Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-11-26

during her comparatively short absence.
But as the royal yachts have to be over
crosses to the Isle of Wight over the four
miles of sea separating Osborne from tn.
mainland, so the castle must be put In or
Ger afresh each time she returns to 1t.
queen victoria has aged of late. and tho
fact Is noticeable especially to those who
see her only at intervals. Her fads are
more numerous than usual. She decided
that she could not walk about the castle
Wh1ie ago, and so various steps leading to
the different levels on the same floor were
removed, and inclines put in their places,
SO that she could be pushed about in her
wheel chair Now these inclines have been
made more gradual and placed everywhere
Instead of steps. An elevator has been put
In the queens private apartments just big
enough for her chair and an attendant.
Lately she has affected green color for all
her surrou ldings in her private rooms.
1he furniture blinds and all drapertes in her
bed room ara neutral shade of green SILK
The carpet is of Brussels manufacture,
with green pattern running through 1t.
The bedstead in which the queen sleeps and
which is barely raised from the floor, is of
plain light wood, devoid of any carving,
with curtai rs and canopy of the same pre-
vafling shade of green silk. The mattress
is made of white horse hair, and cost ESQ.
The blankets are of the finest texture and
finished with a binding Of white silk rib
bon. The linen of the bed is very finely
woven: The areen is watched at night by
a maid of horror, while another attendant
sleeps in an adjoining lobby and a doctor
within call
Looking After Her Comfort.
Though not more infirm than most other
Old ladies of her age, the queens rheuma-
tism has troubled her a good deal of late,
and some one has hit upon happy device
which yields her the greatest possible COM
fort while sitting. Twenty-four cushions of
various shapes and sizes are placed in her
OBJ ir OF H. 80
leather, while others are of silk and filed
with down. Some of the cushions are boil
ster shape; Others round. These are placed
behind her back, underneath her arms, and
even her wrists are supported by little
downy pillows. These little comforts, like
the inevitable donkey, are always taken
with the queen wherever she goes The
queen lives very simply now. Her diet IS
arranged so that she has something every
two hours, anG at quarter to every hing
is cleared away in the big tchen where
the lunch for the suite has been prepared,
and her majesty's lunch Is made ready. 1t
always consists of a joint two vegetables
and a simple pudding. The possibilities of
the Windsor kitchen are enormous, as state
dinners attest, but at state dinners the
queen, like the Sultan of Turkey, makes
but the slightest repast. The kitchen was
erected by man who good a judge
of food as wives, Henry VIII Here at the
great spit IS roasted every Christmas
son the famous barron of beef, which Is
sent 1t6hS pftpdTet TO oSborHe, "HSIS Ing
court spends the holidays.
Surrounded by Children.
One sign of the queens advancing age is
the keen delight she takes in children, their
sports and their interests. more than ever
before. She constantly has children about
her, and there is at present quite a sharp
competition among Windsor children to be
the happy possessor of one of Victoria
dolls, of which much written a
days ago. These she is now giving away TO
various little girls whom she runs across in
her drives. l know of one child who boasts
of three of them.
dancing mistress goes out every Thurs
day to the castle from London to teach the
Battenberg children and a few of their in
innate playmates. The green drawing room
Is used for the lesson and the queen regu-
larly hides herself behind the door of the
private sitting room, which adjoins. in order
to see the children without embarrassing
them with her presence. Queen Victoria is
most faithful to those who have served her,
and many an old servant and friend owes
mitch to her thoughtfulness Last week
Miss Victoria Brown, niece of the famous
John Brown, and whose father, Alexander
Brown, is still in the castle service, was
married The queen gave the young girl.
who is her goddaughter, silver teapot and
a wedding dress, veil and a wreath of
orange blossoms and white heather. Only
recently she pensioned off a coachman who
had driven her for forty years, and scarce
& person in Windsor but has a good word
for the old lady, as they call her, though
they may think her childish and bit queer.
PATHS Marriage.
There is no doubt about the forthcoming
marriage of Madame Patti. She has herself
announced 1t, and far from regarding 1t in
the light of a want Of respect to the re-
Gently departed Signor Nicolini, looks upon
it as a compliment to her loneliness. She
will be married to Baron Cedarstrom. prob
ably at Craig-yNos, on the 1st day of Feb
ruary, 1899
The place. however, is not definitely set
tied upon. The baron was anxious for the
nuptialS to be celebrated in Sweden, but
Madame Patti is so attached to her castle
that she would not undertake the journey
to the north in the winter Arrangements,
however, may finally be made for the mar
riage to take place in London.
The baron, who IS in the early forties is
related to the Swedish minister of the court
of st. James himself highly esteemed In
court circles. The sister of the bridegroom
elect is known in Sweden for her great
beauty as well amability of character.
The bridegroom and his family were de-
sirous that Madame Patti should not sing
again in opera, but to this she did not con-
sent. She does not think of doing So how
ever, the fatigue of impersonating the
roles Is greater than she cares to bear.
The immense success she met with on
Monday last at the Albert Hall before an
audience of over ten thousand showed that
her great popularity is not on the wane.
Enthusiasm to the highest pitch when
she gave the jewel song from Faust and
added as an encore "Pur Dicesti' from
Don Pasquale." She also rendered a song
of her own composition in a setting of By
ron's poem on Parting" The music proved
melodious and brought her a great ovation.
1t Is marvellous how Madame Patti re-
tains her freshness Of voice This she at
tributes to singing in the middle register,
and says that the runs. which are merely
the embellishments of her songs, she sell
dom practices and then only mezzo voce.
She has to a perfection unreached by any
other singer the "bel-canto
USES FOR OLD NEWSPAPERS.