Evening journal., 1901-01-24

ALEXANDRA, ALBERT EDWARDS coNsORT |
feet warm she had queer little coutrivances |
fur lined bags or foot muiIs'-made by |
the same firm. This concern also regularly |
redraped her rooms with clintz lcretonLel |
always Of the same design and coioriig |
which by royal order might not be dupi |
Gated for amy one else
The queen hated tobacco smoke with all
her strength, and IL was forbidden TO ever
one to indulge in the fragrant weed wi,in
the walls Of Windsor 10 is not ee0rCed
that this rule was ever relaxed but once,
and that was on the occasion of the visit OF
King Charles of Roumania to her majesty
in 1892 Then the smell OF Havanas was
observable everywhere save in the apart
ments Of the queen herself and the al diaccnt
corridors. On one occasion "A cabinet min
lister, who was devoted to his cigar, re
ceived letter from the queens private sec
retary, Sir Henry Ponsonby, saying that in
future the monarch would be glad il The
official would refrain from saturating his
dispatches with tobacco smoke before send
ing them He turned the royal snub 10 &c
count by writing note to each of his col
leagues telling them that it was the royal
order that in future they should not smoke
when preparing dispatches for the queen
Victoria always took most Of her personal
belongings with her when She went on a
Journey, and it was therefore no easy task
for her household to make the change from
one place to the other The moving OF le
court from Windsor to Osborne is described
| by one who has helped in the moving as
''worse than three fires and an earthquake
all at once" Everything except the cur
pets and pictures had to be removed from
the royal chambers after her majesty lef,
them and set up in good order in the other
/ palace before her arrival there
Upon one occasion Victoria was ready to
/ start, had donned her bonnet and seated
herself in her carriage, when it was noted
! that the mistress of the robes, the late
! Duchess of Sutherland, was not in her Al
in the carriage opposite her royal mistress
! There was row, but presently the missing
woman appeared literally on the run, and
in drenching perspiration, and visibly
frightened. The queen looked at her tardy
subordinate, but instead Of scolding her
took her own watch from her belt AID pre-
scented IL to the duchess, saying, y our
watch must be a bad timekeeper-let me
| give you this one, whereat the duchess wept
for joy.
The life OF maid Of honor. lady Of the
hedchamber or other female member of the
household at Nictoria's court, while not at
all that Of a menial, was not in any sense a
sinecure, but as service in the royal house
hold confers great social prestige the posi-
tions in question have always been eagerly
sought. Nictoria's women used to take uu
early breakfast and await "a summons from
their mistress before venturing into hei
presence. The morning was usually passed
in reading the newspapers TO her majesty
till near luncheon time The queen par
took Of this meal with her own family, the
women of the household eating apart az =
o'clock.
From 3 to p m. the women accompa
MED their mistress on her daily drive. after
which they read, arranged photographs OF
completed fancy work begun but not flu
ished by royal fingers. This continued
until the queens dinner hour, about ,
O'Clock BY this time all concerned wer,
likely to be weary, and no one WAS evei
heard to complain because the waits" Ol
terms Of service rarely if' ever exceeded
five months in any one year The pay o
the ladies of the household varied from $50.
to $500 per annum Most OF Them wer'
peeresses, OF at least Of noble blood. Al
untitled woman whc WAS member of the
! queens household was privileged by reason
Of her service 10 use the prefix honorable,
before her name. Among the duties of the
ladies in waiting during Nictorius reign
was the repetition ia her maie>ty's ears o
all the court tattle Of the day
Nictoria's appetite was good Here Is .
menu OF a luncheon nerved 10 iS2 at thi
home Of her granddaughter the Duchess o
:, Fife, to which the royal grandmother l.
! said to have done ample justice
Minced vunison. boiled capons. OK tongue
cold roast chicken and York ham. cold grouse
cold roast sirloin Of Scotch heef. pastry. cheda
2 cheese and salad. 1854 champagne. dry biscuit
0 and 30 years old dry port.
Victoria possessed most remarkable
E memory She rarely forgot "A face. and 4
tbs day Of her death she could recite th