The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1907-04-09

and she IS n of the social figures of
this fashionable colony.
1t vas through Il ard of introduce
ton from the American consul that /
met Queen R~anaValona. took an in
terprcter with me and by means of i
carriage climbed the winding ways
which cid from the sea to the villa
Of Mustapher SUPERIOR, situated on
h hill six hundred feet above the
harbOr Here, surrounded by great
hotels and magnificent homes, the
former queen lives with her aunt ana
niece, with a French woman who is
called her companion, but who is cal
~ her guard. Nominally she goes
where she p~leaSes, but really she is
closely watched by the government
and her every motion and every word
is reported. When | first presented
my card the servant came back with
the statement that her majesty could
not receive me as Madame Drepcet
was not present and the queen was
not allowed to hold any conversation
with strangers in her absence. She
also sent word that she would be
glad to see ne at ten O'Clock this
morning.
Her Majesty at Home.
When l called | first met Madame
Drepret. was admitted by q maid
servant and waited for awhile in the
reception room at he right of the
entrance, where two Paris hats and
two paraSOlS of lavender and rose
pink which hung on the rack showed
that the aides were at home. When
Madame Drepret entered, my interpre-
ter performed the Introduction and '
presented my request for an inter
view. The Madame replied that l
could have an audience with he-
majesty although It vas contrary to
her custom to receive newspaper cor
respondents. She gave me to under
stand that the queen would not talk
about politics and her own country,
and from the way she uttered the
words I saw thai she meant them.
The Madame then led the way into
the parlor, q large room fioored with
blue tiles and containing many sofas
and chairs upholstered in fine white
satin.
n Pen Picture of Ter Majesty.
We had hardly taken our seats be-
fore the queen entered. Her aunt
was with her and she also remained
during the audience. | arose as her
majesty came in, and Madame Dire
Majesty shook my hand, looking M
straight in h eyes as she babe me
welcome. She has q very small hand
and her eyes are large and beautiful.
She is a fine looking woman and APP
pears much II than she actually
- IN 1880 q iiS IN cAiit VII
forehead, a long, somewhat thin face
and rather full lips. although by no
means as thick as those Of a negro.
Her comleXion is of a chocolate
brown, and it seems to me that her
features are largely Malay. Her hair
is jet black. 1t is straight, rather
than curly, ana she puts ii up in a
great not on the top of her head. I
have already described her dress.
consisting of a simple Paris made
white silk waist and black skirt, ana
have referred to the p~lainness of her
ornaments. Her were as
simple as her dress and entirely free
from oStentatiOn of any kind. In
fact, her every act was that of d well
bred society lady, and her soft low
voice, during my stay, that of the
drawing room. She motioned me to
q chat n sat down on another near
by.
l opened my address by telling her
l had written Il book for the Ameri-
can school children about the Islands
Of the Seas" in which l had described
Madagascar, and that would take
pleasure in sending her q copy at
some future time. | then showed her
some photographs which the Govern
or General Of Madagascar had sent
me to illustrate this book. She looked
over the pictures and at once became
interested, her eyes lighting up with
pleasure as She her far
away island home and the types of its
people.
"Ah! That Was My Palacc.,
An, tina was my palace she said,
as n held ont a photograph of Tan
anarlVo, the capital OF Madagascar, and
pointed to a building in the center.
rising high over the others. upon
which the French flag was hoating.
And these are Hovas," she contin-
ued as she picked up another, showing
a family of Well-dressed colored peO-
pie, n those Sakalavas," as she
looked at 4 third, a group of blacks
with features like negroes. Each pic
ture brought out some remark and
before either She or her aunt were
aware Of it they were talking quite
freely. In the meantime the French
madame looked rather sour and when
/ made 4 direct question as to how