New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-01-07
VICTORLAS CHRISTMAS GIFT TO HER
SOLDIERS.
From The London Telegraph. Dec.

From me L0ndOn IGtgFupI' Dcc. ~.
Every body, except the people who are either very
great or very uninquiring would sometimes IKE 10
know how queens and prncesses spend their spare
time. Poetry. history and fiction have always per,
ceived the existence of this natural curiosity and
have offered a great many details on the subject.
Anybody really anxious. however. to know now the
employing the after-dark hours of our British WIN
ter may learn almost much about II as though he
were Gold Stick IN Waiting. himself, or somebody
yet more intimate and confidential. There was de-
livered certain large package last Friday TO the
Royal Victoria Hospital at Netey, addressed by her
Majesty the Queen to the Lady superintendent OF
Nurses there. 1t contained five large Berlin wool
quilts for the use of the wounded soldiers VINO are
recovering in that institution from hurts re-
celyed in the Egyptian campaign. As we yes
tirely worked by the Queen herself and second by
the Princess Beatrice The former bears in one
corner Her Majesty's cipher of crown, VIZ J., ana
the date 1882; the latter the initial letter OF
"BeatIice." The other quilts have been worked by
ladies' of the Court, but the Queen has added a
made of the softest WOOL of rich though plain pat
terms and cOlors and perfect In all respects as warm
bed-coverngs. This personal gift was sent as 9
proof of the Queens sOlicitude for the welfare and
comfort of the sick ana wounded soldiers who have
recently returned from Egypt. The remark Mt
tributed to Her Majesty Is, They have done mucn
for me- and must do something for them" Such
is the kindly Christmas present which as we have
remarked, tells anybody concerned very plainly
how, evening after evening, SINCE her soldiers
returned from Egypt, Her Malestys own hands have
busily Piled the knitting needles IN order that me
might personally contribute something TO the com
fort of her brave and suffering soldiers
Tommy Atkins, under one OF these truly splendid
coverlids at Netey. thinks, we may be sure more
ghtly than ever OF his wounds or fever. de would,
beyond doubt. go through the Egyptian campaign
many times for the service anu safety OF that
gracious Sovereign who thus thinks of HIM and
sets such store by his brave blood. There is no
private soldier in the army who hears of this
gracious act but Will feel his uniform made more
honorable TO him, and his royalty bound over TO
better and better proofs than ever. There susualy
such a vast distance between the private soldier,
as he falls upon the field bleeding for his country,
and the Queen, far away and upon her thTone but
the simpl sentiment and pure compassion OF this
act throws over that vast distance magic bridge,
by which the lowest and the highest are seen to
come close together. When the soldiers hand lies
pal1d and wasted on the soft wool of one of these
coverlets he will SEEM IL were, TO touch his SOW
ereign's hand and hear the comfort of her praise
and thanks 1t il a commonplace thing no doubt,
even though monarch knts it-tne cover TO a
soldiers bed but then all the best things in life
love, duty, devotion and hOnor-are more or less
commonplace: the beauty of sunrise aud sunset,
the vasness of the sea, and the charm of the green
ields-these, and a thousand good thin rs of daily
existence, sense commonplace, Ike the
best emotions of mankind