Crawfordsville Weekly Journal, Crawfordsville, Montgomery County, 25 January 1901 — Page 13

VICTORIA'S TIUITS.

AN EX-AT""ACHE WRITES OF

HER

CHARACTERISTICS.

Slip Out li vcd All the Friends of 11 cr Vmit h,

anil Hapiiiness AVent With Them Her Sense of the Ludicrous—She Almost Missed tlie Throne Kctiiinisct-nccs.

Although it. is impossible to say that Queen Victoria outlived her usefulness, yet she may be said to have outlived her happiness. Dunns lier long and eventful reign—almost, the luigest on record and extending considerably over half a century— she had seen all her oldest, friends and acquaintances as well as numerous members of her immediate family disappear into tht grave, until at last she felt herself (|iiiu alone in the world. Not. a single one of hei former associates to whom she could unburden her mind, discuss the earlier events of her reign, or with whom she could enjoy congenial intercourse, was left. "Mamma is so entirely alone," exclaimed her daughter, the Princess Christian, in my hearing one flay. "You can't imagine, how sad it is for her. We all belong to a younger generation and have different thoughts and sentiments, many of which she can neither understand nor appreciate. Kvcry one of her contemporaries and friends has passed away, and with them have vanished all her old time associat ions. There is no one remaining to whom she can really talk about matters.."

Tho Qwen'.- Sciim' o! tin- Ludicrous. This remark of Princess Christian goes far toward explaining the unhappy and even morose expression thai pervaded the queen's features during the last DO years of her reign, save when something extraordinary occurred to excite her keen sense of the ludicrous. On .such occasions as these she would laugh with a degree of heartiness and even violence that would have com pletely staggered those who had never seen her without that half sad, half sour droop of the corners of her mouth.

I remember especially one case where she laughed so much that she almost had a fit of apoplexy in consequence. The incident which excited her risibility was the in ism" venture of a photographer who had been summoned from London to Windsor to take pictures of her majesty and of her children. It was the lirst time in his life that the man had ever found himself in llie presence of royalty, and he was very nerv ous. So great indeed was his trepidation that on putting his hand beneath the cloth for the purpose of getting the right focus he suddenly upset, the camera. The sight of the latter, with its three legs sticking up into the air, while the frightened photog rapher stood stock still, well nigh pertified with fear and with the black cloth falill hanging over his head and face, struck both the queen and Prince Leopold, duke of A1 bany, as so intensely funny that they both burst into peals of the most immoderate laughter.

The. little great lady fairly shook with merriment as she lay back on the sofa where she was sitting, while Prince Leo pold threw himself on the floor and fairly shrieked with delight. The scene, however, was brought to a sudden and somewhat tragical conclusion, for the prince laughed so hard that he broken bloodvessel and brought on a fit, from the effects of which be almost died at the time.

This sense of the ridiculous constituted a remarkable feature of the queen's character throughout her life ami is noticeable, moreover, in the books which she published concerning her life in the highlands.

Even in her childhood and girlhood previous to her accession to the throne in 18: Queen Victoria seems to have given evi deuce of this underlying current of merri ment and fun in the constitution of hei character. True, everything was done that could be done to check it by her mother, the Duchess of Kent, whose severity and even harshness toward the young princess called forth on one memorable occasion, at a state banquet at Windsor, a violent and public rebuke from King William IV

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Queen Victoria was small in stature and during the latter pari of her life very stout. This, however, did not prevent her from re taining a most remarkable grace and maj esty of deportment. It '.s impossible to conceive anything more captivating and winning than her smile. Always plainly and even shabbily dressed in black gowns that were often rusty, it was impossible not to feel when in her presence that that little old woman had ruled for more than half a century over the greatest and most exten give empire of the civilized globe, and with all that a true, warm hearted woman, full of tenderness, a broad minded, unaffected piety and sincere sympathy for all that are in trouble or distressed, a thoroughly hu

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ALBERT KDWAIiD, VICTORIA'S FIIISTISOIIN. man empress in fact, whose affections, thoughts and utterances were understood and appreciatsd at their true value by her subjects.

