The morning call., 1894-01-31
ROYALTY AT HOME.

Queen Victoria has always lived more
or less in the daylight. She has written
two or three books about herself and her
belongings, and though they are dull books
they have been widely read, as giving a
presumably truthful picture Of the home
life of virtuous, kindly, not very intelli-
gent but well-intentioned woman whom
accident placed In a conspicuous station.
Some one has just supplemented the
picture with an account of the present life
of the Queen at Osborne. 1t would moi
be worth reading if the chief parsonage
were not Queen; as il is, it is attracting
some attention.
The account OF the celebration of Christ
mas is very minute. After breakfast the
Queen and her guests adjourned into the
library. where the royal Christmas pres
ents were arranged, each with a card tied
to it bearing the name of the recipient In
the Queens handwriting. When these
were distributed the whole party ad-
jOurned to church, even to the Batten-
burg baby. which appeared in the arms OF
its nurse. Then came lunch, at which a
baron of English roast beef was served.
and such informality prevailed that many
of the gentlemen rose from the table and
helped themselves to such dishes on the
sideboaTd as they fancied. After lunch
the party adjourned TO the India room.
where stood en- enormous Christmas tree
every branch bore Christmas gift for the
children of the family and the Deighbor-
hood, and the fun among the young ones
was fast and furious.
Dinner was served earlier than usual.
The Queens usual dinner hour is nine, but
on this occasion there were so many good
things to discuss that that fashionable hour
was anticipated. There was q second
baron of beef, gigantic in size and succu-
leHt in flavor; the Emperor OF Germany
contributed a boa1's head stuffed with
pistschiO nuts and truffies: the Duke OF
Mecklenburg sent pate-de-fOie-grss in
which child could have stood upright
the keeper of the royal game preserves
supplied a large wOodcock pie. These
dishes were all served in the ancient style.
When the hour arrived the head cock
struck the kitchen dresser three times with
rolling pin, and royal walters. stagger-
ing under their loads, bore the silver and
gold dishes to the dining-room. They were
preceded by choirboys. singing the carol
The Queens bosr's head in hand bear,
Bedecked with bays and rosemary,
And pray you. my people, be merry!
And so on for each dish in quaint English
and dog Latin.
The law at the Queens table Is that no
one must speak except in answer to a re-
mark by her Majesty. The Queen makes
it point to utter one pleasant sreech to
each Of her guests, and when these number
twenty or thirty the effect of the rule is
dr0ll stiff and lugubrious. In the old days
when Mr.. Macaulay was a frequent guest
at Windsor, and the young Queen heartily
relished bis fund of wit and anecdote, she
used to chafe at the len 9Th of the dinner
and to wait impatiently for the adjourn
ment to the retiring-room, where she and
Prince Albert could sit and laugh at Ma
cauley's jokes and chat with him informal
ly. At the Christmas dinner of 1898 the
formal rules were suspended. The Queen
spoke to every one as she fancied and even
told stories. which, of course. were pro-
noun ced very fine; persons and relations
set the example Of convivial enjoyment,
and the party was as merry as that which
gathered round the mahogany of aGy OF
her subjects. At IL o'clock all the lights
in the palace were out and every one was,
or was supposed to be, in bed.
Kings and queens, after all, live pretty
IN uch in the same fashion as other people