The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-07-04

| Queen Ranavalona is very fond of ice
! cream. delieacy which the climate of
| her doninions renders it offensive TO
| indulge in For n long time an old
| American woman alone made the royal
palate freeze with the delicious decoc-
ton: but young white fellow having
turned up who could make very enjoy
able ices, her majesty gave him snug
place in her retinue. But this did not
please the elderly dame who made the
ice cream. She went whispering about
with the venom of scandal upon her
tongue. and it did lot take long for
the prime minister TO make up his mind
that the young man must 60. The
queen thereupon declared that she
could not live without water ices. It
therefore became necessary TO find a
person capable of manufacturing that
delicacy. An elderly woman was dis
covered, qualified for the task, and she
received the position SO long held by
the young man. The latter was escort
ed out of the palace by the guards, and
phe chronicler declares that the queen
tainted as he marched off. twas dur
ing this incident that Madagascar was
first declared to need only a box Office
and ticket taker to become a-comic
opera.
The queen is, in a measure. connect
ed with the churches formed by the
London Missionary society on her
island. Her devotions are more or less
spasmodic.
The queens subjects are fve-sixths
pagan, and do not particularly favor
her Christian leaning. Once her mai
esty arose in church and severely re-
proved a minister who made allusious
to the accountability of monarchs.
On another occasion she presented
lot OF native idols and fetiches to
missionary and told him to convert the
Christians
The queen is much pleased with the
monograph. She has been spending
hours lately talking into one and les
tening to the metallic repetition of the
words that ensues. She quelled a re-
bellion in the interior not long ago by
dispatching a loaded monograph in
charge of the trusted officer of her
guard. When the native chiefs listened
to the queens voice sepulchraIly gush-
ing from the funnel of the machine they
knelt down and swore that never had
desire to rebel entered their minds. |
In numerous other ways the queen
has taken advantage of the inventions
of white men to increase her influence
over her subjects, The telephone is
quite an instrument of terror in her |
hands, and the typewriter is an I'M
speakable delight. The queen has
pounded several machines to pieces in |
the last month or two, and is still /
practicing.
The prime minister is about the oniv
one able to entirely control the duslzv
lady He is of her own race and a
very polite man. It is well known
that his tact has crushed more than one
incipient revolution. Some months
since the captain of the guard awoke
early in the morning.
The prime minister came out into the
hallway of the palace to learn that an
had broken out in the pal
ace itself. The conspirators were in
possession of the upper floors and
while the dispute was nominaliy about
rations it wouldn't have required much
to impart to the matter all the dignity
Of an uprising.
The prime minister walked upstairs.
Cnarmed and unattended he passed the
sentinel. appeared before the dissatis-
led soldiers and said in Malagasy:
Boys, have I ever treated you ill?"
There was silence.
''Do you want anything? Can l i'm
prove your condition in any way?"
There was some murInuring, and
inally general debate eusued. Raj
talked them into good
lumor and presently the malefactors
rave up their weapons and became
easOnable. The prime minister at
nee increased their pay and lightened
heir duties.
Incidents like these are very char
cteristic of him. When the queen
wishes to punish some display of ir-
everence for royalty, her husband
nollifies her and prevents a collision
With the people. The bandits which
infested the island have been much re-
uccd in numbers through his efforts.
The rejoicings to come this month /
re, however. merely preliminary to
rand national demonstration in Nc I
ember next. The queens coronation ]
ccurred on November 90, 1888, and as !
he tenth anDiverss ~ cf II cor,ae ~
DOL weather ard during the season Of /
fashionable Madagascar's greatest So {
ial activity, there VIII be no end of I
1llity at Antananarivo. :