Coming to a throne tarnished by the im moralities of her predecessors, Queen Vic toria completely reformed the moral atmos phere of the court, and to a certain extent also of the entire British people, for notwithstanding all the epithets that are hurled against it British society is today infinitely superior in morals as well as in honor to what it was previous to 1S37. Vice there is and always will be in a metropolis so large us London, in a society so elastic and accessible as that of England, but vice is no longer so rampant, so unblushing and so public as in days of yore.

That Queen Victoria fostered the fine arts is best shown by the fact that a large proportion of the former enormous imports of art objects from France into England have now ceased. Britain has learned to supply her own demand for art objects Iler majesty's interest in such matters as these was only natural, for she was one of the most accomplished women of her do minions, being a painter of considerable merit, a musician of rare talent, a clever writer, a* shown by her "Highland Leaves," and ft remarkable linguist. Not content with knowing German, French and Italian, the set herself down when past the aue of

t0 to st u«i_v 1-i uidoo, and was able at. lie mie tif her death to converse freely with her two »r three, Indian body servants.

Moreover, her long experience as a ruler and the proi'.mnd knowledge which she possessed of inn-rnatinr.nl politics were almost without parallel among the l'uropean sov ereigns and statesmen, and endowed her with great prestige and influence. The latter, exercised wit li much cant ion and foresight, proved siil'iicient on several occasions to avert continental wars, and it is no secret that, Km peri' William of Germany and Alexander 111 of Russia were restrained from lighting for years by nothing but the wise intervention of Queen Victoria.

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STORIES OF A SOVEREIGN.

A nerdoi es About tlie LaM Ouoi'ii Victoria 1- mm Various Kourecs. Victoria used to sleep between woolen blankets or sheets woven especially for hei use. hey were made very soft and fleecy and thin, and ar- she never used them after they were washed she required about eight new pairs every month. When she had dis carded hem, they were sent to the hospitals. One firm supplied these blankets to her majesty tor'years. In order to keep her

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A 1.7.3 AN TIP. A, ALU MKT E DW AKD'S COXSOKT. feet warm she had queer little contrivances —fur lined bag^ muffs"—made by the same linn. This concern also regularly red rapid her r.:oms with chin".:: cretonne.!, always ol tla- .-an-e design a:.-l e..hiring, which by royal order might not be dupli cated for any one else.

The queen hated tobacco smoke with all her strength, and it was forbidden to every one to indulge in the fragrant weed wi i::: the walls of Windsor. It is not recorded that this rule was ever relaxed but once, and that was on the occasion of the visit of King Charles of Roinnania to her majesty ill 1802. Then the smell of Havauas was observable everywhere save in the apart aients of the queen herself and the adjacent corridors. On one occasion a cabinet min ister. who was devoted to his cigar, received a letter from the queen's private sec retary. Sir lienry Ponsonby, saying that in future the monarch would be glad if the official would refrain from saturating his dispatches with tobacco smoke before send ing them He turned the royal snub to ac count by writing a note to each of his col leagues telling them that it was the royal order that in future they should not smoke when preparing dispatches for the queen.

Victoria always took most of her personal belongings with her when she went, on a journey, and it was therefore no easy task for her household to make the change from one place to the other. The moving of the court from Windsor to Osborne is described by one who has helped in the moving as "worse than three fires and an earthquake all at once." Everything except the car pets and pictures had to be removed from the royal chambers after her majesty left them and set up in good order in the other palace before her arrival there.

Upon one occasion Victoria wa.s ready to start, had donned her bonnet and seated herself in her carriage, when it was noted that the mistress of the robes, the late Duchess of Sutherland, was not in her seat in the carriage opposite her royal mistress. There was a row, but presently the missing woman appeared literally on the run, and in a drenching perspiration, and visibly frightened. The queen looked at her tardy subordinate, but instead of scolding her took her own watch from her belt and pre sented it to the duchess, saying, "Your watch must be a bad timekeeper—let. me give you this one." whereat, the duchess wept for joy.

