St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1902-07-12

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COURT READER IS NO MORE.
An ONCE That Has Been Done Away
With Since Alexandra Became
England's Queen.
Queen Alexandra differs in one in
teresting respect from the late mon
arch, in that she takes little pleas
ure in having books and newspapers
read aloud in her hearing. This is
the reason why there is no longer
any place at the court for Miss
Bauer and Mile. Norele, says Mod
ern Society. These excellent lee
trices were. of very great utility to
Queen Victoria. The duty of reading
was not limited to these ladies, be-
cause it was one of the chief requi-
sites of candidates for the post of
maid of honor that they should pcs
sess good voices and trained power
of elocution. Very few high bred
girls can read aloud in manner that
would commend itself to the critical
ear of the venerable sovereign, who
hated nothing more than the false
emphasis which seems to sprawl
over the reading style of the ordi-
nary finishing governess.
Queen Victoria was herself a prac-
ticed elocutionist, and she often gave
kindly hints to her young maids.
Her late majesty insisted first of all
upon the clear pronunciation of
every consonant, and the clipping of
the final letters of words was repug-
nant to her keen sense of hearing.
In the next place she always pointed
out to her maids that reading is not
acting, and that gesture is out of
place when the intention is merely
to convey the words of writer to
the listener. Then, again, she would
require the voice to be sustained
evenly from first to last, and the
words to be read slowly, and it was
one of her rules that the reader
should sit in a STRAIGHTFORWARD chair,
with the head erect, so that the mus
cles of the throat should not be COM
pressed, as they are when the book
is rested upon the lap.
Sometimes a reader would fancy
that her royal hearer was dropping
off to sleep, but woe betide her if
she took advantage of this SUPPOSE
ton to relax in her task. The queen
used to sit for an hour with the eye
lids closed, for the purpose of rest
ing the eyes. But now and again
she would interpolate a word of ap-
probation, and it often happened
that the reading was broken off for
an interesting chat upon the senti-
ments of the book. It was usual for
a chapter to be finished at every
reading, and before the next chapter
was begun upon the following day
it might become necessary for the
reader to give to her mistress sum-
mary of the preceding chapter, in
order to refresh her memory.
Since the elevation of Queen Alex
andra to the supreme place this cpl
sode in the daily life of the court has
vanished utterly. Queen Alexandra
delights more in conversation than
in being read to, and she engages in
chat with a charming eagerness to
learn the opinion of her intimates,
so that to be included among her
guests after dinner, when she de-
sires the privacy of her own apart
ments, is very real pleasure to the
fortunate girls who receive invita-
lions to accompany her.
There is one important exception
to all this. In the case of Miss Char
lotte Knollys, her majesty's conf
dante has sometimes to perform the
duty of reading documents to her,
but these are for the most part mat
tiers connected with the social du-
ties of her station, such as lists of
ladies included in the royal parties.
or plans for the arrangement of the
duties of the court, and on these oc-
casions it is less reading exercise
than a conversation, in which the ex-
perienced lady is privileged to break
off at any point in order to make
any explanation that may seem nee
essary.
Her majesty reads all the private
notes that are addressed to her by
her many relatives at home and
abroad, and the answers are penned
in her own characteristic hand. The
begging letters and epistles that are
addressed to her by distressed ladies,
together with all appeals from ladies
who desire to secure her influence
on behalf of their sons and daugh-
ters and brothers and sisters, are
not always read by the queen, as
the private confidante is intrusted
with larger discretion in these mat
tiers than her brother is in the case
of the king himself, because the cor
respondence of the king necessarily
includes a vast amount Of writing
which is intended for his eye alone,
whereas the queen has far less cor
respondence outside the limits of her
own family.
Drowning Accidents.
Nearly 1000 persons are accidentally
drowned every year in England. OF
these only $50 are skating accidents
and 200 from bathing.