The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1880-07-01
@aoies' Qort@lto.
and Won the Young Queen OF
England.

1T was IN October OF the year 1859 tnat
The two young Coburg princes came to En-
SI',nd; They brought with them a letter
firm King Leopold, which ran as follows:
Ny DEAREST VICTORIA: Your cousins
ri ] themselves be the bearers of these lines.
i ommend them them to you. They are
a cd and honest creatures deserving your
Ii ldness-not pedantic, but really sensible
n 4 trustworthy. | have told them that
& ur great wish is they should be quite at
their ease with YOU
. The young men arrived. Their cousin,
NO longer the little girl at K~ensington in
In the homely, old-fashioned house, but a
Queen. received them at the top OF the
royal ~stircase, amidst all the magniticence OF
Windsor Castle as if these two wandering
knights had been emperors. But after this
grand reception the cOmmonest OF Incidents
+; brings back the pricely travellers and the
Royal circle into the sympathy of homeiler
life. The portmanteaus, it is to be sup
posed, had gone astray, as happens to so
= many of us-or at 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 APP
near at dinner, but came IN after it, in srlte
oftheir morning Clothes" There was a cir
Gle of visitors assembled, and no doubt some
little tremor in the alI-wOnderlng and
whisperings and cl s watchlngs of all the
looks and words intercharged between the
cousins. Prince Albert was now full growL,
liz all the freshness Of twenty, the age at
which a handsome youth IS handsomest,
before any of the bloom has been rubbed off.
t'There was In his countenance a gentleness
Of expression, and peculiar sweetness In his
smile. with a look OF deep thought and high
Intelligence in his clear blue eyes and ex-
ransive forehead that added a charm to the
effect he produced in those who saw him,
far beyond that derived from the mere regu-
larity OF beauty Of features" tie was as
good as he was handsome. full of high pur-
pose delicate conScienc business.
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 al proud and happy to contribute
to their amusement and to keep the palace
gay. The way of life in Windsor during the
stay Of the princes was much as follows:
is'Ihe Queen breakfastlng III her W room,
they atterwald paid her a visit there, and
at 9 O'Clock had luncheon with her and the
Duchess Of keut. In the afternoon they all
rode, the Queen and Duchess and the two
princes, with Lord Melbourne and most of
the ladies and gentlemen In attendance,
forming a large cayalcade. There was a
great dinner every evening, with a dance
after it three times "a week. This pleasant
reaction went on for a week. The brothers
had arrived on the Sth, Prince Albert
u Queen Victoria being both of a mind
Is. believe their own statement) that the
A.it understanding between them was over,
kQ j they would not marry-nOt they-fOr
re ars to come. But before the 18th had
90 ne something had changed the notions of
ID } young pair. Yet the wooing was not
nG easy and plain before them, as before
ScAer pairs. These were not the days in
which any noble knight, even a prince,
would address a queen. hat had to be
said must be said by her, not by him-a
strange necessity. But nc doubts it seems
a more difficult matter In talking of it than
it was in the doing of it. When the young
: prince was summoned alone to tie young
sovereign's presence no, doubt. the first
glance, the first word, was enough to tell
him that his cause was won. After a 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 1t a1d are seen
again of ord nary men, there is a maze of
gIadness about them which finds expression
IN the tame words all unawares: These
last few DAYS have passed like a dream
to me, and | am so much bewildered by it
all that know hardly how to write, but !
do feel very happy" writes the Queen to
her uncle-he to whom this good news
would be so welcome And, More | can't
write to you, for at this moment | am too
bewildered, says the prince on his side.
striking, as became him, a bolder note and
throwing his rapture and happiness into the
words of the poet
.Das Auge sieht den Hi Gmel osen,
IS schwi1nmt ds Herx n Seh5keit.'
upon the eyes heaven opens bright,
The hear is Hooded with delight"
All this charming little idyl is told to Us
the chief actor in it, the Queen herself,
the fullness Of her heart, and the wonder
{ humility and simplicity with which she
i roughout puts herself in the secondary
ace is one Of the most remarkable exhibl
tions of womanly nature that ever was reveal
ed to the world. "How | will strive to makt
him feel as little as possible the great sacri
fee he has made she says in her journal
noting down the events of that wonderful