The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-03-03

occasions when in the society of per-
sonal friends to drop the cloak of roy
atty. Her majesty was in no sense a
wit. nor indeed did she care much for
what is known as the new humor"
but the natural cheeriness of her dis
position not infrequently found express
sion in playful ana jOcular sayings.
Lady Normandy, one of her favor
lite ladies in waiting, once took her sis
ter TO Windsor to sing before the
queen. In fear and trembling the
young girl stood before her royal au-
dftor and sang one of Crisis most diff
ficult airs. Despite her nervousness
she rendered it excellently but omitted
the shake at the end.
Does not your sister shaker" asked
the queen, who knew accurat ely every
opera in vogue, of Lady Normandy,
who was sitting beside her, but before
reply, continued, But why should
ask when L can see she is shaking all
over?'
The queen afterward took a keen in
terest in the young singer and had her
constantly at the royal palace.
The combined girlishness and worldly
wisdom of the queen at the time of her
coronation have been lavishly com
mented upon, and telling example
of that characteristic is contained in
an obscure book of "reminiscences. 1t
was on the day of her entry into Lon
don where the bishops were congre-
gated to be presented for the first time
to the queen She carried herself
through her share of the tedious cere-
mony with great dignity and self-pos-
session and at the conclusion of the
proceedings retired She passed
through a glass door and forgetting it's
transparency was seen to run off with
a hop, skip and a jump like a healthy
youngster just let out of school. The
sudden transformation amazed the
worthy bishops. At about that time
she declared TO one of her maids Of
honor: u do think, myself, that It is
good fun playing queen"
That the queen had a high spirit
when a child is well known and once
she displayed it in very determined
manner Being one day, when in a
reluctant mood, told by her music
teacher that without industry and per-
severance she would never become
mistress OF the piano, the young prin-
cess cried out: But what would you
think of me If I became mistress of it
within the next minute?"
That you cannot do said the music
teacher. There is no royal road to
music"
We'll there is a royal way of be-
coming mistress of the piano." said the
princess, at the same time shutting
down and docking the lid of the instru-
ment and putting the key into her
pocket, and there it is
She quickly, however. repented of her
hasty temper and made a pretty apol-
ogy to the music teacher.
Here are two stories that show the
queens delicate and kindly considera-
ton for every one with whom she
came in contact, independent of his OF.
I her station After her succession to
the throne her first Queenly act was
the writing of a letter to her aunt
Queen Adelaide, condoIing with her
and begging her to remain in OccuDa-
tlOn of Windsor Castle -
suited her wishes and convenience
To her majesty, the queen was how
the young queen addressed, the letter,
Whereupon someone demonstrated with
her, pointing out that the widow OF
King William " was no longer queen
but queen dOwager.- THAT / am per
fectly aware Of" replied Queen Vic
toria, but 1 will not be the first one to
remind her of it,
So much for her delicate tact in
dealing with those of her own exalted
station She was equally gracious
with the poorest of her subjects The
royal yacht Albert was taking her
majesty for q few days cruise on the
Solent One day while the queen was
sitting upon deck plating straw then
a fashionable occupation, she noticed
that the sailors were gathering in
groups and watching her furtiveIy
Presently she saw them speak to Lord
f1tz-Ciarence, commander of the yacht
t-AAo SAiC NcilACQ MIN 10 neT SlQe- EWhaI
is there in the air. my lord? 1 hope
we are not going to have q mutiny''
Lord tftz-Cbarence answered her in the
same bantering spirit No, ma am
Your majesty can remove all cause of
trouble by changing your seat
But why should 1 change my seat %
We'll, your majesty, you are sitting
directly at the door of the grog cum
board and our poor fellows cannot get
their drink
''Oh, if that's the case shall move
at once, but on the condition that I
get some of the grog for myself"
When her majesty had tasted some
or the grog she pronounced it: Very
good grog, but it would be better were
ii hetle stronger.
1t is difficult to imagine Thomas Car
lyle sitting down to an Old-fa shiOned
talk with the queen. but it occurred
once The meeting took place in the
drawing room of Dean Stanley The
sage OF Chelsea. not in the least abash-
ed by being in the presence of his SOW
ereign, pulled up his chair quite close
to mr. and proceeded in his quaint way
to cross question her on her historical
knowledge, tastes and dislikeS. They
talked there for some time. greatly i'm
mersed in one another, and it is safe
to say that the grabbed old philosopher
gave the queen a fresh sensation. Car
lyle afterwards declared himself to
be much impressed by the terseness
and sense of her remarks, which he
cOntrasted favorably with the ram
bling inaccuracies OF the majority of
women.
Literary celebrities as a rule were not
those who attained to any high degree
of personal favor at the hands of the
queen, but she paid Charles Dickens
one of the most delicate and gracious
compliments ever paid to a writer
Dickens, who, by the way, in his youth
full days was deVoured by a grand pas
sion for the youthful queen, was in
vited when at the climax of his fame to
dine at Windsor castle. He was after
dinner, presented by the queen with a
copy of her book, Tour in the High
lands" and on the fly leaf was in
scribed in her own hand this sentence:
From the humblest to the most dis
tinguished author in England" The
queen afterward showed many favors
to the late Lord Tennyson. but even
in making him a, peer of the realm she
did not beStow as great a, compliment.
An excellent story of the queens hu-
NOR is recorded in connection with the
framing of the bulletin announcing the
birth of the present king. After the
usual statement, the bulletin ran thus:
Her majesty and the prince are per-
fectly we'll" When this was shown to
the queen by the prince consort, pre-
viouS to its publication, she said with
a laugh: My dear husband, this will
never do
why not?' asked the prince