The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1906-03-29
Unconscious Beauty
IOriginal.l


There was once a king whose queen
had been SO vain of her beauty that he
directed that their only child, daugh-
ter, should be kept from seeing her own
features as long Us possible. The queen
died when the little princess. Henrietta,
was an infant, and the king placed the
I child in one of his palaces, where she
was brought up in charge Of her aunt,
the Duchess Margaret. Not mirror
was permitted in the palace. and the
king ordered the water in the artificial
lakes and basins with which the spa
cious grounds abounded to be drawn
off, for fear the princess should catch
the reflection of her face From time
to time the duchess was required to
make reports to the king concerning her
charge.
1.-The princess is growing to be very
beautiful" the duchess reported when
Henrietta was sixteen XR RS old, land
is absolutely unconscious of her
charms"
'Tell her," replied the king, that she
is very hOmely."
The order was obeyed. The princess,
who up to this point had not thought of
her own appearance, was seized with a
desire to see what she looked like, and
the duchess was obliged to double the
distractions she had thrown in the
way of her doing so, but in time Hen
rietta began to consider that the sight
of her ugliness would only distress her,
and she made a VOW never to see a re-
Election of her face.
When she was twenty her father
died suddenly, and she became queen
Those near her at once broke the Sc
cret of her beauty to her, but she
would not believe them Nov that
am queen you are all disposed to
fatter me-" she said, land, though
be uglier than Medusa, you would
make me believe l am beautiful as
Venus Her first edict was that any
one being instrumental in showing her
her features should at once be behead-
ed
Many neighboring princes proposed
for the hand of the queen, but she, be-
lievings in her ugliness, feared that
when they came to see her they would
be shocked. and she would listen to
none of them.
Now. Queen Henrietta having no
strong minister to assist her in gov
erning or to foil her enemies, soon be-
came a prey to coalition of kings
who formed an alliance to invade her
kingdom, conquer it and divide ii
among them. The queen did the best
she could to stem the tide that set in
against her; but, having no general on
| whom she could rely, her forces were
beaten, and there was every prospect
| that her kingdom would soon belong
j to her covetous neighbors. For some
| time a young officer, TheodOrus, had
been rising through merit alone from
one command to another, and at last
the queen decided to appoint him her
general in chief. She had never seen
him-indeed, she knew nothing of him
except what be had accomplished in
| her service.
Meanwhile she was so troubled about
her affairs that no one dared risk be-
ing Instrumental In showing her that
she was beautiful instead Of ugly, fol
In her present mood even the discovery
that she had been mistaken might lead
her to deal numerically with her In
former.
! No sooner had the young genera
| come to the supreme command thar
the tables were turned against the
queens enemies. In q series Of bat
ties In which he displayed not only
great vigor and genaralship, but per
sonal bravery, he routed the armies
of his foes, laid waste their own king
doms and annexed them to the king
dom Of: his sovereign.
] When; the war was over great prep
! arations were made at the capital tt
receive the victorious army. Even be
fore his arrival the queen made Theodo
rus a prince, but this was only the be
ginning Of the honors that were to be
given him. He marched home with thai
portion of his army not needed to con
troll the newly acquired kingdoms anc
rode at its head on its entry into the
capital The queen had directed that
throne be placed on the spacious eleva
ton forming front to her palace upor
which to receive the young hero. Fol
fear he might break the law in show
ing her her supposed ugliness and thus
lose his head she sent him copy OF
the edict embroidered on velvet. Upor
his arrival at the palace he threw him
self from his horse before the throne
and was about to kneel at the queens
feet when he was startled at sight OF
her transcendent beauty. Then, in
stead Of kneeling, he thrust his polish
ed shield before her face. The effec1
was electrical. The queen gazed for
moment at her features, then, rising
from her throne, knelt at her subjects
| feet
'Be thou king" she said 81 am nc
longer worthy to be queen, for yor
have disobeyed my edict and as your
sovereign should be obliged to be
head you. That cannot do"
| fThoOdOr.l1S raising hor lod her back