Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1888-07-26

forks of the road twenty-five years age
by the Prince of Wales.
"Can you tell me Governor" inquired
Colonel Root, chow in Sam Hill the peo-
pie in England ever came to pick out
Wales for a prince? Blamed if l can
figure it out. Gladstone would have
made damsite better prince according
to my notion; so would old John Brown
or the Duke of Marlbro. Still, sup
pose that Wales had way of working
the press and getting into society that
made him solid with the people"
"Yes, that was it, said the Governor,
as he ate Glove and put out the eye of
a seventy-fve-dollar greyhound with the
cracker of his whip. "Wales has catch
ed on better somehow than airy prince l
have ever saw. If the Queen was to die
to-day they tell me that Wales would be
nominated by acclamation, no matter how
his health is. There never was prince
before that was able to hold the place so
long as he has"
After while the driver paused. Col.
Root asked him why he tarried.
81 wanted to call your attention. said
the Governor, "to the Casino, a place
where you can provide for the inner man
or any other man. You can here secure
softshell crabs, boiled lobster, low-neck
clans, Hamburger steakes, chicken salad,
miscellaneous soup-lobster salad with ma
chine oil on it, Neapolitan ice cream,
Santa Cruz rum, Cincinnati Sec, pie,
toothpicks and fngerbowls."
"How far does the waiter have to 90 to
get these things cooked?" inquired Col.
Root, looking at his valuable watch.
That" said the Governor, as he swung
around with his feet over in our part of
the carriage and asked me for a light,
"depends on how you approach him. If
you slip half dollar up his coat sleeve
without his knowledge he will get your
twenty-five cent meal cooked somewhere
near by, but otherwise | have known him
to 60 away and come back with gray side
whiskers and cobwebs on the pie instead
of the wine"
We went in and told the proprietor to
see that our driver had what he wanted.
He did not want much aside from Whis
ky sour, plate Of terrapin, a pint of
Mr.. Pommery's secretary's beverage, and
a baked duck. We had little calves
liver and custard pie. Then we visited
Cleopatra Needle.
"And who in creation was Cleopatra ?"
asked Col. Root.
Cleopatra was a good looking Queen of
Egypt. She was eighteen years old when
her father left the throne, as it was screw
ed down to the dais, and died. He left
the kingdom to Cleopatra, in partnership
with Ptolemy, her brother. Ptolemy, in
81 b. c., deprived her of the throne,
leaving Cleopatra nothing but the tidy.
She appealed to Julius Caesar, who hired
a man to embalm Ptolemy, and restored
Egypt to his sister, who was as likely a
girl as julius had ever met up with. She
accompanied him to Rome in 46 B. c.,
and remained there couple of years in
the capacity of a sister. When Cesar
was assassinated by delegation Of Ro-
man taxpayers who desired a change,
Cleopatra went back and began to reign
over Egypt again. She also attracted
the attention of Antony. He thought SO
much of her that he would frequently
stav at home from battle and deny HIM
self the joys of being split open with a
dull stab knife in order to stay around
home and hold Cleopatra's hand, and
though she was a widow practically, she
was the Amelia. Rives style of widow, and
he said that it had to be an ALFRED good
battle that could make him put on his
iron ulster and fight all day on the salary
he was getting. She pizened herself thirty
years B. c., at the age Of thirty-nine years
rather than ride around Rome in a ging-
ham dress as the captive of Augustus.
She died right in haying time, and Au.
eustus said he'd ruther Of lost the best
horse in Rome. This is her needle. 1t
was brought to New York mostly by wa
ter. and looks well here in the park. She
was said to be as likely Il queen as ever
ierked a sceptre over Egypt or any other
place. Everybody that saw her reign
said that the country never had magnet
icker queen.
As we rode swiftly along the slight
rirlish figure of middle-aged woman
might have been seen striving hurried!
to cross the driveway. She screamed anC
beckoned to a park policeman, who rush