The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-12-17
PAGES
9 to IL.
Literary
Favorites
Of Queen
Victoria,

V1CTOFid.
Now that the queen OF England. like
her grandfather. George III, suffers from
railing eyesight, two persons in her
houSehold have come Ia possess more
ana more importance. These arc tho
lectrices. or readers. employed by the
ha'ioh 10 save what remains OF her
majesty's vision.
The late Lord Beaconsneld once hu-
morously described the two Iectrices aa
the queens pair OF spectacles." FOR
many years Frauein Bauer and Mile.
Norele have held these positions. the
queen only needing their services for
German and French. as her English Ia
read To her by her ladies in waiting or
maids OF honor
through the courtesy of the queens
private secretary, a chat was uuite re-
Gently obtained with both these ladies
! regarding the tastes OF their mistress in
literature. Mile. Norele. a snrichtly
and charming Frenchwoman. was easl.
ly enough induced 10 speak. "Her mai.
esty,' she declared. reads very little
or the lighter side OF our literature un
less indeed. one excepts the various
periodicals which are sent marked for
pefusal from the secretary's office She
is especially fond of the older authors
WORKS Xavier de Maistre's, Victor HUI
COS ana portions of Balzac's for in
stance. l think that the story she likes
best in all French literature is De
Maistre's touching 'Lepreux de la Cite
d'Aoste. have read il TO her times
without number, the beautiful pathos
of the tale appearing to soothe her in a
remarkable manner.
"Of all the moderns 7 really believe
! that her majesty holds NJ. Alphonse
| Daudet alone admirable. She thinks
his satire too mordant, though and pre-
/ fers the delicious Letters From My
/ Mill In Provence and 'Trente Ans de
Paris 10 the better known books You
| VIII be perhaps astonished TO learn that
! the queen likes Henri Murger. and many
| time have we laughed together over
the graceless scamps of the Vie de Bo-
heme. Last year we read Fenelon's
| "Telemaque' from cover to cover Her
majesty declared that the work brought
back two OF her life's happiest periods
her own childhood days i'm Kensington
palace and the days i'm which she taught
her children their French.
"A very important branch OF my
work consists in reading the many let
ters received daily by the queen from
]
friends Nearly all of these are either
in German or French. Many OF the
queens Juvenile descendants are ac-
customed TO send her long weekly ac-
counts-perfect diaries. in fact--of their
doings and opinions"
Fraulen Bauer was less communi-
cative than her colleague. She comes Of
! a family which has served the queens
German ancestors in many capacities
for generations back
The queen" she said reads con-
sidcrably i'm modern German literature.
Shesis even fond of the humorous jour-
nails and subscrbes 10 all the principal
magazines. Her German secretary.
Herr Maurice Muther carefully watch
es for all newspaper articles which may
interest her and sends them marked
for reading ! think that Schiller is
her majesty's favorite German poet. but
she IS also very fond Of Goethe. Heine
she dislikes intensely. / have heard her
quote the prince consort to the effect
that 'Heine's genius had the phosphor-
escent light OF decay
"She likes historical novels. particu-
larly Laube's Der Deutsche Krieg, and
Scheffers 'Ekkehard. This taste for
historical fiction, believe. follows the
Iy admires Walter Scott. Felix Dahn
and Freytag are two more favorites.
Reading her majestys voluminous
German correspondence forms a very
large portion of my duty"
Hon. Emily McNeill, who, in her ca
pacity of maid of honor To the queen,
has read extensively to her majesty in
English was kind enouuh 10 add few
words To those of the iectrfces. The
queens tastes I'm English literature
she said, ARE catholic. She reads al
most every new book which is described
to her as possessing real merit. For
years the queen took Lord Beaconsfield's
opinion largely on the subject, but since
the great premiers death her advisers
are many.
THE queen is never tired OF rereadinR
Shakespeare. Scott and Dickens. Re-
Gently she has shown a sympathetic
feeling for Milton, and has been perus-
ing the blind poets works. Lord Ten
nyson is. however her favorte. There
is an utterly erroneous opinion abroad
that she greatly dislikes Mr.. Swinburne.
on the contrary, she has remarkable
liking for 'Atalanta In Calydon,' and
others of Swinburne's poems. OF late
she has been reading Mr. Kipling, and
expresses admiration FOR his vigor ana
keen insight into human nature. She
told a friend that kiplng had shown
her empire TO her in the most realistic
manner.
with her fondness for historical fic-
tion she evinces much interest in the
new school of historical fiction. The
Celtic renascence also attracts her, for
she sympathzes with the Gael 20 n re-
markable extent, and is prouder. ver-
lily believe, Of her kinship 10 the Stu
arts than of her descent from the
Guelphs.'
China's Silk Civ.