The National tribune., 1910-05-19

SnrlStGnuOm dCneS lot pun SA-QueSi
Alexandra. The stories given us by the
papers of her frequent visits to the
room where her royal husbands body
lay and her solitary vigils by his side
have awakened the profoundest sympa
thy. Unlike any other woman in hel
realm similarly afflicted, she has MOI
been able to give herself up TO ner gflel
She has been forced to remember that
her exalted position called for the per-
formance of certain duties, and no mat
ter in what anguish her soul might cry
out for a brief period of secluslon, she
has been forced to Stiile this cry and &C
bravely' on. The still, cold body OF hei
husband now, as when animated by al
the springs of life, belonged not to hel
alone. but the Nation, and the blessed
privileges accorded the poorest ano
humblest of her subjects had TO be re-
lfnuuished by her. The Queen Mother
as she is to be called, has been allowed
little rest since her great bereavement
She has received certain visitors, ar
ranged for the reception and accommo-
dation of royal guests, and. pale Out
perfectly composed, has made little
change in her daily life as far as the
performance of her duties is concerned.
What she suffers when finally left alone
at night it is easy TO imagine. In spite
of the tendency of the late King when
Prince of Wales to seek the society OF
been a very warm affection between the
royaI husband and wife, and on her
part a loyalty and devotion which mas
been almost past understanding. Her
wonderful tact, discretion and generosi-
ty probably saved to her her husband
love. To most of his various women
friends, she has ever been most sra-
cious. no matter what her private opin-
ion might be. 1t is said that since the
Kings death one of these went 10 the
palace to look once more on the face Oh
him who had signaled her out for spe-
cial favor. On the threshold OF the
room where the dead monarch lay, to
which she had been conducted by an
official, the widowed Queen appeared.
The intruder stopped, made deep
curtesv to the Queen, and in falterlng
voice remarked that she supposed she
would never see Her Majesty again.
s"Why so?' replied Alexandra, with gra-
cious dignity. Are not the hlhs
friends always my frlends?" How many
women are there in the world who
would have had the strength of charac-
ter tc make such generous reply
Alexandras life has ever been lived on
that high plane and in that pure ether
where consideration of self, Jealousy
uncharitableness, etc, could not exist
Noblesse oblige has been a part OF ner
religion, and nobly has she lived up to
it. 1t is presumed that the -beautiful
palace of Sandringham, which was pur-
chased by King Edward out OF his prl-
vate purse many years ago, and which
Alexandra has had fitted up entirely TO
her own taste, will be left to her, ana
that she will make it her principal fu-
ture home
Tt is strange how men and women,
strictly honest in all other business
transactions. will plet and plan to cheat
the custom house officials. To them It
is not lying to say they have no duti-
BILE articles in their trunks If they nave,
nor stealing to get them thru the GUS
tom house without paying any duty If
they can. Women are constantly re-
turning to this country with handreds
and sometimes thousands OF dollars
worth of things slowed away in their
trunks unwrapped, of course, and MADE
to look as innocent as possible, which
they do not declare. In fact, old stag
ers have found it the wisest course to
declare nothing, answering the oh1clai
request for a statement of their belong
fngs as clothing and personal effects,
and trusting to luck to get out OF the
custom house officers hands without
discovery. Many such people do get
off each year without the payment OF
a cent of duty, but every little while
some one is caught. Just the other day
Frank w. Rollins, former Governor OF
New Hampshire, with his wife, son and
nine trunks. landed in New York. They
declared only one article, fur jacket,
valued at $500. The nine trunks looked
suspicious Women do not usually carry
very much clothing with them when
they go abroad. planning to get lot OF
new things in London, Paris. etc. Mr..
Rollins was asked quietly If he didn't
think he had possibly made mistake
and forgotten something. He went off.
and after a private consultation with
his wife and son returned and told the
official that, inadvertently. he had
omitted to mention a cheap necklace,
three gowns of his wife's, q couple OF
suits for himself, besides a few other
mere trifies. In spite of this, the Off
ciaIs remained suspicious, and the nine
trunks were very carefully searched.
Enough was discovered in them to war
rant their being ordered to the ap-
praiser's storerooms, and to insist upon
an examination of the persons of Mrs.
Rollins, her husband and son. Jewelry
was found on each which had not been
declared Gov. Rollins and his son
were held as smugglers. arraigned be-
fore a Federal Commissioner and re-
leased in $4,000 bail. Mrs. Rollins took
TO her bed at once, and was too i'll to
appear before this official, but will be
obliged to do so later.
Inc MdTQulSe Oe + OnleUOy, VINO Keeps
the readers of her most interesting let
ters exceedingly well posted as TO the
doings Of royalty, tells US that the new
King of Belgium, Albert, has decided to
Eell all of his holdings in the Congo
which came to him thru inheritance
from his late uncle, King Leopold. AL
most as soon as Albert came to the
throne he determined upon a thoro in
vestigation of the Congo matter. and
Impaired this determination to the Gov
ernment. He felt that this could be
much more easily accomplished if he
were not a stockholder himself, hence
his desire TO sell out. His ministry have
opposed him in this step. but the King.
to whom the atrocities connived at by
Leopold were abhorrent, has remained
firm and fixed in his determination. The
Government warmly approves his
course. King Albert has already sue
ceeded In disposing of some of his
Congo stock, and the proceeds from
these sales have been largely used for
the benefit of certain phiIanthropical
Institutions, hospitals, schools. etc,
which have been started in Belgium's
new African colony and which are do
Ing so much for the bettermcnt of the
natives. He has also contributed gem
erously TO the School of Tropical Medi-
cine at Liverpool. where experiments
are being conducted all the time In the
hope Of discovering some cure for the
terrible sleeping sickness so prevalent
and fatal in certain sections of the
great African Continent.
Opera singers, in particular, have
every reason to remember the inventor
of the DhOnOgraDh in their niqbtIv