The sun., 1903-08-30

| joyed Miss victoire Conroy had the
same books as the Princess, until the latter
was nearly grown up. No novels were
allowed-even Miss Edgeworth and the
Waverley novels being under the ban
except just the Tales of Grandfat her,
because they counted as history.
Miss yictoire Conroy was in temporary
disgrace al the age Of thirteen for recom-
mending, IA a delightful story, The Vicar
of Wakefield to her royal friepd. II was
objected to on the ground that it cont aimed
two elopements.
IDOL OF THE MIDDLE CLASS
The influence of Victoria upon society
after she had come TO the throne was, OF
course, marked. 1t seems strange now to
realize that she was regarded by the aris-
tocracy and the high, old Tory party with
actual dislike. From the outset, however,
she became the idol and model Of the wealthy
middle class.
"There was nothing less than Queen
five years Of the last reign. Upper rooms
with windows looking on the Pavilion
grounds let dearer during the visits OF the
court than those on the first and second
floor. They were always crowded with
would be students of the royal department
and belongings.
The Queen was followed in her tours
by draughtsmen, sent after her by the late
MIR. Herbert Ingram. They caught her
up as she steamed up and down the Channel,
in her visits to towns on the coast, at places
where addresses were to be presented,
and in her visits to great country houses.
IT was "a sensation this generation can
hardly conceive, TO turn over pictorial
sheets full Of new woman as typified by
the new Queen. If she won't to Scot land,
Drayton Manor, to Oxford, Cambridge,
Warwick Castle, Stoneleigh, Belvoir, her
iIit tIaa cd, ,,SrIn tNyN;., Loaf
none of it's interest until royalty made
some fresh start. The illustrations were
vague; the descriptive reports wordy.
But they helped the kind of ladyhood
speak OF to create an amorphous idol In
their own image. The idol was good for
offer incense at its altar. Queen worship
was stimulated by the history OF Agnes
and Elizabeth Strickland, and it became
really a religion from which the aristocracy
stood aloof through the greater part Of the
reign.
"The girl Queen was succeeded in the
imagnations Of her worshippers by the
bride Queen. The mother Queen soon
followed. The handsome bridegroom
added to the halo of sentimentality in which
she was invested. He was just the thing
for the frontispiece OF volume of ele-
gantly got-up drawing-room portraits.
Walking gentlemen did best when they made
up to resemble Prince Albert The tenor
ino resOrted to the same trick But the
Prince never became the darling of any
class, and the aristocracy, Whig and Tory,
disliked him. He was known TO he hand
some, but people did not feel him to be so.
They only wanted the Queen She was as the
star of the ballet, and he not more than the
porfe-ddnseUs2.
There were many undergrown young
ladies' when the Queen was setting out on
her career. Rich mothers, desirous of
being in the fashion. kept their daughters
on short commons as a way of securing
slender figures. Girls tasted, of their own
free will. for the same purpose. Their
growth in the direction OF height was
stunted by this regimen; but they did not
repine. 1t was a great consolation to the
understood to be told the Queen was OF tiny
stature.
HARD DRINKERS BARRED.
at became of social consequence TO
know how the Queen managed her house.
hold what she ate and drank, whether the
gentlemen she asked to dine at the palace
sat long ut their wine after dinner reco-
lect n Bedchamber woman, Viscountess
Forbes, telling some friends that a gentle
man who sat over wine would find himself
more out Of favor than chaplain who
preached long sermon before her Ma jesty.
Neither would be given a chance to re-
peat the offence. A glass of port or sherry
was taken when the ladies had retired, and
then the Prince rose to join them in the
drawing room. The public were apprised
of this fact.
when Melbourne was favorite councillor
and guide in everything. he recommended
the Queen to avoid laying down the law
on any occasion, hut to show civilly and
firmly what her will was, and to trust to
the good feeling of those about her Hard
drinking was universal at her accession.
William lV. took credit to himself for having
become sober through the influence Of
Adelaide and DR.. Beattie. another old friend
of my family. Thus reformed. he limited
himself to "A bottle of sherry day, and
something more when toasts were to be
drunk He required Minister'S with whom
he quarrelled and made up to drink in
dining with him two bottles of port or sherry
Melbourne advised the Queen to remain
standing in the drawing room while the
gentlemen we're over their wine, and to let
il be known that she would make this her
practice. II was civil way of compelling
them to limit their after-dnner glasses of
wine.
Risen and rising middle-class folk were
gratifed to learn how many tastes the
Queen had in common with themselv es
Stale bread became the fashion, because
the Queen liked it. 1t gave pleasure 10
hear that she was not above busying her.
self with her dairy. She had on her break
fast table fresh eggs, butter and cream
from her own farm. When any OF her
little ones was naughty. the offender was
cent to bed.
There was tale in this connection to
illustrate the smartness of the Princess
Alice She would call the Prince of Wales's
tutor Birch and refused him the title of
Mister. The threat of being sent to bed
for any fresh offence was tried. Next
morning the lively but obstinate Princess
accosted Mr.. Birch with Good morning,
Birch, and good night too, since l must
go to bed
"The Queen almost made Cescents to the
kitchen fashionable. When building Os-
borne she paid y round of visits to seats
OF the nobility. II the dinner truck her as
remarkably good, she asked II she could
ssr the kitchen range. Her visits to ktch-
ems shocked the servants; but as she was
the Queen, middlc-c!n,s ladies approved
The miCdle-Cnss husband did not like il
His ideas on the subject of ladvhood and
how his own good lady ought to behave
were too much disturbed"
INsULTED RY THE UPPER TEN.
With regard TO the unpopularty, to Use
n mild term. of the young Queen with the
aristocracy, or much of It, Mrs. Crawford
has much to say. One extract il sufficient
to show how bitter the feeling was II
refers to the Queens last visit to Ascot
before her marriage,
"She was" writes Mrs. Crawford, ION
thai occasion horribly insuted NV hus-
band, then IA law student, was there with
Mr., Kyle, son Of the Bishop OF Cork, and
a Mr.. John Wyndham Bruce, eldest brother
of the late Lord Aherdare, who read in the
same chambers with him, They united
III.