The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-06-20
Special to the Globe.

| LONDON, June 19.-Now that the
| jubilee is at hand, and England as
| well as the whole world has it's atten-
ton focused on Queen Victoria, there
| is nothing of greater interest than a
retrospective view of the sixty years
Of history making in which this re-
markable woman has participated. Go
| ing over this time, year by year, one
first marvels, then grows amazed, and
at last finds himself filled with admir-
alton for the woman who has perform
ed the multifarious duties of wife,
mother and queen without swerving
once from the path of duty or seeking
relief from the tremendous burdens
that she has been called upon to bear.
| To discuss the history Of Queen Vic
| toria Is to take up in detail the years
which have made more of the English
nation than any others in existence.
| MOnarchs have risen and fallen, time
and again in England. 1t has frequent
| ly been the case that they have won
the affections Of the people in meas
| ure. Look back into English history,
| as we will, however, we can find no
| instance since the days that William
the ConQuerer first stepped foot on
| British soil, where one who wore the
| purple succeeded in twining his or her
| name with the strands which wound to-
| gether have formed that great cable
| Of union which winds British hearts
| as we'll as the British empire
In the years that have elapsed since
| Victoria first assumed the reins of gov
| ernment, the people whom she has rul-
! ed have had opportunity to judge her
| as never queen was judged before. They
watched the young girl Of eighteen,
| fresh from the joys and follies of ire
| sponsibility suddenly assume the cares
Of statehood and attempt the solution
of problems which many older and
wiser persons would have hesitated to
consider. They saw the woman Of
middle age, stricken with grief at
the loss Of her dearly beloved husband
bear up bravely under that burden Of
sorrow and devote the same infinite
| care to the interests Of her subjects
that she had bestowed when enjoying
the years Of happiness that previous
| ly was hers. They have seen this sor-
| rowful and careworn woman growing
| old with them and still never forgetting
| to put first Of all the interests of those
| who had put their trust in her. They
| see her today in the gathering years
with the sunset of her life made still
| more beautiful by the cloud-like radi-
| ance Of the love of a nation.
Very interesting is the story of the
| childhood of the little princess, brought
up with the most absolute simplicity,
and being taught to meet strangers
with friendly regard which won many
a heart, as the little lady gave child
ish greetings to those she met in her
daily walks in Kensington gardens.
Steady hard work was the order of
the day. In music and singing she was
early proficient, and languages she ac
| quired with much facility. AS every
| one knows, it was not till Princess Vic
| toria was in her eleventh year that
| she became aware Of her position with
| regard to the throne; then it was that
she made the characteristic observa-
ton, Now, many a child would boast,
| but they don't know the difficulty; there
is much splendor, but there is more
| responsibility" and lapsing from this
| grave language, she concluded with the
earnest utterance: II will be good,' a
simple sentence which has surely been
her majesty's guiding motto through
out her long and glorious reign.
Her girlish years passed quietly in
| continued study and in visits to vari-
Gus towns Of the kingdom, the Duchess
| Of Kent, ever thoughtful Of her child's
| future, judging 1t advisable to let
| her see something Of the country in
| this way, and everywhere the gentle
young girl, with her gracious yet dig
GA1 ~ hn r,r1 80 kl,1
| people Growing older, the princess
was seen In Hyde park, the Academy,
| at theaterS, concerts and Ascot races.
An interesting ceremony at this time
was her confirmation in the Chapel
| Royal, the solemnity Of which deeply
affected the princess, for she clung Sob
bing to her mother, feeling, as the
1 archbishop addressed her on the high
responsibilities that would one day be
hers, that the duchess was the best
friend to whom she could turn. 1t was
in the following. year. that the Duke
Of Coburg brought his sons, Ernest
and Albert, on a visit to England,
when the princess became acquainted
with her future husband, though on
the first meeting it is doubtful
whether the young girl surrendered
her heart into his keeping.
On May "a, 1887, Princess Victoria
attained her eighteenth year, and with
it her majority costly gifts and state
ball marked the momentous event A
few days after came brilliant draw
ing room at the court in her honor,
and a little later she appeared at the
ball held at the opera house for the
relief Of the Spitalfields weavers.
Scare q month passed when the
young girl, having just reached the
age when it was time to taste the
pleasures that belonged to maidenhood
was called upon to occupy throne.
Again we have the characteristic
touch, when Queen Victoria, as we
must henceforth call her, scarce awak-
ened from slumber in the early morn
of 1887, learns the momentous tidings,
and kneelfng with the archbishop, i'm
plores his prayers on her behalf. A
few hours later, with wonderful self
possession, she met her lords In coun-
Gil, with Lord Melbourne, at all times
her friend, and adviser, as principal
minister, and the Duke Of wellington
among the distinguished men gather