Delta chief., 1883-05-09
The Queens Loneliness.

The Queens Loneliness.
The Queen has survived not only her hns-
band, but almost all relatives OF her own
time, all her earlier political friends, and an
entire group Of closely attached dependents,
like Sir c. Phipps, Sir Arthur Helps, and
many another less known to. the general
world, says the London Spectator. There is
no one living who could address her by her
Christian name, or, indeed, any terms Of
equality while all her children but one are
married, scattered, immersed in business and
households of their own. II is lonely peak
Ia sit on, nj the top Of the world, and as age
draws on the sovereign, who already has
rcigncd long that passing middle age
have conscientiously known no other, must
feel this more and more painfully, with
sadness which the movements Of the world
does not diminish. The Queen has had no
mfsfortuncs such as have afflicted many Of
her predecessor, no loss Of subjects ike
George III, no loss Of public honor like
Gcorgc ", but she has to bear the baTicn Of
an ever increasing pressure Of interests, Incl
dents, movements of mankind, of all which
she must to herself seem the center. Moth
liAs fhfNAAAA 'sih h-ht'H'h 'h NAN '''A'' "'A'N-a
/. not in some way or other borne in pressing
ly ON The Queen. The special feature Of the
age the new completely Of life arising from
rapid communication, began shortly before
her acccssion-IIuSkisson was killed in 1880
aud from that moment to this atiairs must
have seemed to press in ever increasing vol
urne, upon her, as " the very atmosphere had
grown more wcighiy. Imagine what the tclc.
graph alone has been to the Queen. To feel
imperative duties Increasing. and strength
Iocaying. and life growing more aud more
lonely, is sad position for any one; but what
must it be to a sovereign who receives every
day cyidcuoe that she i one Of ltc central
figures Of the world. who hearS "n Monday
that all America j. glad because the report Of
an accident Ia her hal proved exaggerated;
un Tuesday that an Indian tribe has accepted
her as go1d6Ss ON Wednesday that her daugh.
ter. one day to be Empress Of Germany, has
celebrated her silver wedding with princes
f,.i train bearers on Thursday that plot has
been discovered which renders doubled watch
iulntss necessary round Windsor Ii is a
strange position, one not tn be desired and
remember, il must he judged not from the
constitutional point of rivs that the Queen
ouly accepts advice, but from her own point
of view thnt the Queen, after taking advice,
gives her own commands. No monarch ever
yet quite lost the feeling that, in some indies.
cribablc way, he was himself in some special
degree, responsible for the welfare Of his pco.
pie. and in That responsibility alone, be it as
unreal as il mny-and Englishmen often un-
drrratc the Queens direct influence on affairs
lis burden which, to lonely woman, long
experience can only make thr heavier. Ex
pcriencc teaches us what to do, but teaches
also how useless the doing is. We are no de-
votecs of monarchy grayoly holding self gov.
crnment to he more cdueative and more dig.
nifcd but there has never been in history
reign like that of Queen Victoria, who, sur
rounded by an impcnetrahle etiquette, breaks
it to tell her people that devotion, even in the
humblcst of followers, has aroused in her
real friendship" Rcpublicanism in Eng
land sleeps and will sleep while the Queen
rcigns. Is there not In that mere tri,ism
sufficient biography?