Tlie life of a maid of honor, lady of the bedchamber or other female member of the I household at Victoria's court, while not at all that of a menial, was not in any sense a sinecure, but as service in the royal house bold confers great social prestige the posi tions in question have always been eagerly sought. Victoria's women used to take an enrly breakfast and await a summons from their mistress before venturing into her pre.sence. The morning was usually passed in reading the newspapers to her majesty till near luncheon time. The queen par took of this meal with her own family, the women of the household eating apart at 2 o'clock.

From 3 to 4 p. m. the women accompa nied their mistress on her daily drive, after which they read, arranged photographs or completed fancy work begun but not finished by royal fingers. This continued until the queen's dinner hour, about 9 o'clock. By this time all concerned were likely to be weary, and no one was ever heard to complain because the "waits" or terms of service rarely if ever exceeded five months in any one year. The pay of the ladies of the household varied from£300 to £500 per annum. Most of them were peeresses, or at least of noble blood. An untitled woman who was a member of the queen's household was privileged by reason of her service to use the prefix honorable before her name. Among the duties of the ladies in waiting during Victoria's reign was the repetition in her majesty's ears of all thecoui-L tatt le of the day.

Victoria's appetite was good. Here is a menu of a luncheon served in 1892 at the home of her granddaughter, th« Duchess of Fife, to which the royal grandmother is said to have done ample justice:

Minced venison, boiled capons, ox tongue, cold roast chicken and York ham, colli grouse, cold roast sirloin of Scotch beef, pastry, ehedar cheese and salad, l.ssi champagne, dry biscuits ami 30 years old dry port.

Victoria possessed a most remarkable memory. She rarely forgot a face, and to the day of her death she could recite the pedigree of almost every noble family in England, of all the German royalties, the exact arrangement of everything in a chest of drawers locked up a twelvemonth before, and every slight or civility offered to her consort, Prince Albert, during their '-'-i years of married life.

The queen was very fond of dogs, and her kennels at Winn*or used to house about. 50

THE A WTO DS VILLE WEEKLY JOURNAL

uf them. They were pettcvl in lite by royal hands, and at death received elaborate burial. The kennels at Windsor are elab oraic affairs, the yards being paved with red and blue tiles and the "bed chambers' with white bricks, and contain sleeping benches covered with straw, hot watci pipes, baths, etc. 'iled portico along the front of tho kennels, where Victoria used often to walk, is known as "the queen's veranda."

Nearly 110 years ago an American visiting in London, and who saw the queen shortly before her coronation, described her thus "She is a dainty little maiden, only 4 feet 10 inches in height, with a delicato figure flowerlike face, a slender ann and exqui sitely poised head. The face wa.s a little pensive, but nevertheless mirthful, the coiners of the mouth turning up decidedly The tendency of the upper lip was to curl and like most English people she la-Id hei lips slightly open, allowing a mere sugges lion of white teeth to appear She wore a simple gown of soft white india muslin bound around the waist with satin ribbon Iler waist was an English one. long and slender. The dress was embroidered with field daisies, and strings of pearls wen around about her throat. Her arms were quite bare and without ornaments, and sin wore no rings on her slim fingers." She re tained her regal bearing to the last, but al most every other characteristic given in this discript ion disappeared many years he fore her death. is said that Victoria used to considei herself really at home in but one place, and that her private garden at Osborne, on the

Isle of Wight. There she had a plot of ground —her own private property on which no stranger was ever allowed to in trude. A Swiss chalet has been built there and fitted up as a sort of family museum and in the grounds themselves Ihe queen has exploited her personal taste in the mat ter of tree planting. Royal marriages were commemorated by planting slips from a myrtle bush.

Not far from this row of trees is the mourning row, all planted by her majesty Of late years tlie younger members of the queen's .army of descendants have rfonc much of the tree planting, and the place is full of all sorts of trees in commemoration of all sorts of events. A feature of the gar den is a wooden playhouse built nearly 40 years ago by Victoria's eldest son, Albert Edward, and his brother, the Duke of Edit) burgh. In this structure the playthings ol the queen's children are stored. There is also a miniature fortress built by these two under the eye of fheir father, the princrconF.ort, when they were boys.

