The times., 1898-10-27
AN EX-QDEEN.

CpoH no Hefnoer OF the iate Empress
of Austria's family has the grief and
horror of her assassination fallen with
more crushing weight than upon her
sister. the Queen of Naples. For many
years one overwhelming sorrow after
another has befallen the queen, the long
series eliminating in the death of the
king. to whom she was so devotedIy at
tached; the tragic fate OF her sister and
constant companion, the Duchess d'AIen-
con. in the dreadful catastrophe at the
Bazaar de Charlie in Paris last year, and
finally the dastardly murder of her sis
ter, the Empress of Austria
Living in the most complete retirement
in Paris for the greater part Of the year.
the name of the Queen of Naples is never
seen in connection with any of the court
or social festivities. There is one class
OF society. however. in which the name IF
her majesty is never forgotten IL the
adverse current OF political events las
deprived her OF the throne of Naples. 1t
has not, in her belief, diminished her re
sponsibilities for all Neapolitans who are
amy ways afflicted distressed In mind
body or estate" The NeapoIitan poor in
Paris are among the poorest % the poor
in that great continental Baby lon the
visitor who strolls along the gay boule-
wards little realizes the wreIchedness and
horror of the life and dwellings, OF the
large colony of Neapolitan working
classes in the poorest quarters of the
city. The luxury of court has been de-
MED to the queen. it is true but not wnat
is for her the luxury Oi doing gJod.''
Her life in her retirement is by no means
one of llstless stagnation, for the Il. gh
spirit of the queen-who had fate p=r-
mitted II, would have been one of the
mcst popular soversIgns in Europe-is
ceaselessly occupied in i benefcenJ work
of her own choosing.
Day after day "a large packet of letters
is laid before her. and each contains
pitiful appeal Tor aid from some poor
Neapolitan. Every letter is read by the
queen herself, and every applicant is all
ed in some way from her own private
means, unless it can be clearly proved TO
her that the demand for help Is a fcti-
tious one. In France-in Paris more es-
peciaIIy-money may be given for some
charitable purpose. but the chief charm
OF the gift is lost in that the donor and
the recipient of the aid afforded are but
rarely brought into contact
The quarters where the Neapolitan poor
reside are. indeed. regarded as among
the most dangerous in the French me-
tropolis and would not be entered. even
by men, without some justitable misgiv-
ings. Nevertheless, the Queen constant
ly penetrates. fearlessly and unguarded.
into the most dangerous Of these quar-
ters. which even a French policeman
would hesitate to enter alone One day
IL will be TO visit some poor NeapOlitan
child dying of consumption-a terrible
scourge among these half-staryed south
erners in the rigorous Paris winters
whom she compelS the padrone to let her
send home 20 Italy; or dying workman.
whose wife and children she consoles not
less with kind and gracious words Of
sympathy than with the material help she
renders. Poor boy: We cannot save his
life said her majesty to the writer last
winter, speaking of one Of her numerous
proteges, whom she was thus sending
back 10 Naples; poor child; ne is going
home to die, but" she added. as a light
seemed to beam over her face. he will
at least see the sun. and feel the warm
air of Naples once again.
With the same self-sacrificing devotion
for the good of others as her brother. the
Duke Karl Theodore of Bavaria. has
shown by his lifelong work as an ocuIist
among the Bavarian peasantry; with the
same calm disregard Of personal danger
as she had herself evinced when tending
the sick and wounded in the hospital or
on the battlefield. the Queen Of Naples
quietly carries out her seIf-assumsd du-
ties among the sick and suffering NeapOI-
itans. whom crushing distress in their
own land has driven into exile, and so
unostentatiously that but few-except the
Neapolitan poor themseIve-know any
thing Of her unceasing. untiring acts of
kindness.
That the personal risk she has so long
and constantly run by her visits to the
very poorest Italian quarters of the city
Is most serious one. the fate Of the En-
press proves clearly enough But what
else can l do2" her majesty calmly re-
piled a short time ago. when this danger
was pointed out to her They are my
own people. and l must help them"