The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-12-29

Insane.
Tondoa Letter Neio York Press
Airaadv there is a hustle OF Drearatior
for the Christmas holidays, anC
Iondoners are beginning TO inquire
whether it be really true that Queer
Victoria. after almost thirty year,
If uninterrupted retirement, is ct last about
70 resume her interest in ths social life
of the capital OnIy a few weeks ago an
oneratic company appeared at the
rovai residences at Balmoral, in Scotland,
and psrformed before her majesty, and this
fsct il naturally accepted as an evidence OF
nor intention to show herself in public "a
her loyaI London subjects during the com
inc winter. The truth is that aim st any
other nation il Europe than the stolid
English would have been FESTIVE under the
oueen's long aud persistent mourning. Lon
don tradesInen and shopkeepers resent being
ignored year after year, while her august
MAJESTY, when she goes abroad, doesn't hesl-
tate at al 10 do her own shopping, whether
at Nice, Cannes or any OF the other resorts,
yyhsre sbs is likely to meet her multi
tudinous tribes Of relatives. lndeed, IL the
sristocracy dared to risk being sent to
Coventry by being as frank aud outspoken
as the tradespeople, they would say out
right that it might have been wiser had the
queen allowed the Prince Of Wales to play
a more prominent part in the affairs OF the
kingdom. His participation IN public af-
fairs and sharing Of the responsibilities
even in an advisory capacity, would have
done much TO tighten the burden now rest
ing on the shoulders of the aged queen, and
besides would have afforded satisfaction to
the great world of society, to which Vic
toria has given the cold shoulder all these
years.
But though the imperial widow, who
rarely appears without the distinctive cap
OF her widowhood even now, may hold
aloof from many of the gayetes and social
indulgences that go to make the life of
court, she dare not neglect Christmas. To
do SO would be to give undying offence to
her subjects, and she is far too wise and
shrewd to do that Some of these subjects,
more witty than loyal, have said that
Victoria is never so happy as when she is
miserable, and that her chief pleasure is
found in mourning, but that it would be
unreasona ole for her 10 expect that she can
keep the whole nation forever in the attl-
tude OF woe. Luckily, her sorrow relaxes
regularly at Christmas, and they can de-
pend upon having the good, old fashioned
style of celebration, with Yule logs, beef,
ale and ali the other accompaniment at
Frogmore castle, and, Of course, what is
uone at rToRmOre, OSOoFne OF Wlnusor -
done every where.
In spite of age and an increasing tendency
to obesity, Victoria Is easily the busiest
monarch had almost said the busiest
woman-in all Europe. There may be some
American business women who accomplish
more in a day than She but | honestly
doubt it. Certainly no lady of wealth and
social position would undertake half the
work this little pleasant-faoed, stoutish old
lady does.
THE EX-EMPREsS OF FRANCE.
There is another royal widow in England
whom Victoria has met more than once in
her saunterings about Windsor. She is a
sweet-faced, low~voiced, slender woman;
any one can see that she must have once
been very beautiful. Indeed, this woman,
whose hair, once OF glossy biacsness, is fast
whitening, whose face is wrinkled and
whose form is so bent that she has to walk
with a cane for support, was once the love-
lest creature in Europe. She is prematurely
old, her eyes are dim and her limbs stiff
with rheumatism. Yet Eugene Of France,
is only g.. When 10 England Eugenie's
home is at Farm borough, where she has q
villa. surrounded by fine grounds.
She is occasionally invited % Windsor. for
Victoria Is quite fond OF the pale woman
whose sun Of empire set forever many years
ago at Sedan and whose last tie to earth
was broken when tue Prince Imperial per-
ished in the Zulu wars. Once the best
dressed woman in Europe, Eugene is. now
always hablted in black. Her old friends,
somehow, seem to have forgotten her-all
except q very few. She Is no longer spoken
of even in imperialist circles in France as
the empress she is now ''the fatal woman"
Such is the effect of misfortune. She tray
els much in Europe; goes 10 Paris, Venice
and Switzerland, but finds neither rest nor
peace. She is happiest at marlborough,
one of the most charming rural spots in
England, little better than an hour out Of
London, because there rest the bodies Of
her husband and son.
THE EX-QUEEN OF SPAIN.
II we cross the channel we need not go
very far to find fui Their attestation of the
fact that sorrow is often attended by run
ming footmen and laced lackeys mounted
behind" as a philosophic writer has re-
marked. In Paris. spending the declining
years as best she may at er her own pecu
liar tastes, resides ex-Queen Isabella of
Spain. Heroine Of scandals ia1umerable in
her own country and elsewhere coquette
In both love and politics, at one time the
idol and again the detestation of the Span
fish people, Isabella hes contriVed through
out all her varied fortunes to control
suffi sient funds to keep up at least a
semblance of state and also TO crafty
lifelong love of dissipation. The passing
years have touched her very lightly II any
thing she Is a trif1e heavier and grosser
looking than before. The daughter Of
Maria Christina and Ferdinand VII. is still
active and vigorous enough to be dan
gerous factor in politics II permitted She
has never forgiven Madrid the grndge she
owes it for the expulsion of 1863 when she
was compelled to flee from her palace and
her lovers and find a refuge in France. She
was at one time the baby queen of her be-
loved Spain, and now her 'grandchild,
the posthumous heir Of her only son. the
late Alfonso XII, Is the baby mon
arch, Queen Christina acting as regent
durlng his minority. Isabella has thus
the double vexation OF knowing that, while
Spain LOYALTY tolerates her descendants, it
wants nothing more to do with her, having
a too vivid recollection of her troublous
reign. Isabella never knew the blessings of
domestic happiness. Her welded life was
one of alternate arrangements and recon-
ciliation. During her reign Spain took
rank among the leading powers, and the
country would unouestonably have pros
pered had not the open immortality of the
court and the imbecility of the government
made a path for the revolution. Her four
daughters are forever shut out of the sue
cession.
THE HAPPIEsT OF THEM ALL.
Probably Of all the royal widows in Eu-
- NuWaN ~TaNk N