When the daughter of Sir Henry Ponson by, the queen's private secretary, was mar ried, the queen asked Lady Ponsonby il there were to be many present at the cere mocy. "Far from it," was the reply "The house in Embassador's court will not per mit of a crowd. It is to be very select.' "In that ea«e," said the queen, "perhaps there will be room for an old lady among the guests —an old lady like me!" And 'then Lady Ponsonby went nearly mad with joy because of the distinction vouchsafed her daughter's nuptials.

When tin: queen went on a railroad jour ney, all traffic was stopped on that particu lar litie for a quarter of an hour before the passage of the royal train and for 10 min utes afterward as well She had an im movable prejudice against traveling fastei than 20 utiles an hour and w.is never con tent to travel at night.

In her younger years Victoria devoted much time to art, etching being her favor

DUKE OF CLARENCK, VICTORIA'S GRANDSON Deceased.| ite form of expression. One of her earliest pieces of work was a portrait of her eldest daughter, Victoria, now the dowager F.m press Frederick of Germany. A room in Buckingham palace is fitted up with all necessaries for etching aud printing, and there the queen and the prince consort used to pass much of their time absorbed with the etching needle and the printing press.

A very commendable trait of Queen Vic toria's character was her loyalty to hei servants. Though exacting even to the point of severity in ber demands upon them few mistresses, royal or otherwise, haveever been as considerate of those who served her as was her majesty of England. When famous old John Brown died, she was so greatly all'ected as to cause ridicule on the part of some journalists as well as othei folk, and there was even a suspicion of scan dal in some of the gossip tiiat got abroad This died out long before Victoria's death and was doubtless without foundation.

The queen wrote much, but published liu tie. The two volumes, "My Life In tluHighlands" and its sequel, published short ly after John Brown's death, were singula! productions. The first was intended as vent to her feelings on the death of Prince Albert, and the other filled the same pur pose after the decease of Brown. Both are dull, and both disclose as far as may be the daily life of an exalted personage, wki was, after all, but a woman, and in some ways a very weyk and foolish woman, but one who was of good heart, possessed ol many noble qualities and of unquestionable purity of life.

Tli« World's 1*ropress During Victoria's Reign. While Victoria was on the throne, serf doni was abolished in Russia and slavery done away with in the United States and Brazil. Russia lost some territory in Hu rope, but gained in Asia. Turkey sank from a first rate to a no rate power. Africa WHS largely explored, and the dark places on its map nearly all cleared up. The age of ste.-i,m, only fairly begun when she as cended the throne, reached its highest es tate apparently, and the age of electricity was ushered in before she died, the tele graph, the telephoue, electric lighting and electric transportation all coming into be ing. The advauoe in science generally was marvelotis. Literature and the useful arts flourished as never before. Education wamore widely diffused, and the newspapei press became a factor in affairs. The cause cf constitutional government progressed everywhere in the civilized world save pethaps in Russia. Even i:i faraway Japan the old form* of government were superseded In short, the progress of the world in near ly every direction during Victoria's rv.ign w:i.« iM-cat.er than ever before.

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Dress Goods.

Piulil ili-ess troods that were 15c are 51 lc vd. 45 pieces plaid novelties, plain cashmeres, plain cloths, all wool, worth 29c, 40c, .r()c -nnd (iOc, choice "5c yd. fiO pieces stripes, plaids and fancy mixed I- novelties, Venetians and plain all wool cloths, worth 50c, Ode and 75, at Hoc yd. All wool dress stuffs in plain shades, plaids, stripes and novelties, also Astrachaas, 54

Indies wide, worth 75c to J1.50, at 50o yd. All wool stuffs in plain shades, a few fancy novelties and a choice line of heavy cloths and frolf plaids, that were $1, $1,50 and $2 the yd, al 75c yd. All oar best golf plaids, 50 inches wide, that were $2 and 12.25, are $1.50 yd. Fine pebble cloths in yrey and brown shades that were $2.50 are $1.50 yd. Black crepons that were $1.50 are $1.00 yd. The ¥2.50 and $3 black crepons arc $1.50 yd.

