Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-10-22
WHAT ELIZABETH MISSED.
Good Things and Undesirable Things
lackino In Her Day.

Lacking In Her Day.
Our secretary Of agriculture, the
Hon. James Wilson, recently dec'ar-
ed, says the Memphis News Scimetar,
that the average laborer Is now liv-
ing better than did Queen Elizabeth
in her time"
In many respects, yes. We have ac-
quired a great many comforts that
the good Bess never dreamed Of. She
had many palaces, but not one Of
them was fit for the modern family
of moderate income to inhabit. They
had big rooms and rugs, tapestries
and the like, but in winter the fire.
places smoked and in summer tiles
and other pests abounded. There
were no heating apparatus, no wire
screens, no toilet apartment no
elevators. When the head Of the
state wished to take a bath a big
tub was hauled in, and in this she
abluted.
When she set out on a voyage the
vehicle, finest Of its kind, was big,
springless, heavy, awkward, olting
contraption, without speed or any OF
the comforts. When she rode 1t was
on a bum old forerunner Of a saddle
or on the pillion behind her lord
treasurer or some other accommo-
dating statesman. Shoes in those
days were uncomfortable and all
made. The postal service was poor
ly organized, and the telegraph and
telephone were not invented. Cook
ing was done on gross scale. Whole
animals were roasted on spits and
great hunks were carved or torn on
and set before royalty in that shape
as before others.
There was no running water in the
homes, and the old oaken bucket was
the medium through which thirst
was quenched.
They had a sort Of ale or malmsey
which was good enough for the times,
but as Milwaukee had not then be-
come famous and Kentucky was an
unexplored region, the very best ever
never touched her royal lips nor
lifted up her queenly spirits.
She missed a great deal. But
withal she seems to have enjoyed life
In her free and easy way. She had
fawning courtiers and lovers and
Drlllldnl SOClcly. "hCu liihCo "SAS y
dull she would give block parties,
taking her friends over to the Tower
to witness the official elision Of some
former favorite's head.
There were no .airships to distract
her attention from her queenly du-
ties. There were no automobiles to
force her to gather up right royal
petticoats and scamper scared half to
death across the streets. There were
no trolley cars with straps upon
which she was forced to hold when
returning tired from a shopping trip.
There were no trusts to fix, at their
sweet will, the prices she must pay
for what she would eat or wear. She
missed the breakfast food age. She
did not have to dodge any camera
f1ends whenever she went out for
constitutional nor avoid moving
picture takers when on royal trips
through the dominions. There were
no such things In those days as ap-
pendicitis and pellagra- The awful
bacilli and microbes which the
scientists find nowadays in every
thing from drinking mugs to kisses
had not come to warn Of deaths
ceaseless lurkings.
Taken all in all, while admitting
that the well-paid workingman of
today has very many comforts, we
must insist that Queen Elizabeth had
much to be thankful for and missed
many things for which she should
have been thankful had she only
known.