Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1891-06-23
DUTCH AMSTERDAM.
LETTER FROM HON. W.
L.PARKINsONA ABOUT WILHELMINA
THE INFANT QUEEN OF THE DUTCH,
AND THE GREAT FUSS MADE IN HER
HONOR.


what it is all about or the exact where
fore, but I'm sure this has been great
day among the Dutch" in their chief
city up here on the banks of the Zui-
derzee. For several days preparations
have been in progress for great doings'
OF some kind. Banners and flags float
from almost every house; and every
thing and everybody bears an impress,
sign or ear mark of spring gala day.
Wagons and street cars, the ships in
the harbor and boats on the canals,
carriages and carts, horses and dogs.
men and women, old and young, rich
and poor, all wear flag or flower, ruffle
or ribbon, boquet or furbelo to indicate
the happiness of the day. With the
command of but one word Of their Ian
guage and that a negative, I'm not able
to make out from hand bill or new spa
per, nor even from the official program
for which paid Dutch quarter, just
what was intended, nor will the reports
in the morning papers help me out in
the matter. l believe it is the laying
of a corner stone for public hospital
by the little queen. At all events a
loyal procession has been a part of the
oings. And this is one of the things
lat we poor Americans have to come
% Europe or go to Hayti or the Sand
witch Islands to see. l tried to give
you some idea of one I saw last winter
In England, where the old and much
loved queen of the British Isles and
empress of the Indias, officiated at the
launching of couple of war ships.
There was nothing on that occasion
however sugges We of peace On earth
and good will to man." The booming
of cannon, the paraphernalia of war,
the grasp OF power were the character
istics there. This day is mere pleas
ing occasion and suggestive of happier
thoughts. The dear little queen pulled
a string, touched q knob and asked
benediction not to put in motion fur
Their and stronger implements of war
and of carnage but in the good work of
nursing the sick and caring
for the afflicted. It was
pretty thing for any little girl to do,
and l know of no one who could have
done it any more handsomely and hap
PLY than little Wilhelmina, the queen
of Holland. She is only II years old,
you know, and she looked so sweet in
her little short white dress with flow
ers fastened on in some way, and straw
hat and black stockings and pointed
toed Dutch shoes. She rode in fine
carriage with her mother the queen
regent, and bowed with sweetest cOurte-
sizes and lovely smiles to the people on
every hand, and looked so sweet and
nd ho <hnf T Tod 70
help her out Of the carriage myself and
kiss the sweet little girl. She re-
minded me of little May, though some
years older, the English girl whom it
was my pleasure, and not task, to
bring from Fort Scott and restore to a
dead mothers sisten in Liverpool. And
/ never told you what pet little May
was on the ship, showing how nicely
she had been cared for after her moth
er's death in your city, by Miss Glunz,
whose name 1 have no authority to use
in this way, but which is engraved in
the list of those "who have done it
unto the least of one of these"
But little Wilhelmina is q real queen,
though she don't seem to know yet just |
what that means. When she saw all |
the fuss that was made over her and |
how she had to return the bows of 80 |
many men in brass buttons and cooked |
hats, and saw 30 many people staring |
at her and some of them with opera |
glasses, and how she had to sit in a
great arm chair as big as her mothers,
and altogether different from other
chairs, and when she saw how other
little girls ran and swang their hats
and climbed over benches and made
trouble for the gold laced ushers, I
Iancy, though / never was q
little girl myself, that she wished
her brother hadn't died and
then she wouldn't have TO be q queen.
BUT Of noairsa che can't haln Il nnu