The sun., 1903-08-30
FRANK VIEWS OF VICTORIA.
MRS. CRAWFORD WRITES OF
FAULTS AS WELL AS VIRTUES.
Interesting Stories Of the Late queens
ChlIShOOd when she Had 'FhsShty.
vaclilatlng Character er''--ON ercame II
when she Knew She Would Be queen.

vaciIlatlng Characser"--ONe ercame II
when she Knew She Would Be queen.
LONDON, Aug. A.-Mrs. Crawford, the
Paris correspondent OF Truth and the Daily
Ners has. in Victoria, Queen and Ruler,
written a thoroughly interesting book con-
cerning the late Queen Of England. Mrs.
Crawford's method differs widely from that
generally employed by the courtly biog-
raphers, who write of the great who are
but recently dead and whose successors
are still in place and power. She pays gen.
erous tribute to the qualities OF her late
Majesty, but she also writes with piquant
frankness of her weakness
Mrs. Crawford has gathered her personal
details Of the late Queen from letters be-
longing to members of her own family and
from her notes ard recollections of CONVEX
sations with those who had been in personal
contact with the Kensngton household
during Victorias childhood, or with the
court when she came to The throne on the
death OF William w,
AIN her childhood" we read Of Victoria,
"she kept an unrelaxing grasp on her toys
ard other possessions. Money was given
to charities In her name but nobody ever
knew her to give away farthing Of her
pocket money or make any present spon-
taneously |" She seldom incurred a
lecture for untidiness. She suffered no one
to meddle with anything belonging to her;
put away her books, drawing materials, toys
and dolls clothing methodically. and care
fully saw that nothing was missing. She
was not a martinet's daughter merely,
but an old mans child. But she did not
push method toward MANIA and her gen
cral conduct was controlled by shrewd
sense.
HER FIRST FRIEND
"The earliest companion Of the infant
Victoria was the youngest daughter OF
Capt. Conroy. The Duchess Of Kent her
godmother, gave her own names Of Victoire
Marie Louise to her. The two children
grew up together, and were inseparable
until the Princess was II years old. when
her way to the throne was open. As Vic
toire, the younger. was better grown. they
soon looked like twins. They walked hand
in hand in Kensington Gardens when the
royal child was able TO walk which occurred
at much later age than with Victoire.
Until then she was wheeled in u child's car
riage by the Princess Feodore or the Baron
ess dc Spaedth. a tall man servant attending.
The two children, in summer, were dressed
in plain muslin frocIss, but Victoria had red
or pink saShes and Nictoire blue. They
drove together in a pony carriage. VIC
toria had a donkey given her by the Duke
Of York, and while she rode Eictoire had
walk
"EiCtoire was quick to learn; Victoria Il
was feared would have a fiighty. vacillating
character She could not fix her atten-
ton to any subject in the schoolroom, and
was pepiilonndnfe. or like butterfly. in
fitting from one thing 10 another. This
popularity was cured bv an effort OF her
own will. She early took to music. and
applied herself TO it. The piano on which
she practised was birthday present from
George Nv.
"The youthful Princess had two muslin
dresses and two plain gingham frocks
for summer. They were altered according
to her growth. The Queen made a white
muslin frock as like as she could remember
to one Of her own for her granddaughter,
the Princess Marie of Edinburgh, whom
she wished to be painted in it by MilIais
The painter did his best TO obtain the favor
of another frock, as the garment her late
Majesty made was not a thing for picture,
being troublesome to the painter on ac-
count of the endless little tucks and bands
of insertion, and unbecomtng to the wearer
To repeat it on canvas must be, as he rightly
foresaw, a work Of patience. if he thought
of pleasing the royal grandmamna. She
was exacting about accuracy in details,
and did not underst and how being ac-
curate in such matters might spoil por-
trait.
HER DANCING.
"Nlr. Sale, the organist of Westminster, =,
taught her music; Lablache. singing; Nine
Bourdin, dancing-an art that was later
practised under the direction Of Tagioni,
from whom had accounts of the lessons
she gave the Queen Taglioni, when
knew her, was keeping a dancing school
at Batignolles and was very poor. She had
one of those illuminated and fancifully
painted cardboard boxes, with wadding
inside, which served the Princess Victoria
as ring cases. The ring il contained had
in the middle, and was rather pretty, but
not coStly
"Taglioni said that the figure of her
royal pupil was tres inordte--that is'to saw
hard to turn to good account, as the body
was long and the limbs were short. She
learned. however, to Quadrille and walk
with measured step sans ddpdinement,
or moving from side to side But she had
le genie de Ia rGise, and when she waltzed
the defective make was not noticed There
was never a more enthusiastic lover of dane
ing than Queen Victoria In her Younger
days.
"I once went on a long yachting tour
with great niece of the Duchess of North
cumberland a Welsh lady of devoted LOYALTY
to the late Queen. She repeated the char
aCter that her great aunt gave of her pupil
The Princess Victoria was spoken of as
the most upright child she ever knew, and
yet arch One could do anything with her
if one gained her affect ions She could not
be brought to concentrate attention on par
ticular lessons that We're not to her taste,
until she learned that she was to he Queen.
She then determined to be attentive and
patient. King Leopold told Con. Goblet
that az a child, she had Pickering, vacil-
lating mind but she learned to think this
unworthy of her great prospects, and
changed completely
Another of Victorta's early companions
gives the following description of the future