Year: 1868

fQul8lblOn, H0il6 sD6 0i0 DOt IOTgel 10
send to the dying mother every solacs
her tender heart could conceive Of.
Nurses were at once sought, dainty
garments replaced the coarse clothing
of the child, and several apartments
were made ready for its use. An hour
sufficed to transform the unconscious
little creature into princess. Pure
water, perfumes, white robes, host Of
attendants; are not these advantages
equal to royal blood!


1t was necessary, however, to select
names for the child. While the
daughter of an obscure widow, one
name had, it is true, suhiced. But
here hes the distinction between ple-
bsians and aristrocrats. The one may
be Polly or Sally. The other must
bear the title Of her ancestors, and
staggsr through life with their honors
upon her. In this case there were Of
course no ancestors. Children born in
poverty have only fathers and methers.
But what the baby lacked the Queen
possessed, and endowed il with all the
best names of her own high-born race.
But for every day wear and tear, ]. was
only the Princess Noyella vf


For some weeks the Queen was in
raptures over her child and its infan-
tine graces, wherein it bud defiance to
ministers Of state, and all the principali-
ties and powers on earth, afforded her
infuite delight Even the King felt
some respect for being who at so ten
der an age yentured to yawn while he
was addressing it, and to seize mis- nose
in its hands and pub his hair without
the smallest compunction. He began
to fiatter himself that such royal airs
denoted royal blood, and it was not
long before he almost forgot its plebeian
hoFigin.


Now every body knows that the
qualification Of one want does not pre-
clude the uprising Of another. The
human soul is hydra-headed what you
crop of here will sprout out there. Con
Esequentiy the Queen began TO say to
herself that a princess was next to no
princess at all, and that one more, at
least would be necessary 10 complete
her felicity.


When the Countess Reynoss heard
this piece Of news she shook her sa-
gacious little head and said =


Yes, yes, 1 thought SOP


This time | suppose IL must be
prince she saId TO the Queen.


But the Queen declared that, young
and inexperienced as she was, she could
not venture on the fearful responsibility
of undertaking the charge Of boys.


But what does the King say 2 asked
the Countess.


The King, alag is so absorbed in his
horses, MS dogs, and his hunts, that he
leaves all domestic arrangements to me.
If choose TO adopt as many princesses
as be possesses four-footed favorites, ha
will not thwart me-


The Countess shook her head again.
But what this shake portended she
would not explain. Only it was not
long before she brought TO the palace
man who looked frightened out of his
wits, and who had something in his
hand tied up in large red cotton hand
ksrchief.


In his terror at the idea of speaking
face TO face with live queen, he gave
her to understand number Of impos-
sible things, the most important being
the fact that this handkerchief contain
ed an infant who not only possessed 20
parents but never had any, and was
now left destitute and forIorn to his
care, he being its uncle in a remote
way,


The Queen received the gift with az
much delight as ifit were the only baby
on earth. The process of turning it in
to princess of the blood royal was
gone through with. and in few hours
there slumbered by the side of het
dusky sister, fsir-hsired, pale little
maiden, whom every body treated with
with respect, and called the Princess
Mosella.


To make long story short, the
Queen took such pleasure in her chill
dren that she could not rest satisfied
with only two In very short space
of time the Countess Reynosa had rsu-
sacked the kingdom to such purpose
that six little cradles rocked gallaptly in
as many royal nurseries. Dark haired
and light haired, blue eyed and black
eyed, there they were, and, for all they
knew or cared, had king for their
father and queen for their mother.


They all bore the same marks of roy-
atty in supreme disregard Of place and
position; every one of the six took its
turn at discom6ting the prime minister
and routing the secretary of state; and
there was not one who thought the
King made for any earthly purpose but
to pick up their toys as fast as they
| threw them down.


When the Queen had made an the
dainty fingers in the land embroider
garments sufficiently costly and beauti-
full for the purpose, she resolved to have
a grand Christening and display her
daughters to the court OF course the
christening is mere ceremony; admir-
ing six beautiful infants in six robes
such as the sun never before shone on,
is quite another affair,


All the mobiles and grandees we're in
Sited TO witness this remarkable sight.
The whole kingdom was in eommotion.
The men put on their court garments,
and the women exhausted themselves
in inventing new dresses. Some of the
ladies had to have their hair dressed a
week beforehand, and it is to be pre-
sumed did not go to bed during that
period; silks and satins, and lace and
diamonds, formed the staple Of conver
sation, and filed all the heads and
hands that were not already full. One
would need to write whole book il one
would describe the crush and the rush.
the wear and tear, the destruction and
the ruin. The end of it all was ten ex
ira Court Journals, and six Pnncesses,
each with more names than It had
fingers and toes. Somehow, in spite
of the spleudor of the scene, the display
of Jewels, and the destruction Of robes,
the young creatures got actuslIy christ
ened, and were borne away in triumph
to their own domains.


As to the presents laid at their un-
conscious feet, and which they all re-