The herald., 1897-09-05
lTALY'S QUEEN
An Experienced Climber
of the Alps
WEARS REGULATION DRESS
MARGHERITA OFTEN TRJDGES
ALONG ON FOOT
WEARS REGULATION DRESS
Sometimes Her Majesty Makes
Mountain Ascent on the Back Of
Favorite Donkey

ROME, Aug. 2S.-Queen MargIierita of
italy is the only woman of royal blood
who has achieved we'll earned prom-
nence as mountain climber. 1t is far
cry from being a princess of the aristo-
cratic house of Savoy to being rival to
the sturdy peasant of the Alps, but the
queen fills the two roles admirably. She
com mbines the necessary elements to sue
cess under all conditions and while
thorough aristocrat, is SO democratic in
her ways that she has won almost as
much popularity among the Tyrolese as
under the sunny skies of her own home.
Few women of Italy have to greater
extent the savoir faire which marks the
royal lady referred to. None need be
told that she is to the manner born and
her every action is marked by that in
definable something which stamps one
born to command. She was reared sur
rounded by an etiquette almost as strict
as the rules which govern the convent
life of CiStercian monks. The straight
and narrow path has always been hers,
indeed, and yet, the queen finds it pos
sible to fling aside the cloak of royalty
for the less burdensome mantle of ordi-
nary existence; she treads the broader
paths as lightly and Familiarity as if
she had been accus tomed to them from
youth up.
1t was my good fortune not long ago
to accompany the queen upon one of her
rather frequent trips to the Tyrol Never
was there greater metamorphosis than
that of the stately queen at Rome to the
comfortably clad and sturdy woman who
a short time afterward was making her
way UP Gornergrat. The queen thor
oughly believes in that motto of her own
country, when you are ip Rome do as
the Romans do" She seems to inhale
the frankness and jollity that distinguish
the Tyrolese peasant as soon as she
reaches their country,
On this particular journey that refer
to the queens point of destination was
Gressoney, in the midst of the Alps.
sat in window of the little inn not far
from the villa of the Baron de Peccoz,
whose guest the queen was. 1t was
scarcely an hour, as 1 recollect, from the
time I had reached Gressoney in the
diligence that followed the conveyance
in which the queen travels, when 1 saw
coming down the street followed by two
attendants Queen Margherita, in regu-
lation Tyroless costume and looking as
bright and animated as if she had but,
Just risen from profound nights sleep
instead Of having just concluded long
ana decidedly tedious journey.
Straight down the street of the little
village she walked to the home of a
woman who used to be in her service in
Rome, but a year or so ago returned to
the Tyrol and became the wife of the
sweetheart she had left behind when she
went to Rome. The queen is nothing if
not democratic and her manner as she
entered the cottage of the peasant was
as IL she was simply friend of the ordi-
nary sort who had come to make call.
Presently, she came out of the house
again, accompanied by her former at
tendant, and the two walked up the
street laughing and chatting as if there
were no such thing as rank on royalty
That night it was noised all through
the section Of the Alps where we were
located that the queen had arrived, and
with the rising Of the sun the mountain
eer came pouring into town from all
quarters. The sun was not up much be-
fore the queen, who promptly announced
her intention of ascending the Corner
graf, one of the Alps whose height is
1868 feet Besides her host, the Baron
de Peccoz, she was accompanied by half
q dozen of the mountaineers with whom
she had made the same journey on sew
eral occasions. l watched the party as
1t began its journey and really there was
nothing about 1t to indicate that the
lady was anything more a least than
person of title. Many time have l
seen a member of the English nobility
start on similar trip and create twice
the sensation by son of the display
made.
1t was during this journey that an in