The Silks.

The L. D. Brown Sons' Co. well Itnown and most popular guaranteed high grade Peau de Soics and Satin Duehesse, 21 inches wide, the$l.50 grade at $1.2U. The $1.15 grade llsc. L. D. Brown Sons' Co. Peau de Soies, 22 inches wide, worth $1.75, at $1.48 the yd. 24 iacli worth $2, ut $1.69 the yd. L. D. Brown Sons' Co. Satin Duehesse. the best values ever offered in black dress silks, 24 inches wide, worth $2.52, at, $l,f9 per yd. Worth $2.5U at $1.85. Black taffetas that were $1.15 al 85c yd. High grade black Irish poplin dresssilks, 21 inches wide, worth $1.25 at 85c. the yd. 27 inch black taffetas worth 90c at 75c yd. Yard wide black taffeta worlh$1.50at$l.'20.

Yard wide black taffeta, the best value we have ever offered, at 90c the vd.

Colored Silks.

Our entire line of colored silks in plain shades and fancy stripes, plaids and brocade?:. full dress or waist lengths, the entire stock of velvets and velveteens aud

Wm. Skinners' yard wide satins, all at very decided reductions.

Hosiery.

Ladies' heavy black cotton hose, ho seams, 12!4Ladies' heavy fleece lined hose, ribbed top, worth 25c at 19c pair. Ladies' very heavy lleece lined hose 12!4 pair. Ladies' good quality fleece lined hose 8c pair Ladies' plain or ribbed wool hose 19c pair. Ladies' good wool hose for 12!-4c pair. Boys' extra heavv bicycle hose worth 20 and 25c for 17c pair. Children's black wool hose, double heel and toe, double knee, worth 25 and 35c, at 21c pair. Heavy lleece lined hose for boys and girls, worth 25c, at 19c. Children's lleece lined hose worth to 18c, at 1254c pair. A good fleece dined hose for children al 8c pair.

Infants' black cashmere hose worth 25c, for 19c. All legging at 25 per cent discount. Wool stockinet at 9c yard.

Ladies' Waists.

Waists of polka dots, plaids and plain colors, worth 75c and $1, at- 48c. Of flannels aud flannelette worth $1, at 73c. Four styles in cashmere and Itanncls worth l.5ii, atfl.lo. S S 15 waists in flannel worth $2 to $3.50, at $1.50. French Hanncl and cashmere waists, all colors, worth !?2 to $2.50, at $1.73. 8 waists in plain and embroidered Hannel, worth ¥3, $3.50, $4 and *5, at $2.48. Silk and satin waists worth $5, at ¥2. Worth $3. $3.50 and $4.50, at $2.(5. Worth $0.50 aud $7.50, at. $3.50. Worth $5.50, $0.50, 17.50 and $8.50, at -f-1. 3 waists worth 1.5'. 812 and $15, choice $7.50.

Blankets.

Large size cotton blankets 40c pr. Extra large cotton blankets, the 87c kind, white or grey, at 55c pr. Extra large and heavv white or grey blankets worth $1.25, at, 75c pr. All wool blankets, fuli size, worth $2 and $2.25, at $1.49 pr. Extra large and heavy all wool blanke's, white, grey or scarlet, worth $3.50, at

S2.49 pr. lingular $-1.50 to $5.50 all wool blankets, in grey, white, scarlet, etc., Including some Younlsville goods, $3.49 pr. Bates" bed spreads worth $ 1 at 75c.

