The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1906-10-14

particularly irksome for them 81 they
had any such custom, for the Royal per-
sonages of this small country love 10
frequent places crowded by people, and
TO come and go as others do. The Bel
gians pride themselves on this unfetter-
cd movement. and while the people Of
other Kingdoms make q great point -
fiouriShing their hats and handkerchiefs
ut kings and princes (Obliging kings and
princes to an almost perpetual hat lift
ing, in return, whenever the set foot out
of dOOrs) the Belgians pride themselves
on respecting the incOgnito'' of their
royalties Theirs IS, ia reality. Tar the
more courteous and kindly proceeding,
and one consequence Of X is that the
Princess albert and her little toddIers can
and do take their walks abroad in The
simplest manner, enjoying their lovely
parks and avenues Of Brussels, and the
broad sands of Ostend with untrouble1
freedom The courtesy of the people
goes further. indeed, for while there is
no apparent edging away IN contrast 10
other countries, there is not the leayi
crowdng about the spot where the royal
children play.
1 do not think it is the glamor which
surrounds royalty as much as the real
affection. the sense that the little boys
are "Our princes which makes every one
look with particular klndHness on the
Eambols Of the little princes. and which
brings g smile TO every face which looks
on them. There are none in Belgium who
refuse that smile. and, truly, it is mer-
tied, for the TWO little princes Of the Bel
gian house are open, bonny children.
They have already learned the lesson,
which has sunk 50 deep into their par
cnts' minds, that il is the duty Of princes
10 content and please the people, and
they are already considerate for all they
come in contact with and eager to please.
TIER mother is great patroness Of chill
drcn's holiday homes by the sea, and all
such institutions, and the little princes are
constantly brought into contact with
their poorer fellow citizens Of their own
age. In thrifty and sober Belgium there
Is no tragedy Of child life. and the poor
children are as gay, as well nourished,
and as stOutIy clad as the royal princes
who come TO visit and play with them in
their kindergartens and in the villas at
the seaside where the organization which
Princess Albert protects secures summer
holidays for thousands every year.
Mother Practices Hygiene.
There IS a great display OF wonderful
baby clothes whenever a royal baby IS
born in Belgium. and on such occasions
the mothers who claim Princess Alberts
friendship or protection, or who belong
to any Of these iunumerable societies
with which she is connected, manage to
get within the palace walls on some pre-
text or another, to present an address in
common, or il may be, individually, to
carry their congratulations with a bunch
Of flowers to their patrCness, and for
months afterward they tell wondrous
tales Of lace and ribbons and muslin of
cradles and pillows and pincushions. But
generally the clothing of the little princes
is exquisite only in its freshness and sim
plicity. Their mother, with her German
good sense, and her special medical lore,
is high Driestess OF hygiene; she wages
uUceasing warfare against microbes. She
prides herself more on particularly use
full and clearly combination Of toilet Ia
bic and baby's bath than on any lace
draped cradle, and so far, in the earliest
years Of her motherhood, did she carry
her precautions against infection that oil
entering the nursery from the street had
to cover their clothes with & huge overall
This DreCaution is now dropped, but furs
are still strictly forbidden. and the baby's
grandmother herself, the widowed Coun-
tess Of Flanders, Prince Alberts mother
has to remove her furs on entering her
sons palace, before her grandchildren are
let near her.
Every mother would do well 10 follow
the careful example OF tho Belgian pTin-
cess in the separation Of her children
flcm all contact with dirt. and in Y }rd-
ing of evil from them as fer rs possible,
hut watching these gay little tots, one