The Wichita daily eagle., 1897-06-18
A PI,rIFUL TALE.

q OI AAhE.
Crowned heads have their troubles,
like other mortals. With kings and
queens it is not a question of bread and
butter not the maintenance of bellies
but of heads. 1t is more a question Of
state than estate. Queen Victoria, who
has an allowance of a million or more
per year, has got to take ride next
week, in an open coach, rain or shine,
the horses to go in walk, and she,
poor thing, thinks it too much to ask of
any human being. Guess she is right,
but it is one of the penalties of wear
ing a crown. She has had about eighty
years of a mighty good time at the eX-
pense OF her British, Indian and other
numerous subjects, and has never, in all
that time, been compelled 10 set her old
fat, puggy foot on the "detestable soil
of Ireland" The Irish don't think any
thing more Of her on that account, but
the blood in her veins being neither
English, Irish or Scotch. she doesn't
care presumably. Having buried her
German husband in middle life, yet not
before the appearance of an heir-appar
rent and Of numerous other heirs pre-
sumptive and possible, she took up with
John Brown, who made life a gay
round for many years. But as the end
nears she is now forced to participate
in that detestable jubilee parade and to
receive presents of money, and Of jew
els and lands and castles, of which she
has no need or desire, and which are
but added burthens to one who feels
she already owns the world, not one
foot of which did she ever earn How
ever. it will not be long before she is
consigned to 2xG of it, and when she is
awakened by Gabriel to confront the
blaze OF the resurrection morn her
grea:esT astonishment will be ID find
he crown crumD'ed, her priest 'ge flown,
and that she amounts to no more, in
the light OF things eternal, than any one
OF the thousands of women who sold
fish in Billingssate. 1t will be a more
rude ordeal than the jubilee ride
But Queen Victoria, Empress Of India
and the ruler of lots of other countries.
including Canada, which she never
Eaw, is not the only unhappy monarch
of the times. outside of the King of |
Greece, the Sultan of Zanzibar and his |
royal nibS Col. Abdul Hamid. There |
is young fellow up in Russia who |
succeeded 10 crown and a wife. only |
because his brother was too sick 10 put |
II on when the time came The young |
Cars wife has royal babies all right. |
and In sufficient number. but every one |
proves To be a girl. Girl babies are the |
incest, but they don't count when it
comes 10 the crown of the ROmanoffs. |
The CZarina has just presented the |
royal head of the family with another
blue-blooded tootsy-wootsy Later in-
resugation discloses the fact. however.
that IL is another of the same lob LOT.
and not the crown kind. So the Car
ina being in a very delicate state of
health, the Gar is more full of trouble
over the situation than is Queen Vic
toria over the jubilee parade. Ii is an
open secret that both he and his cour-
tiers feel bitterly because a male sue
cessor 10 the throne was not born.
The young Car shares the supersti-
uous sentiments Of all the Muscovites.
He also knows that the Grand Duchess
Maria Paulowna, the wife of his uncle.
the Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandra
witch. not long since consulted a gipsv
fortune teller, who predicted that one
OF her sons would sit on the throne of
Russia.
On account Of this now widely adver-
tised prophecy the Russian public re-
CARDS the sons of the Grand Duchess
with exceptional interest. The two eld-
est are robust young fellows. and. as
officers of the Imperial guard. are very
popular in military circles. Unless a
male heir is born 10 the imperial couple
which is not likely. as the Czarina's
health Is greatly impaired by her re-
cent confinement, the oldest son of
Grand Duke Vladimir win be the right
ful heir 10 the throne
The older brother Of the Gar. the
Grand Duke George Alexandrovitch. is
now in the last stages OF conSumption.
and the younger brother. l9-year-old
Grand Duke Michael AleNandrovitch. is
also not expected 10 live until he has
reached his majority.
The sons of Grand Duke Vladimir are
kyrill born in 1876: Boris, born in
1871; and Andreas, born in 1878
The Gar has been subject of late 10
serious spells of melancholia At pres
ent he seems 10 take no interest what
ever in the social diversions Of the court
and II is feared that this domestic dis
appointment will confirm him in his ,
gloomy mental condition.