The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-07-04

night, there rode post haste up tho ave.
nue. Of Gins that led to X ensington Palace
a pair Of distinguished visitors. One was
DR.. Howley. archbishop Of Canterbury:
the other the Marquis OF Conyngham.
then Lord Chamberlain. Though Ken-
sington today is In the heart OF London,
at that time It was a secluded country
place. They knocked and they rang and
they thumped. but no one was astir.
At last q sleepy domestic was aroused
and O message taken to the attendant Of
the Princess Victoria that they desired
an audience with her royal highness on
business Of Importance. After consider
able tho intendent informed them that
the princess was In such q sweet sleeep
that she could not venture to disturbe
her. They then said: I'VE are come on
business Of state to the queen. and even
her sleeep must give way to that" Tho
attendant left them. and in q few min
utes later fair-haired girl Of IS came
into the room ''in loose white night
gown and shawl. her night cap thrown
off and her hair falling upon her should
ers. her feet In slippers, tears in her
eyes, but perfectly collected and digni-
fed" That was fifty-nine years ago,
and the fair-haired girl was Queen
Victoria
At the council which followed at IL
O'Clock the same day she presided with
as much ease as IL she had been doing
nothing else all her life. Mr.. Greville.
who was present says: "She looked
very well; and though so small in stat
ure. and without much pretension to
beauty, the gracefulness of her manner
and the good expression Of her counten-
ance give her, on the whole. a very
agreeable appearance, and, with her
youth, inspire an excessive interest in
all who approached her. In
short. she appears to act with every sort
Of good taste and good feeling, as we'll
as good sense"
HER BIRTH.
Queen Victoria first saw the light in
Kensington Palace on the oath of May,
1919. She is the only child of Edward,
Duke of Kent, fourth son of George III,
and OF the Princess Louisa Victoria Of
Saxe-Coburg. Abraham Lincoln was
then a 1O-year-old boy, Gladstone ran
about in short pants with frills to
them and probably trundled q hoop,
while Lord Salisbury had not as yet
come into existence. The Duke of We'll
lington was fresh from his triumphs at
Waterloo. and Daniel Webster was In
the zenith Of his fame. The income
voted the young queen by the first par
lament. which she opened in person a
few months after her accession was ST.
925, 900 a year. The speaker truly said
In presenting the bill to her majesty
that "it had been framed in liberal
and confiding spirit"
Many sayings Of the queen as a
young woman have been preserved,
showing the trend of her early ideas,
and her high sense of honor. On one
occasion minister told her majesty
that she need not scruple to sign a
paper without examination as 1t was
not a matter of paramount import
ance." But it is for me-" she replied,
"a matter of paramount Importance
whether or not attach my signature
to a document with which I am not
thoroughly satisfied" No less deter
mined was her reply to the same min
lister when urging the expediency Of
some measure: II have been taught,
my lord. to Judge between what is
right and what is wrong; but expedi-
ency is a word neither wish to hear
nor to understand"
HER MARRIAGE.
On the 10th of February, 1910. Vic
toria married her cousin, Prince Albert
of Sake Cohurg- Gotha with whom she
had long been deeply in love. 1t prov
ed as every one knows q most happy
union. Prince Albert was singularly
handsome, graceful and gifted. and
made an ideal husband. During their
twenty-one years of welded life they
were blessed with nine children-four
sons and five daughters.
OF the sons all are living except Leo
pold, Duke of Albany, who died In 1884.
OF the daughters, the eldest married
Frederick William, the late Emperor of
Germany. The second, known as Prin-
cess Alice, who became the wife of
Prince Frederick William of Hesse, died
in 1878. The Princess Helena married
Prince Christian, Of Denmark. Prin-
cess Louise became the wife of the
Marquis of Lorne, and the youngest
Princess Beatrice, married Prince Hen
ry of Battenberg, who died recently
while taking part in military expedi-
tion on the west coast of Africa.
ATTEMPTS ON HER LIFE.
Notwithstanding the popularity OF
Queen Victoria her life has been at
tempted more than once. In June, 1910
Edward oxford, a crazy lad of II, fired
two shots at her as she was driving
with Prince Albert up Constitution Hill
a road leading through one of the Lon
don parks. Both shots were fired de-
liberately, but fortunately missed theil
aim. oxford was arrested and tried
but proved to be insane and was SEN
to an asylum.
Two years later q man named JOhr
Francis, the son Of a machinist. firet
q pistol at her as she was driving dowr
Constitution Hill in the very same place
where Oxford's attempt was made. HI
was condemned tobe hanged for the of
fense, but at the request of Her Majesty
the sentence was committed to trans
portation for life. The very day aftel
this mitigation Of punishment became
publicly known another attempt wa!
made by hunchbacked lad namet
Bean. He was seized in the act Of pre-
senting a pistol at the queen as she wa.
driving from Buckingham palace to th'
Chapel Royal. The weapon was loaded
with powder. paper. closely rammeC
down, and some scraps Of clay pipe
He received eighteen months imprison
ment. In May, 1s49. an Irish bricklaye
named Hamilton fired n pistol loaded
only with powder at her majesty OF
Constitution Hill. and In the followin.
May, Robert Pate, once lieutenant o
Hussars, struck here in the face with ,
stick. Each Of these men receives
seven years Imprisonment.
Finally in 1872 a lad of II named Ar
tn1 t,kn