The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-02-03
WILHELMINA's PRESENTS.
Dom Paul Sent n ThimbIe, and EN-
perOr william Bottle of water.


From the New York Press.
If things so on as they have begun,
poor Queen Wilhelmina Helena Pauline
Maria of the Netherlands will have but
sorry showing when her wedding presents
are summed up, and will be filed with
envy If the record Of the French-Vander-
oilt wedding ever reaches her sight. Dom
Paul, late of Pretoria. began the giving
OF wedding presents by sending 10 the
young Queen a thimble, which was a hint
undoubtedly, that she should darn her
Heinrich's socks and sew on his buttons
That IS all right a Queen might be en-
gagged in worse occupations, and the pres.
cnt was very pretty and sentimental. a
little stroke of "poppycock" on the part OF
the ex-President of the Transvaai
But this seems to have Inspired William
the only to be economical in his present.
william Is not prodigal OF anything ex-
cCpt advice, and that he has lavished
upon the Queens future husband in
long sermon, written by the royal and i'm
perial hand, and has accompanied It by
a present to the Queen of a bottle Of wa
ter which he himself took from the River
Jordan.
They say the holy water caused a sen.
satiou when 1t arrived In the boudoir of
the Queen. Wilhelmina began by pouting
aL the sight of the bottle which she at
once put aside on a shelf, saying: "Tf
were only sure that this soi-disant hov
water has not simply passed from a half
empty decanter into that absurd bother
"hereupon Queen Emma froWned. and
said. that those words were sufficient 10
suggest the idea that the Emperor was
fraud. In the meanwhile Prince Helm
rich was reading the imperial epistla
winch was written on a piece of parch-
heht' gorgec Usly enriched by the august
! hFLd itself with Illuminated Gothic let.
tiers and aesthetic flowers.
Inc young man turned rather red then
| ne laughed true German laugh, not too
! low or too refined. and quickly put the
letter back into its portfolio which be
locked. SHOW me that letter" said VII
heimina. impossible, darling Majesty
| why impossible? / will see IT, Are Won
| beginning already to receive letters which
may not readY' Prince Heinrich pull
ed long face. Was he really to show
| all his letters to his royal wife? II beg
TO be excused for this one-at least now
| ne said. "Nonsensew cried Wilhelmins
| who got hold OF the portfolio, broke the
! tiny lock and read the letter She said
nothing, but left the room with such a
! slamming of doors that Queen Emma.
| terrified, hurried upstairs after her But
! she was soon treasured. for the young
queen was not bit irate; she had fall
| en- on seat at the entrance of her pri-
vate apartment, and was nearly crying
| with laughter. so ticked was she by
Wilhelm's sage advice to her future hus-
! band
! The Germans say laughingiy that the
water which the War Lord brought
from the River Jordan after his theatre
cal journey to the Eoly Land has more
than paid his travelling expenses for
ever since he has drawn wedding and
other wedding presents from the barrel,
which he keeps in the cellars of the royal
palace in Berlin. Queen Wilhelmna
need have no fear Of the genuineness OF
the water, and as to the advice which her
future husband received from the Great
Man in Extraordinarily 1t was good
advice. Still the young lady Is wonder
ing IL the example set by Dom Paul and
William the Only is to be a precedent
and If her wedding presents when dis
played. will consist of tumblers and ad-
vice engrossed on parchment.