Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1916-09-06
king and QUEEN
OF The BELGIANS
MIR, AND MRS. NORTON GRANTED
AUDIENCE WITH THE
,. QUEEN.
THE King LOVES AMERICANS
Letter of Mrs. Norton Full of Interest,
and Tells of Characteristic
Qualities Of the Queen.

Letter Of Mrs. Norton Full of Interest
and Tells of Characteristic
Qualities Of the Queen.
But how came it that we were privi
legged to spend fortnight in La Pan
ne, when the time limit for all visi
tors is at the most two days?
We had been ignorant of this re
striction, up to the time of reaching
La Panne, hence the letters written tt
our boys, giving them fifteen days a.
the duration Of our visit there. Aftel
learning of this austere regulation
we had no time to re-communicate with
our soldier friends, as strange as il
may seem, letter takes longer t
reach them at the front, from La Pan.
ne, than it would from London; Otter
week being occupied in transit.
We had several letters Of introduc.
tion, to officials, but those to whom
we appealed, were kindly, but power.
less. 1T is impossible for you to re-
main longer" was the verdict Of Head
Quarters. Then wonderful thing
occurred. A Captain. to whom we had
presented letter Of introduction, be-
stirred himself in our behalf, and
wrote letter to the Queen, asking
that she might grant us an interview
We had already requested such an in
terview, only to be told that Her Ma
jesty was so occupied, that longer no.
tice would be necessary in order to
secure this privilege. And we must
leave in a days time.
Then it was that our friend the
Captain came to our rescue. He wrote
us also little note, which reached
us by special messenger at midnight,
telling us that he had sent a special
message to the Queen, and that he
hoped for the best results, also telling
us that we should remain close to the
Hotel the following day (our last),
in order to be ready to receive any
word that might come from her Ma
jesty. 1t is needless to state that we
did not wander far afield during the
next twenty-four hours!
The whole day passed, but no word
from the Villa Royal. By six o'clock all
hope had died. Very sorrowfully but
resignedly we packed all our belong
ings, and awaited the motor car that
was to convey us to Dunkerque, BY
courtesy Of the Grand Quarter Cen
eral. ia
Six-thirty and there was a knock at
our door. 1t opened to an imposing
looking Major. From the Villa Royal
he came, with the royal summons, to
wait Immediately upon Her Majesty.
No time was lost in making rapid
change of toilette, and we descended
to the street. We must not keep a
Queen waiting, so we commandered
the first motor car in sight, which
changed to belong to an officer need
less to say there are no taxicabs In
La Panne,) and we proceeded on our
way.
There are no very great distances
in La Panne, and we had walked up to
the beach to within sight Of the Royal
Villas, already several times, but this
time all was different, we were tc
enter there!
The Villas themselves, presented nc
striking contrast to their nearby
neighbors; simple and unpretentious
they little resembled the aboGe of Roy
atty. But although we had not beer
long in La Penne, we had been lone
enough to gather fleeting glimpses o.
their Majesties, as they moved abou
simply and unostentatiously amongs
their people, and the simplicity o
their abode matched the extreme ant
absolutely self-forgetful unpreten
tiousness of their daily life.
At the entrance to the larger Villa
we were met by an official who col
Quoted us to the rear, from whence w
passed to the second and smaller Vii
la; here we were met by footmal
who threw open a door at our right
and announced us to Her Majesty
Queen Elizabeth. AS we entered tn
comfortably furnished salon, lightet
by a shaded table lamp, we were con
scious that the Queen was standing
alone in the centre of the room, AM
IS we advanced toward her, she he'll
hny hnr n Hryith a
smile of greeting.
For us it was truly great moment
not because she was a Queen, but be
cause she was the Queen for us, of al
others. the Queen owned and belove
of all our Belgian boys, the Queen o
whom they had told us counties
stories, illustrative of her quiet hero
ism, her self forgetful devotion, he
tender pity, and generosity Of heart
One of our boys had told us how whel
he lay in the hospital in La Penne
with just one great longing, that h
might be sent to an English hospital
that there entered the room where h
was lying, slender figure clad Il
white. Others in that hospital had seel
that gracious figure, day after day
as she came to give of her strength AM
skill and love. to comfort and aid he
stricken soldiers, but this was his frs
glimpse of her.
Before he knew what he was doing
he had unburdened himself of all hi
longing for the sweet green fields
Of England and Her Majesty had as
sured the boy that she would hersel
see to his transfer.
Another Of our boys, bearing proud
ly on his breast the military decora
ftinn hiuhnst of III in the Ralpian arnn,