Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-07-24


couple exist than the King and Queen or
Greece They are absolutely one in sym
pathies and tastes. they are bound up IN
their children and country, and 1t fol-
lows as a natural consequence that their
home circle is one Of peace and unity ana
that they are beloved by their subjects.
Ever since Queen Olga came as a girl
bride 10 Athens she has been the idol OF
the people, her many charitable deeos
and beautiful nature, her simple, unaI-
fected graciousness and the way in which,
young as she was, she Immediately enter
ed into the needs of the people showed
her sympathy with the sick and poor ana
sought to relieve distress, winning for her
the heart-whole affection OF the nation.
King George never aid a wiser thing
than when he chose the Grand Duchess
Olga, daughter of the Grand Duke Con-
stantine Of Russia, for his bride. She was
married when n her nth year, the wed
ding, following on a short engagement
taking place at ST. Petersburg on Octo-
Der q, 1861. the King being IS years Oh
age at the time
1t was no easy task for a girl OF queen
Olga's tender years to take upon herself
and discharge the responsible duties e&-
pected from the consort of king, more
especially as she was leaving her own
country and taking up her place among
nation Of whose ways she was Ignorant.
Most queens have served their appren-
ticeship for their present exalted posi-
tions by being the wives of crown princes
or heirs presumtive, but Queen Olga had
no such opportunity of ingratiating her-
self with her subjects before she came 70
live among them as queen, and IL was al
the more astonishing, therefore that she
adapted herself so quickly to the great
change Of position which her marriage In
volved.
Her First Reception.
Az her first reception an amusing incl
dent occurred which illustrated her affec-
ton for the king and her natural girhsh-
ness. Supported by her maids. OF honor'
she received the general company win
All the dignity she could summon, but
breathed a sigh Of relief as her reception
drew TO a close, long before which time
however. she heard King Georges step
in the adjoining room. and on the I'M
pulse of the moment rushed TO MIN TO ASH
what sort Of an Impression she had mace,
clasping his arms and locking eagerly
into the face, while her own was iiushea
with excitement. There she stood, with
her court train slung across s-her. arm,
anxious to know If her husband was proud
of her. and forgetting the guests, she DIS
covered that she was plainly visible 10
them through the glass doors that sepa-
rated the two rooms! Blushing rosy-reo'
she returned to the reception room, while
tie incident.
For the next few years Queen Olga
was much taken up with her cnildren!
First. came the Crown Prince Constan-
tine, Duke of Sparta; tLen Prince george
the hero of Crete, and afterward Prin-
cess Alexandra Ga godcaughter OF heF
namesake aunt, the Queen OF England)'
Prince Nicholas, Princess Mary, Prince
Andrei and Prince Christopher.
A Crushing Blow.
Princess alexandra became the wife OF
the Grand Duke Paul of Russia, the late
Cars brother, and met an early death
about two years after her marriage. rms
sad even. was crushing blow to queen
Olga. and the loss of her beautiful and
dearly-loved daughter quite clouded the
next few years of her life. The young
Grand Duchess early death was all the
more pathetic in that she left, baby
girl who naturally became Queen Olgas
special charge. The motherless little one
was taken to the royal nursery at Athens,
where she became the playmate OF her
uncle Prince Christopher. who was only
a few years older than his niece.
Queen Olga's love Of flowers Is proven
bal All her own private rooms are redo
lent Of the odor Of understanding bios
SONS and gay with foliage. In the summer
she almost lives out of doors in her gar
dens where she spends many an hour In
transferring her flowers to paper for she
has a great gift fer painting, and may
be often met in the gardens at Corfu,
where her summer residence is situated,
| copying from nature many Of the lovely
plants that flourish in an enchanted isle.
Her flower pictures form quite beautiful
collection and are not only interesting
from the fact that they have been exc
cuted by the queen, cut also as works Of
art.
The king and queen spend many happy
hours Of relaxation at Corfu. and their
children, when young, used to delight in
playing hide-ard- seek and other games in
the gardens of the summer villa.
The Queens Philanthropy.
Life at Athens, in the Winter Palace. is
necessarily more stately, receptions, balls,
dinners and other festivities taking place
there with tolerable frequency. The queen
! delights in riding and driving, but best of
all she loves to associate herself with
charitable work. In orphanages, charity
schools and especially in institutions con-
nected with the care of the young or the
nursing of the sick, she takes an active
| interest. Indeed, she might take for her
motto, Actions, not Words" so energetic
is she I'm furthering what she considers
to be a deserving cause. 1t is said that
there is hardly a charitable institution in
the Hellenic kingdom which does not owe
it's origin more or less to the queen. and
| that before King George brought her to
share the throne Of Greece such institu-
lions were practically unknown there, and
no kind of provision was made by the
state for the sick poor Queen Olga made
many reforms and set aside from her own
/ private income large sum for the foun-
dalton of a nursing school. where the
peasant girls as we'll as the better classes
| could be trained as district nurses.
Founding Hospital.
Then she became aware of the sore
need that existed for a hospital. and to
her is due the existence Of the now IA
nous Evangelismos Hospital in Athens,
which she herself formerly managed,
visiting the hospital every day, and ac-
knowledging in her own handwriting