The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1896-12-26
sIMPLE JoYs 81 RoYALTN.
REActloal Jokes and Cold Beef Tbs
Queens Artlessnesa.

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PrActloal Jokes ana Cold Bsof = Tbs
Queens ArtIessness.
The simplicity Of taste and feeling
which distinguishes the members Of
our royal family has always struck me
as their most charming characteristic.
sThere Is no woman In the world as
artless as the queen" once declared a
friend who had had every opportunity
Of studying her majesty's character.
Simple joys and simple pleasures are
what most appeal 70 her, while the
~earnestness and warmth of the affec-
ton shown to one another by the
brothers and sisters and cousins and
aunts of the Guelph family shows their
real unworldliness in a very charming
light
One of the most homely and lovable
members is Princess Christian Of
Schleswig-Holstein, as the following
lit4le anecdote win serve to show.
Princess Christian. "Lenchen," they
call her in the royal circle, takes a deep
interest," as we all know, in charitable
doings; nay, she spends half her life in
helping to clothe the poor and feed the
sick and hungry. Not so very long
ago she persuaded a friend to adopt
some poor little waif and stray. Soon
the friend came to her royal highness
with complaints.
"This child,' she told, "for whom /
have done so much-can it be believed2
lis dainty about her food. She ac-
tually objects to cold muttcni"
And what do you think Princess
Christian replied? That paupers
ought to have no tastes, no likes or dis
likes? Oh. no. The princess is too
sweet and human for that. She merely
laughed and said in a delightful sim
plicity Of accent:
"Well, cold mutton is not SO very
nice, after all, is it? / am not fond Of
it myself, and as to mamma, though
she rather likes cold beef, the one thing
she cannot and win not stand is cold
mutton!"
Even the prince of Wales, man of the
world though he be, retains a vast deal
of simplicity. He and the duke of
York are like boys together sometimes,
rather than father and son., and will
chaf one another and laugh together
as heartily as two young u~ndergradu-
ates. I remember how, when the duke
Of York presided Over his first big
charity dinner at the Great Ormond
Street Hospital for Children, and q
larger sum was subscribed after his
speech than had ever been the case
when the prince Of Wales himself was
at the head Of the table, how the duke
drove OFF to Marlborough house in tri,
umph, Immediately afterward t.
''crow," as he put it, over his sire
Whether the prince or duke was this
more delighted it would be difficult tc
say.
The life the royalties lead, guard.
ed, IS it were. from so many outside in.
huences and kept from absolute con
tact with the world, exempt from tn,
petty cares which harass the major
ity of their subjects, conduces to keeI
them young and simple-hearted. Al
forapractical joke, there's nothing they
enjoy 50 much. The queen, although
never given to practical joking now, a.
IA A0 JOothS - YUM " tAC ROMAS l.
a funny story and loves above all thing
to hear an amusing recitation-aye
and enjoys a display Of mimicry if tn
mimicry be not ill-natured. We know
that she even insists that one of he;
e~querries "a very clever amateur actor
should give an imitation Of herself. NJ
joke causes her the least amusemen
that is not perfectly refined.
A year or two ago a large party o
youthful princes and princesses wer
. laughing very heartily in the drawing
I room at Osborne, where her majesty en-
tered with Princess Beatrice. Sh
: asked to be told the joke and, after
good deal Of hesitation, a young prin
E cess gave it as it stood, The joke wa
rather, shall I say, an advanced one
The queen did not smile and her rebukt
: gentle as it was, made itself felt. "W
: are not amused" she replied, answering
for Princess Beatrice and herself.-Th
Woman at Home.