Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1901-01-22

count by writing note to each of his col
,eag,fes telling them that II WIS 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
journey, and it was therefore no easy task
for her household to make the change from
one place to the other The moving OF the
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 car
pets and pictures had to be removed from
the royal chambers after her majesty left
them and vet 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 seat
in the carriage opposite her royal mistress.
There was row, but presently the MISSING
woman appeared literally on the run. and
In a 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-
sented it to the Duchess saying, "Your
watch must be bad timekeeper-let me
give you this one" whereat the duchess wept
for joy.
The life of maid of honor, lady of the
bedchamber'or other female mem ber of. the
household at Victoria's court, while not at
ell that Of Il nienial, was not In any sense
sinecure, but as service in the royal house
hold confers great social prestige the posi-
tions in question have always been eagerly
sought Victoria's women used to take an
early breakfast and await u summons from
their mistress before venturing into her
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 at
O'Clock
From 8 to 4 p. m the women accompa-
nied their mistress on her duly drive, after
which they read. arranged photographs or
completed fancy work begun hut not fin
isbed by royal fingers This continued
until the queens dinner hour, about o
O'Clock BY this time all concerned were
likely to be weary, and no one was ever
heard to complain because the waits" or
terms of service rarely II ever exceeded
five months In any one year. The pay Of
the ladies of the household varied from $500
to ECO per annum Most Of them were
peeresses, or at least Of noble blood. An
untitled woman who was member Of the
queens household waS pri ,rged by reason
OF her service to use the prefix honora bio
before her name. Among,the duties of the
ladies' In waiting during Victoria's reign
was the repetition In her majeSty's ears of
all the court tattle OF the day.
Victorias appetite WAS good. Here is
menu OF luncheon served in 1892 at the
home Of her granddaughter. the DUCHESS of
Fife, to which the royal grandmother is
said to have done ample justice'
Minced venison. boiled capons. ox tongue.
cold roas, chicken and York ham. cold grouse,
cold rusRt siroin of Scotch beef pastry. chedar
cheese and salad, 1884 champagne, dry biscuits
and ~ years old dry port.
Victoria possessed most remarkable
memory She rarely forgot face, and to
the day of her death she could recite the
pedigree of almost every noble family in
England, of all the German royalties, the
exact arrangement Of everything in a chest
of drawers locked up twelvemonth be-
fore, and every slight or civility offered to
her consort, Prince Albert, during their 90
years of married life. 81
The queen was very fond of dogs, and her
Kennels mt Windsor used to house about 30
of them. They were petted in life by royal
hands, and at death received elaborate
burial. The kennels at Windsor are elab-
oraCe affairs, the yards being paved wirh
red and blue tiles and the "bed chambers"
with white bricks, nnd contain sleeping
benches covered with straw, hot water
pipes, baths, etc A tiled portico along the
front of the kennels, where Victoria used
often to walk, is known Us "the queens
versnda."
Nearly 90 years ago an American visiting
In London, and who saw the queen shortly
before her coronation, described her thus
"She is dainty little maiden, only 4 feet
10 inches in height, with IA delicate figure,
towerlike face, slender arm and, eXqui
kitely poised head The face was a little
eensive. but nevertheless misthfri. the COT,
ners Of the mouth turning up decidedly
The tendency of the upper lip was to curl,
and like most English people she held her
lips slightly open, allowing mere suRges
tion of white teeth to appear. She wore a
simple gown of soft white india muslin,
bound around the waist with satin ribbon
Her waist was an English one, long and
slender The dress was embroidered with
field daisies, and strings of pearls were
around about her throat. Her arms were
quite bare and without ornaments and she
wore no rings on her slim fingers" She re.
tanned her regal bearing to the last. but al
most every other characteristic given In
this description disappeared many years be-
fore her death.
1t is said that Victoria used to consider
herself really at home In but one place. and
that her private garden at Osborne. on the
Isle Of Wight, There she had plot Of
ground = her own private property on
which no stranger was ever allowed to in.
trude A Swiss chalet has been built there
aud fitted up as sort OF family museum,
and in the grounds themselves the queen
has exploited her personal taste in the mat
ter of tree planting. Royal marriages were
commemorated by planting slips from a
myrtle bush.
Not far from this row of trees is the
mourning row, all planted by her majesty
or late years the younger members OF the
queens army OF descendants have done
much of the tree planting, and the place Ia
full of all sorts of trees in commemoration
of all sorts of events A feature Of the gar
den Is wooden playhouse built nearly 70
years ago by Viotoria's eldest son, Albert
Edward. and his brother. the Duke OF Edin
burgh, In this structure the playthngS OF
the queens children are stored There IL
also miniature fortress built by these two
under the eye OF their father. the prince
consort, when they We're hoys
When the daughter OF Sir Henry Ponson,
by, the queens private secretary, was mar
ried, the queen asked Lady Ponsonby II
there were to be many present ut the cere
mony Far from it," was the reply 'The
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