The Newtown bee. (Newtown, Conn.) 1877-current, 1901-02-15

OJner end IN view, than that of assist
ing the queen in every part of the pub
lie business, which was continually
being brought before her; and of
shielding and protecting, so far as was
possible, the queen whom he served as
a subject, and the woman whom he
loved as a man. Daily communion
with man so pure in motive, so large
in view, SO unselfsh in aim, could not
but have large influence in moulding
the character of his young wife, and
fitting her for the exalted position to
which the providence of God had call
ed her.
How great and benefcent the inf1u-
ence of the late queen has been over
the wide empire she has ruled, cannot
yet be measured or apprized. Again
and again, it is said, she has inter-
vened, with striking success, to con-
ciliate the rancor of party strife, or to
avert dangerous collisions between the
two houses of Parliament, the House
of Lords and the House of Commons.
One glimpse of such an interventi m
was given in "the life of Archbishop
TAFT" from which the public learned
for the first time, in how large meas
ure it owed to the queen the peaceful
settlement Of The First Irish Church
Question. When the time comes to
reveal the forces at work behind the
course of political events, during her
late reign, surely it will be found that
for the smooth working of the consti-
Jutional machinery within the last 81
years the empire will be indebted to
no one more than the late Queen Vic
toria.
THROUGHOUT HER LONG REIGN
the calm. moderating pressure of her
hand has been so general and pervasive
that it's touch has been unfelt In
short, never in the history of the
world was SO vast an empire, with its
differences of race and creed, and it's
varieties of manners, customs, or con-
stitutional reforms, bound together by
tie, SO frail in appearance, but so
strong in reality, as the bond which
united the British Empire in personal
allegiance to their most gracious, and
now much lamented Sovereign Lady.
1t is not, however, to her as a ruler
only that the British race have offered
the homage of their loyalty and affec-
ton. Millions, who know nothing, or
little, of the wise exercise of her pow
ors, or of the punctual exercise of her
>nerous public duties (which she eXer-
;ised up to within few days of her
1eath), pay her the tribute of their
respect to-day as a woman who has
never withheld from them the sympa-
thies, which she also asked from them
in return; who has consistently set to
eciety at large the great and high ex-
ample of high and pure morality: who.
in the midst of the engrossing splen-
doris of her exalted position, has ever
tic life.
The late queen outlived every mem
Der of the House of Lords whom she
found on her accession to the throne,
and nearly every member of the House
of Commons. Seven Archbishops of |
six Archbishops of York:
six Bishops of London: II Lord Chan
cellors, and 10 Prime Ministers passed
away before she died. And she out
lived every duke and duchess, and
every marquis and marchioness who
bore those respective titles in 1887.
She saw France successfully governed
by one king, one emperor, and seven
presidents; and she knew of II presi-
dents being in Office in the United
States, during her reign. What re-
markable reign! In conclusions: The
WORLD MAY WELL BE PROUD OF SUCH
A LIFE!
Perhaps it is because her life WAS
passed almost in the shadow of tie
tomb. 1t is beyond ordinary memory
to think of her tout of mOurning,' -
that her heart was SO full of sympathy
for those in trouble. And never did
she fail to send the true loving word to
comfort those who mourned a great
and public loss, or word of rejoicing
to those who publicly rejoiced, thus
fulfilling the apostolic injunction, for