South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-11-20

] IdUul - AA4b III AAAAtAAAA ANA - Va q
woman who, endowed with all the
/ tastes. virtues and aspirations OF the
solid unimaginative middle class Is
| exalted by the accident OF birth, into
\ the most majestic figure OF her land
/ How the yeast of rank, fattery
power and pomp work upon this
/ particular parsonage TO be leavened
/ is the real theme OF the book
Queen Victoria herself would not
\ have relLshed this volume. Il has
been remarked that the majestic
wrath would have Indignantly brand
ed II es "indelicate. indlscreet and
most reprehensible." but it IS doubt
/ ful II even august disapproval would
| bother the author overmuch.
There were three men who played
colorful and dominating parts in
the lengthy drama OF Victoria's
reign. They were Lord Melbourne,
prime minister OF her girlhoOd
Prince Albert, the husband so pas
sionately adored. so dutifully mourn
/ ed. and Disraen. prime minister OF
| her later widowed years. who, BY
his charming fattery. lifted her out
OF her fog OF mourning into, at least,
a semblance Of happiness.
Mr. Strachey's portrait OF Lord
Melbourne Is q mastery character
I ization. He writes thus OF him.
Probably, II he had been born a
little earlier he would have been q
simpler and a happier man. AS II
was. he was a child OF the 18th cen
fury whose lot was cast IN a new
unsym pathetic age. He was an
autumn rose. And now, with
/ old age upon him, his life took q
sudden, new, extraordinary turn. He
! became in the twinkling OF an eye
the intimate adviser and the daily
companion OF a young girl who had
stepped all at once from nursery
TO a throne.
His comfortable. unpunctual days
became subject to the unaltering
routine of a palace; no longer did
he sprawl on sofas: not a single
damn escaped his lips. The man
OF the world who had been the
friend Of Byron and the regent. the
talker whose paradOXes had held
Holland House enthraued-the lover
whose soft words had captivate6
such beauty and such passion and
such wit, might now be seen, even
ing after evening, talking with IN
finite politeness to a school girl boil
upright amid the silence and th'
lrlgidity OF court etiquette"
He completely fascinated thu
young Victoria. Her diary Is fllet
with page after page OF italicized
girlish gush. But great persona
charm and great ability he undoubt'
edly possessed.
He encouraged her also 20 have
her fling at youth. And very briei
It was for while Victoria was &c
know much solid substantial hap
I piness later she never again IN
dulged or tolerated frivolity.
However, even Melbourne's star
faded on the horizon at the appear
ance of young Prince Albert Of SAKE
COberg with whom Victoria fell
promptly and obliginly very deeply
in love. The match had heen fol
years desired and planned. Her pas
sion for him was at once complete
sincere and uninteresting. For deal
. as he was, and dearer as he became
10 her she never understood him Of
made him completely happy.
Her diary at this time almos
gushed out OF its covers with Ia
jets Of praise turned on IN hi
praise.
OF Prince Albert the biography
chronicles. He was not In love
with her. Affection. gratitude. tbs
natural reactions 10 the unqualified
devotion OF lively young cousir
who was also a queen-such feeling
possessed him, but the ardors o.
reciprocal passion were not his"
They were betrothed, suitably and
tremendously married. There fol
lowed then the years OF fullest sSy
isfaction for Victoria. Years Of ia
tensely hard work. made delightful
because she shared II with a beloved
= husband, years divided betweer
heavy cares OF state and equally
heavy cares OF a rapidly CROWNS
family. The royal couple had nine
children and took them all seriously
particularly BERTHE, the Prince o,
Wales. who inclined 20 be difficult.
she was no longer Lord Mel
bourne's pupil; she was Albert's wife
SHE was more-the embodiment. tht
living apex OF a new era Of mankind
The last vestige OF the 18th century
had disappeared; cynicism and sub
.lety were shrivelled into powder
AID duty. industry. morality and
I1omestlC.ty triumphed over them
Even the very chairs ard tables had
assumed with a singular responsive
ness. the forms OF prim soiid!,y The
victorian Age was In full swing"
/ Albert was not so fortunate in his
satisfaction. In spite OF his high
position, his royal wife. his huge
family. his Crystal palace, his work
we'll and painstakingly done he did
not know happiness. He had a
strain OF darkness, OF melancholy. Of
the mysterious IN his makeup
which. in spite OF his German sense
OF duty and industry. caused him %
be not over fond OF life.
HIS death al ~ effected supposedly
by a chill, exposure. and careless
physician. was. IN reality. matter
OF spiritual indifference toward Nv
ing.
The queen became now the sad
dest figure In England. Crushed, the
light OF the world gone out for her,
she shrouded herself IN Grape upon
\ Grape. Working 20 The point OF eX-
haustion 20 carry out her duties as
her husband would wish. she passed
her days without a single CLEAN OF
light or pleasure.
In 1874. after lonely and embit-
tered years in the queens lie dur
II Ing which she was misunderstood
and even unpopular. Dds-aeu became
prime minister OF England. Then