Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-06-21

the religious teaching of her children. She
did not care to have the horrors of eternal
damnation impressed upon their youthful
minds, but wished them taught that God
is love. About this time she made the fol-
lowing memorandum In referring to the
princess royal:
Il am quite clear that she should be
taught to have great reverence for God
and religion and that she should have the
feeling of devotion and love which her
heavenly Father encourages His earthly
children to have for Him; and not one of
fear and trembling. The thoughts of death
and an after life should not be presented
in an alarming and forbidding way She
should be made to know as yet no differ
ence of creeds and not think she can only
pray on her knees or that those who do
not kneel are less fervent and devoted in
their prayers"
Prince Edward was educated in the same
way as to religious matters. but as far as
L can learn he was by no means a little
saint. He was noisy during teething and
did all sorts of things that other chill
dren do.
The Amusements of Baby King.
The royal children had all sorts of amuse-
ments. At Osborne-on-the-Sea where the
queen lived in the summer, each child had
Its flower and vegetable garden in which
it worked. The future king had carpen-
ter shop. in which he used a set Of tools
iHdfkeO Win MS name He had little
museum, where he kept botanical speci-
mems. butterflies stuffed birds and stones
He had also a boat to sail at low tide
Shows were held at the palace for the chill
dren and at one time Tom Thumb came
and performed for them and the queen.
He danced the hornpipe, and sang Ameri-
can songs. the little Prince of Wales watch
ing him, seated in his favorite oaken chair
Now and then Prince Edward went out
to see the ships. and when he arrived at the
age of six he was made midshipman and a
uniform was given him. He appeared in his
new suit before the officers and sailors and
then began TO play about the deck The
suit was of white duck and it soon became
soiled. This was Saturday night, and the
captain of the ship knew that the queen
expected the little prince to wear his white
suit at muster the next, morning and that
he had no other. at least so Prince Edward
told him. The captain solved the question
by putting Prince Edward to bed and wash
ing the suit himself He dried them by the
fire and then sat on them to iron them
SO that his future majesty came to muster
in proper attire.
His Fight With Fisher Boy.
He was boy of spirit and it is related
that once when he was running about on
the beach at Osbourne he noticed a lad
picking up CLAIMS. The lad had his basket
already full, but Prince Edward in looking
at it accidentally kicked it over. There
upon the fisher boy grew angry and gave
the young prince kick. The prince, al
though he was not so large as his opponent
Went for him with his fists, and in mo-
ment the two had clinched and were rolling
over and over. The prince was getting the
best of the fight when the gardener came
up and separated the combatants. Prince
Albert. Queen Victoria's husband, had seen
the fight afar off, but he did not interfere.
When the future king was brought to him
he reprimanded him for having meddled
with the lads basket, and thereupon, so
the story goes, Prince Edward took some of
his own pocket money and gave it to the
fisher boy.
The Farmer and His Pitch Fork.
A somewhat similar incident of paying
money for trespassing is told in connection
with the Prince of Wales when he was
little older. 1t was while he was doing his
first hunting not far from Windsor Castle
He and a number of other boys were rid,
ing across country and they got into the
estate Of a farmer named Hedges Hedges
objected to any one coming into his fields
He penned the boys in and demanded a
fine of a sovereign for damages before he
would let them out One of the boys told
him that he was OBTAINING the future King
of England. but he replied
Il don't care for that. Prince or no prince
/ will have my money"
The farmer had pitch fork in his hands
and the boys naturally concluded that the
safest thing was to pay. and pay they did
might give score of stories about the
kings boyhOod. but none of them is diff
ferent from those told OF the average boy
all the world over. AS far as 1 can see the
king was very ordinary baby and by no
means an extraordinary boy. For all his
wonderful education he has done nothing
to speak Of in literature or craftsmanship,
and it remains to be seen whether he will
be more than ordinary as king.
FRANK G. CARPENTER