The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-02-17
IEE,,,.c II5EEE,,,.c |PR|N(E HENRY
;,y5!.l!E.| SPOUSE l6!EE.|0F PRUSSIA :

about her. But, again. this is a free
country and here we want 10 know
what women are of themselves-that
Is, II they are anything OF themselves.
Frequently they are not
Princess Henry is a graceful woman.
with beautiful neck and fine, square
shoulders. She has rather a large, un-
aristOcratic ear. Her face Is more
German than English. which makes
the German people like her all the bet
ter. Her expression is also much more
lively and merry than that OF her sad
sister. Alix FedOrovna, czarina OF Rus
sia, unhappy because she has no son
and because she has 20 be dressed up
all the time and attend imperial pag-
eants that TO her are mere monkey
shows, which she sees through all too
plainly.
Between Princess Irene OF Germany
and her sister Of Russia there are
warm affection and confidence. so
much so that when the czarina visit
ed France with her husband last au-
tumn the little daughters OF the impe-
rial Russian house were left with their
aunt, Princess Henry. in her castle at
Kiel. A cold, dull little seaport town
is Kiel, but Emperor William has de-
creed that Prince Henry shall live there
when he Is at home, and there. conse-
quently, Princess Henry must live the
year round or until imperial William
permits her TO go away perhaps to pay
a visit 10 her husband In some foreign
port, as when she went TO China.
And, by the way, while she was there
Princess Irene pleased greatly the yell
low old mandarins. a very high native
official was so charmed with her that
he desired TO pay her the highest COM
pliment known to Chinese etiquette.
He asked her through an interpreter
how old she was She told him her
age. at that time thirty-two. where
upon the mandarin instantly respond
ed:
You might be sixty"
Il wouldn't have taken you for any
thing like so old as that" said her
husband, Prince Henry. 10 her.
The mandarin had meant 10 say only
that she was so wise and superior IN
her mind that she might have been six
" instead of thirty-two. and he never
found out what a bad break he had
made When the prince and princess
both laughed heartily, the yellow man
attributed it 10 their pleasure at the
exquisite neatness of his compliment.
Tastes differ.
The family life at Castle KieI is said
to be ideally happy. Prince Henry
does not take himself so seriously as
his brother, the kaiser, takes himself
consequently there Is none of that
mailed dst" discipline which William
ordered Henry TO exercise in China
and there are much more life and fun
than in the imperial household.
Irene seems 20 be as happy as a wife
may be, all the more so possibly be-
cause she and her husband must be
apart SO much. And yet American wo.
men cannot help feeling sorry for her
because. rich, beautiful and beloved as
she is she cannot leave Kiel without
permission from Emperor William.
even 60 go shopping 10 Berlin, distant
only four hours BY rail.
Any woman in this republic who has
money enough may pack her trunk
and start around the world any day
she likes. Emperor William tells Prjn-
cess Henry whore she may go and how
long she may stay, and N he changes
his mind and desires her TO come home
ere the visit is ended home she must
move, bag and baggage. In this re-
spect the American girl who earns 81
a week is freer and more fortunate
than her princely highness Irene of
Prussia. MARILLA WEAVER