St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1900-02-21
QUEEN VICTORIA AT HOr1E.
The Comfort and H0meIiness of her
IDrIYRfn H nmnnna.

and sympathy. Her somewhat dull and
monotonous childhood, her idyllic mar
ried life, her long widowhood and her
peaceful but busy old age have alike at
tracted both writers and readers on
every hand. Perhaps the most remark.
able feature in the Queens career, says a
writer in "Harmsworth's Magazine"
has been the skill with which she has
contrived to maintain the charm and
simplicity of an old-fashioned English
home life Notwithstanding the pomp and
ceremony which necessarily belong to a
court. This is largely due to her early
training. The daughter Of the Duke OF
Kent, prince of very limited income, the
Young Princess Victoria saw little of the
luxury which is commonly supposed to
abound in royal circles. Strict economy
was the rule in her early home, and the
lesson has never been forgotten.
Amid the costly maguifcence which
characterlzes the State apartments the
Queens private rooms are always no.
table for their comfort and LONELINESS.
In matters of dress, too, Queen Victoria
is far more economical than many OF her
middle class subjects. This may best be
illustrated by good story, which has
the advantage OF being perfectly true.
Some time ago a newly appointed
equerry was going through the stables,
when he saw person in shabby black
dress and mushroom hat looking at the
horses. Possessing more zeal than dis
erection, he at once called out: "My good
woman, you must 60 away at once.
Strangers are not allowed here when the
Queen is in residence" AS she did not
seem inclined to leave he went on to
threaten to have her escorted to the
gates. Judge of his feelings when the
stability dressed old lady turned round
and the Queen stood revealed! This is
only one of many amusing incidents
that have arisen through the soveriegn's
love of simplicity in dress.
The Queen attributes her long life and
excellent health very largely to her prac.
tice of spending as much time as possible
in the open air every day. In her youth
riding was her favorite recreation, and
in Scotland she has almost lived on pony
back. Now, of course, carriage exercise
has taken its place. Every morning Her
Majesty goes out in her little pony chair,
often visiting the farm and stables in the
course of her drive. Sometimes her chair
is drawn by a beautiful donkey which
was purchased in the south of France by
his royal mistress to save him from i'll
treatment. This donkey rejoices in the
name of Jacko, and on holiday occasions
wears a curious harness adorned with
bells, and with two foxes brushes hang
ing over the blinkers. The greater part
OF the forenoon of each weekday is de-
voted to business, for no woman in the
land gets through more actual work in
the course of each week than the Queen.
Her dispatch boxes are arranged on a
table set in Windsor Park, near the
Frogmore teahouse, whenever the
weather permits. Here the Queen care.
fully reads and annotates the innumer-
able dispatches which come to her from
the Foreign and Home offices, for it has
been the rule of her life to attend person
ally to all important affairs of state.
SETTLES HOUSEKEEPING QUESTIONS.
But this by no means represents all the
multifarious occupations of the Queen.
Her private correspondence is enormous,
for it is kind of unwritten family law
that all her children and grandchildren
shall write to her every day. ALI impor-
tant housekeeping questions are settled
by the royal mistress herself, who oftens
orders the meals and even keeps an eve
on the household linen. When the Prin-
cess Royal NOW the Empress Frederick
became Crown Princess OF Prussia she
greatly scandalized a certain pompous
old German countess who discovered her
busily engaged in arranging the linen
cupboard. ut is beneath the dignity OF
Prussian Princess" remarked the old
lady. But her protests were quickly cut
short by the answer, my mother does
it."
Even the smallest details of domestic
economy are not regarded by the Queen
as beneath her notice. A story is told
that on one occasion she went into a
practically disused room at Windsor and
noticed cabinet that had evidently not
been busted that day. She promptly
wrote the Royal autograph in the dust
and beneath it the name of the particular
maid whose duty it was to dust the
room. This may seem rather small
matter, bit when one remembers that
nearly two thousand persons are en-
ployed in Windsor Castle and its pre-.
clncts 1t shows a very remarkable
knowledge of the personnel of so vast a
staff.
After the busy mornings work the
Queen takes frugal luncheon. Notwith-
standing the resources of the royal
kitchens and the well laden table that
Her Majesty likes to see before her, she
sets an example of strict moderation her
own tastes in food being of the simplest
Inc Queen is great stickler for old
fashioned observances at the royal table
In particular she insists upon plentiful
supply OF cold viands on the sideboard
though she rarely takes anything cold
he servants at Balmoral will never for
get one occasion when only the half of a
cold chicken graced the sideboard. The
royal mistress noticed the state of affairs
on entering the room. Soon she con
veyed hint to Princess Beatrice and
Lady Ely to both ask for cold chicken
ana asked for the same herself. Great
was the CONSERVATION, and the Queen Sc.
eretly enjoyed the scene, though the ser
wants certainly did not enjoy the lecture
they subsequently received from the mas
Ter OF the household.
IN the afternoon Queen Victoria never
lails to 60 for long drive unless the
weather is exceptionally bad, for it is no
small shower of rain that will keep her
indoors. Some Of the ladies in waiting
are SAID to attribute their colds to this
cause: Sometimes when the Queen goes
ior long drive, tea basket is taken
along and the c,,D tbo+ cbeerc jc Dre.