The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1891-06-19
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In these days when the heir apparent
TO the British throne is straining the
monarchical predictions of the people
TO their utmost tension the conservative
rayallsts find strong support in the in
tluence OF two women, the Princess of
wales and the Queen, but notably that
of the latter.
There is nothing magnetic about Vic
toria, but popular affection rallies
around her approved goodness of heart
This charactistic has been the touch
stone to her whole life, and by it she has
won and kept the love and veneTation of
her people during the half century that
she has gone in and out before them.
There is story told of her when she
was II years old that shows the aim of
her life. At that time her goveTness
purposely put genealogical table of the
Royal family into her history book. The
little Princess gazed earnestly at it, and
by degrees seemed to comprehend what
it meant, and that she herself was soon
to wear the ancient crown of England.
She put her hand into her governesss as
she looked up into her face and said
solemnly: 81 know now, will be good, T"
and she repeated it again and again, for
even at that early age she seems to have
understood that the immortality and
faithlessness of her predecessors were
beginning to blight the land.
History shows how well she kept her
vow. She has been good. During her
whole life there has been no breath of
scandal dimming in the slightest degree
the mirror-like brightness of her con-
duct. How much this circumstance
speaks for her only those who are con-
versant with the record of others of her
royal line, can appreciate.
How she appears in public is well
shown by the proceedings attendantupon
the laying of the corner stone of an in
Urinary at Derby, at which she was pres
ent. After the brief ceremony there was
perfect cannonade of addresses. One
differed little from the other. They all
breathed patriotism and love for her
Majesty.
These the Queen received without the
slightest show of emotion. She sat well
back in her own carriage, that was drawn
by four horses, and listened with an ap-
parent air of WEAKNESS to the Niagara of
words that were directed at her. The
soldiers, the military bands and the vari-
GUS dignitaries who graced the occasion
were of no account alongside the Queen.
Every eye rested upon her. She bore the
scrutiny well. Steadily she gazed at the
man who happened at the moment
to be speaking, but it was cold, solemn,
stony stare. There was no warmth in
her manner or magnetism in her pres
ence. She seemed to be tired of it all, las
well she may be, for during the fifty odd
years of her queenship she has received
tens of thousands of addresses, and it
would not be surprising if they some
times palled upon her. For ten minutes
the speech making lasted, and then came
the time for the Queen to reply. There
was only a brief pause. The stout old
lady moved about in her seat, leaned for
ward and in low tones read from manu-
script brief reply.
Only those within two or three feet of
her could hear her words, but there was
no hesitancy in her voice. There was no
nervousness during the entire five min.
utes that the reading occupied, and when
she rolled up her manuscript and leaned
back in her seat, there was deafering
roar of applause that spoke well for
British patriotism for the Queen. The
laying of the stone occupied only few
moments, and the trOwel that was used
was presented to her Majesty as SOU
venir. Perhaps the whole proceedings
occupied half an hour. Then there was
blare of trumpets, ringing of bells,
and the band broke forth into martial
strains, as the outriders heralded the
moving off of the royal carriage. The
roadway was again strewn with flowers,
and many times during the ride back to
the depot was the carriage stopped to
allow some one to offer token of love
in the shape of floral greeting.
She is now 70 years of age, and to all
appearances bids fair to live score of
years more. Those who are near to her
say she is in perfect health. And they
also add that she has not the remotest
idea of abdicating the throne in favor of
the prince of Wales.
And unless all signs fail she will re-
main on the throne until death shall call
her to another land, where kings and
queens, beggars and peasants shall stand
before the Great White Throne on an
equal footing For woman of her age, |
the Queen manages to do a great deal of
work. 1t is mistake to suppose that
she does not know what is going on in
her own dominion. She does not bother
with the details of State affairs, but she |
knows everything of Importance that is |
and, besides, she is an APP
pTeciative reader of the newspapers, and
thus gets information from a variety of
sources that perhaps her ministers and
,ourtiers might not care to give her