The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-01-24

b ANNIVERSARIES
ness, purchased by her husband, the late
Prince Albert, for retreat where he and
his wife could retire and enjoy rest from
official cares and escape from the respon-
sibiiities that attend those who wear
crowns and handle scepters.
Osborne is not an official residence. 1t
was the private home of Mr. and Mrs.
Albert Victim. and has since been occu-
pied by Mrs. Victim on every anniversary
of her marriage and her husbands death.
There was seldom more affectionate at
tachment between husband and wife.
Kings and Queens are not allowed to love
and marry like common folks, and are
often compelled to sacrifice their happi
ness for reasons of state, but Victoria was
fortunate in this respect. Like any other
girl she fell in love, and the interests of
the nation were promoted by her choice
of lover. He was an exemplary hus-
band, which cannot be said of every
Prince, and as a wife and a widow the
only thought in her mind, next to the
welfare of her people, was the happiness
of her husband and her children.
AS it was sanctified by association with
her husband, she endeavored to preserve
the privacy of Osborne so far as possible.
and her ministers were forbidden TO bring
business there except when it was abso-
lutely necessary. Prince Albert was the
architect of the castle and superintendent
its construction. His artistic taste appears
in all the decorations, which he designed,
even to the china upon the table, which
is different from that used at the other
residences of the Queen. 1t does not bear
the royal crest but only a garland of
flowers and monogram made of their
initials, "a. 4" and ~" intertwined. The
bedrooms at Osborne were finished in old
fashioned chintz of the patterns of forty
years ago. Prince Albert selected it at
some shop in London, and the queen would
never permit it to be changed. The gar
den around the castle was laid out by him
and remains the same to this day, with
beds of o.d-fashioned flowers which he ad-
mired and Planted with his own hand. The
cabins of the royal yacht are decorated
with the same chintz that appears in the
bedrooms.
Thoughtless people have sneered at
Queen Victoria for selling milk, turnips
and other farm products raised upon her
estate at Osborne, but this custom was
commenced by Prince Albert shortly after
their marriage, and like everything else
with which he was associated it has
remained unchanged The hotels at
Cowes, Ryde and other summer resorts
on the Isle of Wight and many of the
private residents buy their milk and but
ter, their potatoes and beans, their let
tuce and early peas, their hay and fod-
der from Queen Victoria. aud for SO long
a time that it has ceased to be a subject
of comment except as casual visitors hear
of it from the market gardeners in the
neigh borhood. who are always grumbiing
about the competition of their queen.
Under her careful management-and she
was one of the shrewdest business women
in the world-the farm at Osborne has
paid a large profit, larger perhaps than
any other estate of it's kind in the Unit
ed Kingdom. She reckoned every penny
that was put into it, and required an ac-
counting of every penny that came out.
She has been called stingy and CLOSE
fisted," but there was something more in
the practice of those habits by her Inn
peTial Majesty than the love of money.
An American lady who frequently en-
joyed the entire to Windsor Castle during
the diplomatic service of her husband at
the court of st. James tells with great
interest of a conversation she once had
with the Queen upon this subject. The
salary of the President of the United
States happened to be mentioned, and the
American lady expressed the popular re-
gret that the ruler of our country was
not more literally provided for, particu-
larly because our Presidents were always
mon without means of their own. To
her surprise the Queen dissented and de-
clared that ii was doubtless a good thing
for the country to limit the expenditures
of the President because it required him
to set an example of economy to the peo-
ple of the nation. While she did not ad-
vocate parsimony, she considered eXtraV-
-agance one of the greatest of sins par
ticularly among people whose habits and
manners were initiated by others ana
said that throughout her life, so far as
the requirements of her position would
hermit. she had endeavored to teach her
subjects that economy was not only hon
orable. but advantageous to every one.
She alluded to the public ridicule she had
suffered but explained that 1t had served
a good purpose by emphasizing her econ
omical habits and keeping them before
the attention of the people
There was never more careful aud ex-
act woman than Victoria. She is model
bousokeeper and the burden of the cares
of state never tempted her to relinquisn
the MANAGEMENT of her several households
She knew everything that was going on
within the several palaces assigned to the
crown and on her private estates at Os-
borne and Balmoral. Every article of
linen and bedding, every carpet, rug and
curtain at Windsor Buckingham. Hamp-
ton. Osborne and Balmoral Is numbered
and cataiogued, and all purchases are
reported to her and receive her approval
before the bills are paid by the lord stew
ard. The china is as carefully looked aft
er as the gold and silver plate. and the
servants at Windsor say that Her Majes-
ty knows whenever they crack tea
cup.
She has many peculiarities One of them
is an adherence of curiosity, and people
admitted to her presence are often warned
by the ladies or gentlemen in waiting that
the exhibition of unusual interest in any
subject pertaining to her or to the affairs
of state IS displeasing 10 Her Majesty. The
same feeling extended to servants. New
employees about the castle arc specially
instructed not to look at the Queen when
they enter her room or show any interest
in her movements. The stolid indifference
OF the East Indians is said to have been
the reason for her preference for them
as personal attendants. Another pecu-
liarity IS her dislike of conspicuous gar
ments. Those who are in the habit of at
tending the Queen are frequently made
aware of this and her maids of honor and
ladies in waiting are always careful never
to wear a gown or ornament that Is al
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