us-or Mt least did not
arrive in time-and the dinner hour
was near. Their clothes not having
arrived" the Queen writes in her
journal, they could not appear at
dinner, but came in after it, in spite of
their morning clothes" There was
circle of visitors assembled, and no
doubt some little tremor in the air
wonderings and whisperings and close
watchings of all the looks and words
interchanged between the cousins.
Prince Albert was now full grown, in
all the freshness of twenty, the age at
which a handsome youth is hand
soonest, before any of the bloom has
been rubbed Off There was in his
countenancc gentleness of expression,
and peculiar sweetness in his smile,
with look of deep thought and high
intelligence in his clear blue eyes and
expansive forehead that added a charm
to the effect he produced in those who
saw him, far beyond that derived from
mere regularity or beauty of features" ="
He was as good as he was handsome,
full of high purpose and most delicate
conscientiousness.
And the life in the beautiful old
castle in those mellow autumn days
was gay and bright as heart could
desire. The head of the house was
young and light.hearted, the visitors
all proud and happy to contribute to
her amusement and to keep the palace
gay. The way of life in Windsor dur
ing the stay of the Princes was much
as follows :. "The Queen breakfasting
in her own room, they afterward paid
her visit there, and at two o'clock
had luncheon with her and the Du-
chess of Kent. In the afternoon they
all rode, the Queen and the Duchess
and the two Princes, with Lord Mel
bourne and most of the ladies and
gentlemen in attendance, forming n
large cavalcade. There was a great
dinner every evening, with n dance
after it three times a week." This
pleasant reaction went on for q week.
The brothers had arrived on the 9Th,
Prince Albert and Queen Victoria
being then both of mind (to believe
their own statements) that the tacit
understanding between them was over,
that they would not marry-not they
for years to come But before the
10Th had come something had changed
the notions of the young pair. Yet
the wooing was not all easy and plain
before them, as before other pairs.
These were not the days in which any
noble knight, even prince, would
address a queen. What had to be
said must be said by her, not by him
strange necessity. But no doubt il
seems a more difficult matter in talk
ing of it than it was in the doing of it.
When the young Prince was summon
ed alone to the young sovereign's pres
ence no doubt the first glance, the first
word, was enough to tell him that his
cause was won. "After few minutes
conversation the Queen told him why
she had sent for him." A happy mist
falls over all that was said and done.
When the young pair emerge from it
and are seen again of ordinary men,
} there is maze of gladness about them