The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1906-04-30
Unconscious Beauty
IOriginal.l

had been so vain OF ner beauty ludt lie
directed that their only child, daugh-
ter, should be kept from seeing her own
features as long as possible. The queen
died when the little princess, Henrietta,
was an infant, and the king placed the
child in one of his palaces, where she
was brought up in charge of her aunt,
the Duchess Margaret. Not a 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.
"The princess is growing to be very
beautiful" the duchess reported when
Henrietta was sixteen years old, "and
is absolutely unconscious OF her
charms"
"Tell her." replied the king, "that she
is very hOmely."
The order was obeyed. The princess,
VIII W ILLS punt lltiu AloI thouehC Va
her own appearance, was seized with
desire to see what she looked like, and
the duchess was obliged to double the
Instructions 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 VOW never to see 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. "NOw that
l am queen you are all disposed to
fatter me-" she said, land, though 1
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-
lieving 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 prey to coalition of kings
who formed an alliance to invade her
kingdom, conquer it and divide it
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
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 he 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, for
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 general
come to the supreme command than
the tables were turned against the
queens enemies. In a series Of bat
ties in which he displayed not only
great vigor and generalship, 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 to
receive the victorious army. Even be-
fore his arrival the queen made Theodo-
rus prince, but this was only the be-
ginning Of the honors that were to be
given him. He marched home with that
portion Of his army not needed to con.
troll the newly acquired kingdoms and
rode at its head on it's entry into the
capital. The queen had directed that
throne be. placed on the spacious eleva-
ton forming front to her palace upon
which to receive the young hero. For
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. Upon
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 effect
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 no
longer worthy to be queen. for you
have disobeyed my edict. and as your
sovereign l should be obliged to be-
head you. That l cannot do"
Theodorus. raising her. led her back
! to the throne, then knelt before her.
Gracious queen" he said. Il am
| ready as ever to die in your service
! In the field | served an unseen sover-