The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-12-08

and all her court feared for her when she
came to walk, as she must, q quarter OF a
mile or more from her Amsterdam palace
to the church between the masses Of a
double concourse OF people in the streets.
She herself dreaded assassination, but
she did not fear it, for fear is not in her
blood.
She said afterward that when she
reached the comparative shelter and safety
of the crowded church she felt her knees
weaken and she thought she would TALL,
so great had been the strain upon her.
But only she knew this. All that the peo-
pie saw was that her face was ashen gray.
Her head was held as high as ever and her
step was the gait Of a queen.
AT the head of the church, in a great
open space such as would be the chancel
In most church buildings, were two
thrones-a large one pushed well forward
and a small one a few feet in the rear.
The large one was for Wilhelmina and the
other for the Queen Dowager, then giving
up her reign. When the crown had been
laid lightly upon the young Queens wealth
Of soft brown hair. and the ceremony OF
making her Queen indeed was finished, she
rose and turned toward her mother. Her
mother rose also and sprang forward with
arms outspread to catch her child to her
bosom and strain the Queens heart and
her own together il a supreme embrace.
Then all the people saw of what mettle
Wilhelmina was made. Then they learned
that she was not heir TO the throne alone,
but to the blood of her fathers.
Instead of falling in her mothers arms
and on her breast, she stepped back, stood
sui ana DQI out nGT TlRnL manu., pain
down. for her mother to kiss in token of
allegiance to her sovereign.
That required nerve.
Many said they had never seen so cold
blOoded a performance or an act so elo-
quent of self-will in all their lives. A shud-
der of surprise shook the whole churoh-full.
Wilhelmina have so effectually declared TO
the whole people that the rule Of the Ger
man woman was at an end and the rule of
the house of Orange had begun again. The
German Woman - Tins did the marion
speak of the gentle, kindly widow who had
reigned so well while her daughter grew to
w~omanhood. Thus did the new Queen In
terpret the popular wish. Thus do royalties
come to consider even the closest Of their
kin.
WHAT GOSSIP SAYS.
When she had been eighteen months on
the throne, knowing all the while that her
people demanded of her an heir to the
throne, she began to look about for a hus-
band. She was not to be allowed to wait
for loves call or to search for a hearts
mate, as was the case with Victoria Of
England, Mercedes of Spain and the Eng
lish wife of Frederick Of Germany. She
was to hurry up and get married. To do
this she must rely on her mother, and the
dowage knew only a few small families of
German princelets. To the seat Of one of
these German families she took her daugh-
ter after having been assured by the min
AoA1A9 dAL0 AIcAN4 u LAl1 a.
that a marriage with a German would be
most polite as tending to double the de-
Tense against the German Kaiser's greed
for a seacoast, since William would not be
likely to disturb a German consort Of the
Queen.
Gossip has always said that while Will
helmina was visiting the family of Prince
Henry she felt her heart deeply stirred by
the princes younger brother, and with
him she wished to link her future. But
politics again Overruled her inclinations;
/ the German famllX dpCla red = union with
the younger son impossible while the elder
was still on their hands. Queen Emma saw
was betrothed to Henry.
store upon it's truth.
When the marriage contract was being
arranged Wilhelmina and Henry were much
together, at least they rode their horses
side by side daily in the grounds of her
| country palace by the Zuyder Zee. As both
looked Well on horseback the people We're
enthusiastic in their belief that the pair
were well matched. To me, as I saw him
again and again, the prince looked like a
cold. hard and selfish man. with stronger
suggestion 10 coarseness and sensuality
than of fine instincts in the cut OF his face
and the lines of Gods handwriting there.
Without doubt he expected TO share nber-
ally the great wealth of his royal bride.
but at the end. when il was too late for
him 10 Withdraw he found that she had in
structed her ministers 70 see that the
states general provided for him.
If the country had been indicate. sell
lSn ana pracJlcal IN Forcing her 10 marry,
Wilhelmina made up her mind that It could
pay the whole bill. If she could not marry
FOR love but must marry for politics-she
seemed to reason-then let politics pay the
fiddler! she would not let the affair cost her
a penny.
A BAD BEGINNING.
At the outset, as soon as Prince Henry
learned that he was to e a hired employee
of the state instead o a husband on the
footing Of affection. h made his bride feel
his displeasure. Finding that she would
not share her income with him, he asked
her TO pay his debts. AS I remember IL,
the states general allowed him only $4,000
a year. and for a can who ~gambled, kept
mistresses and desired to play the part Of
a youthful and spirited royal consort this
was not enough; II e had to pay his debts
out OF il the sum was ridiculously made
Quate.
Wilhelmina was firm and i~mmovable. and
all his pleading fell upon deaf ears and an
opposing spirit. Al. this was told me by
frequenters of the court-members OF the
diplomatic corps at The Hague-before the
rovaI N rrfa "a WAS three DAVIS old and /