Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-07-27
| Wofched the
Old World
CrumbIe
Continued From Double PageJ

their Princess TO their heart. She
was real woman. She would
make a great, sensible, a warm
and kindly Queen.
OF all the people in Belgium
who approved the new Crown
Princess, the most approving was
her husband. Leopold adored
her and those fits of melan-
choly and silence, which since the
war some had noticed in him,
seemed to be passing away. Mar
riage and his sensible young wife
had made a different man of the
King
SO two other children were
born TO them. Later, great
tragedy came 70 them when King
Albert met his death while noun
tain climbing. Then young Leo
pold. stern-faced, stricken. fol-
lowed his fathers body on foot,
bare-headed, 10 the grave. And
the good Belgians said they were
very glad King Leopold had a
loving young wife TO comfort
him. Her love would keep him
always from being too sad.
So the new King took up his
duties, his beloved wife at his
side. And things seemed well
with Belgium. For year and
more after the old Kings death,
the youthful King and Queen de-
voted themselves unselhshly 20
their work. TO their family, and
to their common people. But at
last came an Autumn. with the
anniversary of their wedding APP
preaching. So they decided
again TO take a little holiday;
TO drive up TO the Lake Lucerne
country where they had spent
their honeymoon.
They went off gaily, Leopold
driving the car, just as any mid
dle-class young husband. with the
good sun streaming down upon
them and the blue air bracing,
that young married pair who had
done their duty so earnestly. then
gave themselves up 20 their holi-
ef.les-ef- that
honeymoon, there I'm the corrr4
tryside where they had spent IT,
Neither Of them imagained
neither dreamed, OF what the
dread fates were preparing
The tragic accident that
waited, on the curving road be-
side the lake, the world has
heard about After it was all
over. the poor young King, his
own head bleeding tragically.
held his poor dead young wife
against his heart supporting her
head, as though she were sttll
living. when already the doctors,
again and again had assured him
Astrid Of Belgium was dead.
Finally, numb in his grief, the
husband carried her in his own
arms TO the automobile. And,
days later. he followed her
cortege on foot, with barred head,
TO her grave, after a long night
spent watching alone beside her
bier.
All. those were sad days in
Belgium, as the young King re-
viewed that accident, blaming
himself, accusing himself Then,
from melancholy. he passed 10
deeper melancholy till. one day,
he told his mother his aeeisieH:
Il want TO abdicate, and go
into a monastery j cannot con-
tinue like this. / need the COM
forts of religion. l have decided
70 take orders"
His kind and Borrowing mother
demonstrated. She called in
Bishop Jasper and Minister Van
iceland. She begged them to
talk 70 the King. They told him
he must not abdicate. Kings were
like soldiers. They were held by
their oath. They must carry on;
a nations happiness depended
upon them.
Sadly at length, young King
Leopold was persuaded. He
promised TO give up his idea of
becoming monk, and TO
struggle on.
In those years, all Of us In
France and Belgium knew how
hard he worked and how he pun
ished himself with long, grim
hours Of work. He lived with
his mother and his children, in
the royal castle set in it's own
park, on the outskirts of Brus-
sells. From here he motored every
morning sharp at eight, TO the
city palace in a busy street of
Brussels where, all day, he
worked as hard as any driven
clerk. This programme he fol-
lowed year in and year out, save
for a little vacation at lie Zoute,
which he took each Summer with
his children and his mother.
r-..-. - - f1uo...oI 81. go,,a