The Washington herald., 1912-03-31

THE EARLY COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
By Clare Jercld. Illustrated. C. p. Putnam 4
Sons. New YORK.
The author has drawn the portrait
of a good, frank, and well meaning girl,
not a creature of perfection" but one
whose fault OF unreasonable pride had
been fostered by a mistaken education.
Her belief in the infallibility OF herself
and the crown was the result Of her
training at the hands of two narrow
minded, conventional German women of
the old school,, the Duchess Of Kent, her
mother, and ner bourgeois goyerness.
Fraeulein Lehzen. 1t is said that in her
mothers house there was no spot in
which she could shed tears unseen. In
fact she frequently mentions her Sad
and unhappy childhood" It is well
known that the first request which the
young Queen made TO her mother on
the day of her accession to the throne
was that she might be left to herself for
two hours. Her half-sister, Fedora Prin-
cess of Leiningen, has often referred TO
their barren childhood days
The first independent action Of the
young girl signalized the last quarrel be-
tween the King CWilliam) and his vim
dictive siSter-in-law. Nlctoria's mother,
With his death Victoria mounted the
throne and forever passed from under
the thumb of her mother. The author
repeats only what has been known all
along. when she states that Victoria was
hard in her treatment OF her parent, but
no doubt the quick-witted girl knew
how unfair IL was TO the government and
the people to have such a power behind
the throne. She was less wise in her
treatment of her ex-governess. She kept
the woman about her and IL was not IN
til several years after her marriage that
her consort, Prince Albert. weary of the
companion'0s perpetual interference, man
aged at last to get her sent away. She
actually had the incredible folly to be
Jealous of the husbands influence over
his own wife.
Victoria soon learned to transact all
state business direct with her ministers
ana in difficult matters consulted freely
with Lord Melbourne. the premier. Prince
Albert was a mrn Of great culture with
no liking for the conventional small
talk. He cared for literature. art, and
music, but for these things the young
queen had no particular liking. She had
intellect, but little culture, and while
the Victorian age was remarkable for
its literature, that Literature owed nothing
10 her influence or appreciation. But her
sad childhood had no doubt a great deal
TO do with her firm character. Her dig
nifty was as conspicuous as her modest
grace. At the very first meeting of her
privy council 1t was discovered that she
had a will OF her own. Theauthor gives
a curious account in the concluding chap
tiers of the extraordinary disorder and
confusion in the royal household, authorr
ity being divided among too many high
officials, with the result that nobody was
directly responsible for the Queens or
her guests comfort, until Prince Albert
and his German friend. Baron Stockmar.
brought about a domestic revolution But
this doubt.
THE GREEN VASE By W. R. Castle. r.. Dodd.
Mead & Co, New York.
The initial problem OF the story is that
of young woman marrying a strong,
ambitious man. whose big heart she rec
ognizes under his surface vulgarity. At
the same time she cannot deny herself
the friendship OF another man, who, in
social position. Unborn refinement and
wealth, represents all the unattainable
things that her finer nature Graves
A number Of unexpected complications
occurring, the story becomes one of
strong interest and great power, one
that causes the reader to think. causes
discussion and sticks to, the memory.
stephen Bond, the villain, is a sure
enough bad man of the worst type. for
he steals the wife Of a man he well
knows, not having found out her charms
until she had left his employ as stenog-
rapher. The plot is somewhat extraor-
binary. There is q strike, the car In
which the woman and Bond ride is blown
up and both are rescued In the bay
and taken on board a vessel that lands
them in New York The heroine loses
her memory. and while in this condition
Of aphasia, Bond abducts her all the way
TO Arizona, where they live together.
he leaving her in ignorance of her past,
until the lung trouble that had compelled
him to seek the dry air of Arizona kills
him.
The former husband, on visit to Bond,
whom he still believes his friend, hears
of his death and hastens to Tucson, un-
aware Of what Is in store for him until |
the priest Of the mission, In whom Bond
had conflded. hands him the traitors |
posthumous letter
South Boston. i must confess, is great |
" abused ss q place TO dwell In by the