TROOPING THE COLOUR.

Otago Witness, Issue 2467, 26 June 1901, Page 70

TROOPING THE COLOUR.

"It was miv the year 1878 " (writes a correspondent of Modern , Society) | " ihat I" first saw tne Crown Princess of Prussia, now the suffering Empress round whose sick bed so much sympathy is gathered. A lucky chance brought me close to her. and for more than an hour I sat a few yards fiom her chair. I can remember now the expression of her mobile face, and the sound of her voice, and even some of her conversation, although other , excitements came thickly around me just ' then to distract my attention and to blur the distinctness of my memory. My young and wondering mind was rather ; dazzled by the great personages and bril- J liant scenes among which I found myself. I

"It happened in this wise. I was staying in London for the first time as a ' grow n-up young lady,' my childhood having been, spent in the remote wilds of the far west, and my experiences of men ai:d things were naturally but .^mall. My uncle and ho<t was an old Artilleiy officer, and on the day before that appointed for the keeping of the Queen's birthday he was talking about the Trooping of the Colo'ir on the Horse Guards parade ground the next morning. ' How I should like to see it ! : I fervently exclaimed. He looked up sharply. ' Then why didn't you say so before? It is too late to 'get tickets now.'

"Say so before? I hac 1 never even heaid there was such a thing as ' tiooping tho colour ' ; it was all a bit of this extraordinary London world which baffled me by its immensity at every turn. ' Then if we did get tickets it would only be for the lines,' he went on. 'and you would have to stand for hours bohind the soldiers keeping the ground, and you are snhc a short little thing, you'd see nothing. But if you like to send, on the chance, do ! Sit do\.-'i here at my desk, and write at my dictation to my old friend Sandfoid. He is secretary to the Duke, and will do what he can. That's right ; here, I'll sign it ; and just you get it posted at once. Not much use, though !'

" ' ISTot much use ' — my common snnse echoed the words, but the very «iphc of ibe address to 'The Secretary to* H.R.H. the Commander- in-Chiei' v, as a pleasure. Ihe letter was posted. By r.turn came ill » answer, and two tickets." not for 'the lines,' but for a balcoivy on the building of the Horse Guards itself. The Duello of Argyll had died suddenly, and in c >i.sequence tickets allotted to very distinguished people had been returned at the ]«i«t moment, two of which were at the disposal of Colonel Saadford's old friend.

"And so next morning a very awestruck and entranced young person found heiself perched on the' second row of Chairs in a v ide window overlooking the whole brave show, while the sweet May sunshine streamed over the jark. and the brisk wind tossed the plumes on officers' hats and the tassels on the trappings of the horbes of the band just below The crowd stocd in dt'nse black masses behind the line of .«• earlet and steel, the soldiers marched ai.d countei -marched, and the cavalry sat like statues in the sun — a brave show indeed for a little countn girl to see. "And then Royal carriages drove along the Mall, through the lines?, and across the Parade; and 'the' Princess, the Piince&s of Wales, fair and gracious, together with her girls, came up the stairway and took her place in the centre window, close beside us. And other ladies followed, and the chairs were al l filled and the National Anthem suddenly stopped, and the grooms put on their hats. The ceremony had begun. "&. very glittering and picturesque sight

it was, as indeed all Lovdon knows. T!:9 Prince ot Wales was '•uiioimded \v a bulliant group, con^picui i.- among whi.li was a glorious ii--:me in j -vi'ite uiiifotm v iih it gieat helm of l^o'icl and vt°el ri*-ii>_r abuve the noble fate." "'J he Civ.wn Prince,' '•ouiso3ie whispered to we ' .SVe ; lie salutes his wifr.' -V'id ."t lh.it moircnt the big cluuvei v.i'<« n.-.'. 1 d up, divl its rider ra^cd Ills eye — I k"ilh<l I cui'ld .-cc the n\isli of ulesi b''ie is Le d d 'c— and turned his shining sv. orrl-bla ' m it-cognition and salute. Mvl a l"dy. Mtting in th? n»rt, bert over cvd : aid two litcle gji\s and a brtrht-faceJ I'd in a white 'ailor tint returned the ii r ieeiT^. 'It w?s the O-wn IV>nce«. ' <>w Piince<=s Fuy-I. ''hen in the high tide of H-r foitxir.fs\ind Wp r.f. Her hu-bandjiad proved himself a, kmghtlv soldier, and no or.c M'&pecced then that in that splcrdid frrane were Hiking the seeds of fell disease. The Crown Princess looked very r-plendd herself, to mv girlish eyes Her dress was oi delicate blue-grey 'satin, flounced ard frilled ar- wets then th? fashion, and diapeel with splendid la:<\ H=r bonnet was set far b.ick horn her face, which ws full of expression ab she talked with much emulation to th'>se about her. "Presently a gentleman in a closelybuttoned co it cams a.id bent to her. I recognised Lord Beacon--neld at once. Xo one was ever s>o l : kc Ms pictures as Disraeli ; h^s face Icked very a^ed ; those great black eyes "i Ins were haggard, ar.d the oncer elf-lo:ks were lanky and thin, but lie bore himself almost like a boy as he stood there talking to the Crown Princess. It was just at the time of the scare of imminent v.-.ir with Russia : ths Indian troops had been brought to Malta, the Reseivcs> called out, ai:d politics were in a most exciting state all round. "That conversation between the Queeifs ' clever daughter ' and her astute Prime Minister must have been intensely interesting, but as for me, I heaid only snatches of their talk, and those snatches 1 did not understand. Oilier gentlemen came up when Lord Beaconsfield retired, statesmen and soldiers and men of letters, for the Crown Princess had kept the links very tight that bound her to her English horn.. Many who loved and honoured her then have* preceded her to the Land of Shadows, and she herself is standing on the shores of the river that rolls between that world and ours. Her father, her husband, her mother, her friends — there will be many to welcome, as well as to mourn, when Victoria of England, Empress of Germany, pusses from earthly ~sight for ever."