River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1880-07-15
ALBERT AND VICTORIA.
Their Firsti. Meeting ia May. 1896.
when Both Were in Their Teens.

When the Princess Victoria Was Il,
developing into womanhood and the
moment evidently approached at which
she must assume the crown, Il became
time 10 bring together the tNp who had
been trained for each other. Whether
any knowledge had yet ched therea
princes mind of this family hope We
are not informed; but the young prince
could not he entirely ignorant that his
fate hang in the balance when, in the
month Of MAY. 1896, a handsome and
nobly gifted boy of Il, he came with
his father and brother. with no fear of
the event, hut same of the sea and ter
Iible crossing which lay between them
and England, To pay visit 10 the aunt
and cousin whom he had never seen.
With what excitement and suspense
the elder people must have watched
this first encounter? The YOU : people
were Of the same age, agreeable and
attractive in looks-two hiue-eyed hu-
man creatures, looking their great life
| frankly in the face, as hopeful, as I'M
! cloudCd, rs became their wears What
| the princess was Will be seen from the
, youthful portrait with which, by this
/ time even those who remember il Of
/ old nast have grown Misunderstanding
the far, young, candid countenance in
1 the naturcr face SO familiar 10 us
What Prince Albert Wa is described
| by Baron Stockmar IN a letter written
on The eve of this eventful meeting to
the anxious uncle, King Leopold, whose
| long cherished plans We're now 10 be
| put 10 the test
Albert is a fine Young fellow. we'll
| grown flr his age, with agreeable and
valuable qualities and who, if things
so well, may IN q few years turn ont "A
strong handsome man, Of kindly,
simple. yet dignified demeanor. En-
ternally, therefore he POSSESSES all that
/ plcasrS the sex, and at all times, and
! in AL countries. must please
The boy was merry and light-hear-
| cd A. became his age, full of youthful
laughter rs well rs youthful wisdom,
and as capable of keeping his fellow
studputs in roar of genial fun As of
winning the approbat on Of the elders.
| tn Duke Of SaXe-Cohurg, and his sons
| arrived nj kenSington palace in the
| eng Of MAY, and there Is no record of
meeting except in the brief letters of
li4F t'iliittt lltibli9ltcN Iii illS htAilti4s
/ which give few details. His aunt and
COUSIN were very kind and most
an1ianle." The Eather and son stayed
some weeks in London, and were at
| lcNecs. and court dinners, and concerts,
long prolonged, during which the young
visitor had many hard battles TO fight
against sleepiness, so Young was he,
and 80 untried in fashionable dissipa-
tons. On ore evening, at least, there
WA. brilliant ball at kensington
Palace at which the young
| Germans. unused to such late
! hours, remained till 4 o'clock IN the
/ m1raing The curious reader would
/ like to know how often the cousins
| dauced together, and il each threw
glance to the other, rs happens SOME
/ tine~. over All the music and the nlirth.
| There We're stories going, which we re-
member to have heard some cite. of
/ flowers bestowed and looks exchanged
/ tha gossip of the ball room but these
are not things likely to he specified in
/ letters to the mother at home.
W hen the prince left England, how
ever. anxious King Leopold in the back
ground, who was still, a always, watch
1 Ing over everything. broke the silence
and wrote to his niece The princess
replied warmly, with franknees
which must have made the heart of her
careful and anxious guardian rejoice en-
treating her uncle to take into his
special protection zone now so dcal 10
ms
THIS, however, WAS not revealed to
The world, nor even would il seem, 70 the
chief person concerned, who still linked
in thought AID fancy to the pretty cousin
of nom al his attendcnts had spoken
to i'm all his life. thought of her still a.
he went forth on his travels, sending her
sueh token Of remembrance rs an Al
pias rose gathered on the Rhigl, book
OF lints TO show his route from time to
:irue-very natural, simple tokens Of
the delicate amity ripening into warm
er emotion such IS pass every day be
tween youth and maiden on the verge
NJ Efva