yy Special Notice

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i27-i29

I The Quiet After the Storm

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OW delightfully pure ami cool the air, how much brighter everything seems, how anxious we till tire to resume the interrupted tusk of pastime after the storm clouds have passed away. It's just so with the Big Store autl its people after Christmas rush. We settle down to the more serious merchandise, the clearing up of the stock and the selling of the remnants of winter goods that it was best and necessary to neglect when your mind was on the buying of presents, And wo do it with a better feeling and more ambition than ever before, for we are conviuced you appreciate our efforts to give you an up-to-date store and service, aud that our general plan of conducting this business is the right one. And that briugs us to our present task—the selling of all winter goods at reduced prices that we may have no old stock to show you another year. Just one of the details of the general plan. While our various heads of departments, and our almost hundred of regular employes,as well as the score or more of extra salespeople, have worked to their utmost and put in many extra hours' time to serve our interests and give you the best of attention, they, and we, feel a renewed interest in the business and a desire to surpass in the year to come our success of the one just past that will result in good to you. With this idea in view we have already started a clearing sale that has never been equaled in this city in extent or opportunity to buy large lots of merchandise with small lots of money. We mention but a few tilings, but every department in the store offers great bargains.

The Holiday Left-Overs.

Notwithstanding the Christinas buying for two weeks was almost, double that of any previous year, there ure many left-overs. Preparations were larger, the assortment greater, therefore the left-overs. We wouldn't have it otherwise. We want the last customer to be as well pleased as the first,, and if the stock wasn't more than ample they wouldn't be, and this store wouldn't bo as well thought of as ft is. and it. wouldn't have grown so wonderfully. One of the secrets of our success: plenty to select from when you want it, and then close the balance out to best advantage possible, at once, that we may show all new things when you want them again. Some other merchants we know would bo better to pursue the same plan. Well, they are welcome to the hint. But. to the left-overs. There are many small lots, not enough to mention individually here, because they wouldn't last perhaps until you would come for them, and then you'd be disappointed, while other items we hadn't, mentioned might remain and lie better value, so we whet your appetite by expectation. And you'll not be disappointed either when you come, no matter how much you expect.. Beautiful articles in .Jewelry, Fans and Leather goods, tine, perfumes in dainty packages, Gloves aud Mittens,

Handkerchiefs, fancy Hose, men's Neckwear, Suspenders and Mufflers, Silk Umbrellas, Silk and Flannel Waists, Purs, Cloaks, Millinery, Jiabies' Wear, Towels. Napkins, Table Linens, Bed Spreads, Table Covers, Curtains, Sofa Pillows, Trunks, Valises, China, Cut ('.lass, Silverwear, Candy, Dolls, Toys, (James and Books all bought for the Christmas trade, and now must be sold. A fourth, a third, and in many instances a half litis been chopped off the former price.

In Chinaware.

At 9c articles that were 10 to 15c. At 23c articles that were 30 to 50c, At. 48c articles worth up to $1.00. At 98c articles worth up to $2.00,

The Candy.

At 5c lb. good Christmas mixed Candv. At Cc lb. pure sugar stick Candy, At 9c lb. 12Hc and 15c fancy mixed. Al 17c lb. line Chocolate Creams will 2oc At 27c lb. our best, assorted Chocolates and Bon-Bons. as good as you pav fiUc for at many candy stores.

Men's Furnishings.

50c Neckties at 25c. 50c and 75c Necktios at 39c. 75c, $1,00, and $1.50 Neckties al 50c, 25c linen colored border handkerchiefs, 2 for 25c. Large squareMufliers, 17c. 25 and 35c Suspenders, 17c. 4.1 :l-

Perfumes.

'2Or pacUii^r(!s, J4Je. frOc piifkws, ttUe. 75c packn^cs, rfk\ puckiitfes, 75c.

The Books.

About lot* copies lute copy wright novels, some slightly soiled, published at $1.25 and $1.51), choice 75c. loo small gift books in dainty bindings, such as we sold at 25c, but slightly soiled by handling, all good titles, 13c, 2 for 25c. Children's picture books, worth 5c at 3c. worth 10c at Oc, worth 15c at 11c, worth 20c and 25c al 15c, worth 35c to 51 cat 25c.