The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1898-10-07
QUEEN LOUISE.
BY EDITH HYER.

tilul queen Louise stands out as the
heroine. Louis" of Meek klenbure-
Strelitz was the wife of Frederick
William III. grand nephew to Fred
"rirk the Great. Her private life was
one OF romance and pathos, and she
has become the guardian angel and
household divinity OF the Prussians.
Her life is record of sadness. Her
mother died when she was baby.
The heir to the Prussian throne mar
ried when she was seventeen, and at
twenty she was crowned queen.
The dogs of war houled around her
throne for ten years, and at last broke
their chains, swept over Prussia, and
drove her an exile from her home. For
four years her life was torn asunder
by bitter humiliations, by hopes and
fears; but, for her, peace came not,
for she died at thirty-four, before set
oiN was SoIISltttSd.
Queen Louise was born in Hanover,
and brought up with her sister, Fred
erika, by the margarine Of Hesse-
Darmstadt, their grandmother.
History tells us that this beautiful
young girl could ill brook the stiff
formalities of court life. She had a
li;ely disposition, and her heart ruled
her actions. Multiplying sorrows
brought gravity in their train. There
is pretty story told of her State en-
try into Berlin on the eve of her mar
riage. she was met by fifty little
girls, who strewed flowers and gar
lands in her path. The whole scene
so delighted the young princess that
she took one little tot up in her arms
and kissed her. This natural action,
in violation of court etiquette, COM
pletely upset the courtiers. The
princess laughed at the dismay of
Frau Won Voss, mistress of ceremo-
nies, saying, gayly: 81 do not see how
l could do otherwise
Louise loved the crown prince,
Frederick William, dearly, and be-
tween them there was no shadow of
ceremony. She and her husband even
called each other "thou,' just as the
peasants did. Both abhorred osten-
tation, show, and ceremony. 1t was
truly love match between noble
man and a tender, womanly woman.
One day, after great reception, the
crown prince said: s.Thank God, you
are once more my wife" The Prin-
cess Louise laughed, and said cam
| not always your wife p "No," said
the prince; ''alas! you are obliged to
be merely the crown princess
No shadow was cast over the first
years of this welded bliss. Frederick
William III presented to the Queen
Louise on her eighteenth birthday the
chateam of Oranienburg, asking the
princess if there was anything else she
wanted to make her happiness COM
plete. eyes" she said, eagerly, "a
whole handful of gold for the poor" !"
The Prnssian ruler smiled on the beau
tiful girl, and asked: "How large
would the birthday child like the
handful to be?' Cleverly Louise an
swered: q rs large as the heart Of the
kindest oil kings"
The home was her real kingdom,
even after she became queen. Her
charitable spirit took her on errands
of mercy among the sick and suffering.
The ideal home, where this happy pair
spent the first years of their reign, was
the little country seat of Paretz. In
that vicinity they were known as 1.-The
judge and Ia ly of Paretz." The child
ren even called her "Frau Konigin" as
she passed through the streets or visi-
ted the fairs at Berlin
A more loving, simple, unaffected
it would be hard to find in the annals
of history. Her matchless beauty
caused Frederick William III to love
her at first sight. Her personal charms
won her countess friends. The clouds
began to gather about the Prussian
throne soon after Louise became queen.
Napoleon had his own ambitious plans
for possession of Prussia. For a long
time the deliberate Frederick William
maintained fatal neutrality, which
resulted in dire calamity. At last
he was driven to join Gar Alexander,
and enter into hostilities against Napo-
leon. Queen Louise used her power
ful influence, but they were pitted
against merciless fate On, on came
the conqueror, snccring at the queen,
who had thrown herself, heart and
soul, into the war. Then came those
fatal days to Prussia, j ena and Auer-
stadt when Louise ''returned to Ber-
lin a fugitivc-alone, Napoleon treat
ed the queen to every dignity, trying
in vain to corrupt this noble spirit by
fattery.
Louise retreated from Berlin to
Conigsberg. There new troubles
awaited her. Her son was stricken
with typhoid fever; she took the dis
ease from nursing him. Napoleon.
mcrciless. pursued her. and, amid the
winter SHOWS, the queen fled, sick and