The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-01-28
A QUEENS PLAYMATE.
CHILDISH EsCAPADE WITH WILL
HELMINA OF HOLLAND.

Majesty's Dog, as to Who should do
His Dressing-An Episode on the
Ice-The Way the queen Reviewed
Her Troops in an ola White-Check
GOwn-She Cuts Her Hair, FIattens
and Twists 1t Up in Tight Little
knOt-COuld Earn Her own Living
To-day If She We're PoOr-LOves 10
Travel IncOgnitO.
Philadelphia, Jan 26-As a good repub-
lican should, l listened and was wholly
fascinated while a young girl told me of
her play days with our Wilhelmina" of
the Netherlands Miss Marion Biddell van
der Lackshaw is half Dutch girl and
half Philadelphia, as her name win show
when we Americans make out an Almanac
de Gotha, and are of course, every one
in it.
Her home is a great house in Dom Paurs
land, but because of the war she has come
TO spend the winter with her sister. Mrs.
Henry Wilson, at her home in Santa
Clara county, California.
When she was a little girl Miss Van
der Lackshaw lived at The Hague and
was one of the children who went twice
a week TO play with the little royal girl
of Orange, who punished her dolls by
making them queens. About the same
age, the two girls were close friends from
time they were not old enough TO re-
member till now, for Miss van der Lack
shaw spent her last evening in The Hague
with the Queen, who sorely regretted that
her friend must again leave Holland.
Miss van der Lackshaw is a sweet-faced
young woman, with big gray eyes and
quantities of yellow hair and not half the
airs of an ordinary boarding school miss.
She is just loveable, slmplemannered,
well-bred girl, whom to know is to love.
About Wilhelmina, she said:
1.-THE Queen is just like any other girl
who has been brought up on the CONT
nent She is not really pretty and has
no style at all, but she has "a sweet face
and no stranger would ever ask which
is the Queen when she Is surrounded by
her ladies.
"She wears her hair combed back
smooth and she vets it to make 1t fiat,
and does 1t in a tight little fiat knot at
the back. My cousin from Philadelphia
was quite disappointed, really shocked.
because the Queen wore many times
Hundred white duck dress to review
her troops the last field day we attended.
she wore white shirt waist and a most
unbecoming English sailor hat. OF course,
any one who ever wore a duck dress knows
how 1t sets when IL has been Numbered
half a dozen times But Queen Wilhel-
nina rides very well indeed, and l think
she looked every inch a queen on her
black thoroughbred. The court is very
formal, because the Dutch people are con-
servative and they like the royal family
to keep up all the traditions.
There is a little house in the Palace
Park, where we used to play and where
Wilhelmina was hostess. We had the jol-
Hest possible times there, but it was where
the Queen learned all manner of house
keeping. Oh, indeed, We girls in Holland
would consider it quite as great disgrace
not to be skillful housekeeper as you
might for a girl to be unable to read.
IF Wihelmina were poor tomorrow
she could do with her own hands every
thing in the household from buying to
cooking and sewing and nursing. Because
the women are such housekeepers we have
no poor in Holland.
For p.aymates there were chickens, and
there were pigeons and rabbits, as well as
dogs and monkeys and cats and the ponies,
and we romped and played, for the Queen
was a strong girl. and only just escaped
being a tomboy in those dear old days.
She could be dignifed enough, and tried
always to live and even play up to the
high standard of a queen
The Tiff over Daaken.
"'There was one dog was particularly
fond of, black poodle, and always when
] arrived at the Park 1 would run for
Daaken, as ii was named, and l taught
It tricks and it was a very well behaved
dog. The Queen liked to play with Daa-
ken, too, because he would let us dress
him up and he would walk around on his
hind legs. One day l had brought him a
red cloak and bonnet, which / had spent
most of my spare time for week sewing,
and l was very excited about trying 1t
on, but it SO happened that Wilhelmina
had been sewing for Daaken too. / was
we almost quarreled over the
dog; anyhow the Queen mother dis
covered that we were both sulky when
she came out just before we were served
with cakes and tea. My mother found it
out, too, and did not go to the palace
the next week. l could not hold out
against Christmas, however, and l prom
Used TO be a good girl and went In the
carriage to the palace for the Christmas
tree / had made some doll things for a
favorite doll of Wilhelmina and my pres
ents had been sent there and We're already
on the tree when l arrived. With the
other children tried to pick out my gifts
hanging on the big tree, but paid no at
tention whatever to Daaken, although I
wondered very much to see that he TOO
was a BuNSts lOl TIE nOSS We're USUALLY
forbidden to come inside the house.
when the Queen came in with the
Queen mother and the court ladies' we
formed a circle and danced around the
tree and sang songs and Daaken got quite
excited and barked. OF course we were
glad when we were told to sit down to re-
ceive our presents. Such fun as il was.
and what do you suppose my present was?
Dear, old Daaken, and he is diving vet
In Africa. / carried one of his great
granddaughter to Holland and gave Il
TO the Queen, and we had such a laugh
over our quarrel
After all the presents were given 10
us the Queen came up and she said she
was sorry she had been so cross. and I
said had been bad girl, but was sorry
but she said should have let you plaved
with Daaken. can have him every day
and Queen must be good. 1t is no won
der we all love Our Wnhelmina.' In
the same park there Were ponds and in The