THE QUEEN IN IRELAND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 11371, 14 May 1900, Page 3

THE QUEEN IN IRELAND.

POOR OF DUBLIN AS LOYAL AS ANY. Tub Dublin correspondent of the New I'ork Herald writes: — Dublin', April 9. In order to gauge the sentiment of the people regarding the Queen I purposely stationed myself to-day among the unwashed throng at the corner of Berkeley and Blessington Streets, absolutely the most squalid district through which the Queen passed.

An attempt bad been made, humble though it was, to decorate this particular quarter, whsre debts and misery are more plentiful than all else. These are just the class of people, especially the women folk, who cannot leave their houses, and never do leave them— which appear to be warrens for guttersnipe children.

These people know nothing of formalities. Thev appeared in their crowds on the sidewalk in ordinary working dress—few have any otherbareheaded, rough-looking, but when the Queen appeared they were not a whit less enthusiastic than the ready-lunged students of the university, whose loyalty had been shown to be extreme on the day of the Queen's arrival. They cheered, oh, with such energy! to the echo. They raised their children shoulder high to show them the Queen. It was a revelation! The Queen I noticed to be looking exceedingly well, but serious. Events at <**' seat of war may easily account for that.

ERIN'S CHILDREN SEE THE QUEEN.

UNIQUE FESTIVAL IN PHCENIX PARK.

Dublin, April 7.

They called it "Children's Day." In sooth, whet children there were! What numbers of them! Just fancy near unto 40,000 lusty, enthusiastic Irish children, brimming over with enthusiasm, each yearning to sec the Queen, and realise thus tho ideal which for weeks they had lived for. None who read this have, perhaps, seen 40,000 children together, and few can realise even how many they look. Seven thousand came from the town schools and the rest from the country, The effect was wonderful, and from the point of a unique show it proves the feature of the week.

Nearly all the contingents brought banners, inscribed with their place of origin, and individually nearly all carried smallei or larger flags, as the case might be. Each had a bag of victuals, outside which were written, that it might serve as a souvenir, the dates of tho birth of the Queen, her accession to the throne, her visits to Ireland in 1845 and 1861, the Jubilee, and so on.

Two sweet little girls in white, win brown stockings and shoes matching their hair, and with large bunches of shamrocks on their chests, were Sir John Arnolt's twin daughters, horn in the Jubilee year. " Curiously enough," said Sir John. Their particular role was to present to the Queen a magnificent bouquet in a basket, the whole handle of which was a mass of shamrocks.

At one o'clock sharp, when most of the children were in place, making a line of about a-quarter of a mile on eithei aide, a forest of waving (lags and chattering youngsters, the cry rose up, "The Queen is coming !" Some thought she would come in her denkey carriage, but no ! She came in semistale—that is, with two pink uniformed outriders and a pair of horses, with postilions, two Scotchmen behind, police outriders, and others—in fact, just enough to give the children leal pleasure. I told you how on the Queen's arrival here she was exceedingly pale. To-day the contrast was great. 'Dublin aii is notoriously healthy. It has agreed with Her Majesty amazingly. The Queen's appetite since beiirr here is wonderful. The morning had been threatening, but, of course, the sun came out brilliantly, setting off to its full effect Die garland of shamrocks, in silvei spangles, worked all around the Queen's diminutive sunshade. It is a peculiar affection of Her Majestv to carry almost a child's-sizcd parasol. Her bonnet was also trimmed with a silverspangled shamrock. The Queen adores children, and looked immensely pleased when the bouquet was presented'to her. 'Ibis, by the way, was so large, that it was all Princess Beatrice and Princess Christian could do to raise it (and they laughed nt their own efforts) to the Capo carriage behind. The Queen replied that she appreciated very much this bouquet as coming from the children of Ireland. To all the children of Ireland she sent her love. Then Sir John and Lady Arnott were presented, and were thanked. Once down and once up the line of children the Queen went. When she returned the side on which she was was busy cheering, and the other, for the length of a-qnarter of a mile, was singing " God Save the Queen."