"THE GOOD QUEEN."

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 9098, 16 March 1901, Page 5 (Supplement)

"THE GOOD QUEEN."

SOAIE OF HER KIND ' AND GRACIOUS ACTS. English papers received by the last mail are filled, with reference to the late Queen Victoria, and many interesting stories of Her AlajestyV fife are told. I We select a few.-— THE ROYAL PREROGATIVE. How well known is the story of the young Queen saving a deserter from death by the gracious exercise of her Royal prerogative ! It was m the early days of the Queen's reign. A court-martial warrant was presented by the Duke of Wellington" to be signed. It was her- Majesty's first signature to a death-warrant, and she shrank from the task. "Have you nothing to say on behalf of this man?" she asked, with tears m her eyes. "Nothing; he has deserted three times," replied the Duke. "Oh, your Grace. Think again." "Well,, your Majesty, he certainly is a bad soldier; but there was somebody who spoke as to his good character. He may be a good fellow m private life." "Oh, thank you!" cried the Queen, as she wrote the word "Pardoned" on the L awful parchment, and beneath it her signature. . THE TRUE WOAIAN. . But it was not only ih such coses that the Queen showed that beautif ul spirit of true humanity. How many aged invalids have had to bless her for kindly attention to their needs and her visits of ;love and charity. Upon a certain occasion when the Queen was at Balmoral, she went out unaccompanied, visiting the cottages. On entering one she found an old man bedridden and quite alone. "What !" said the Queen, "have you no one to keep you company?" "Na," said the old man. "Aly folks be all away seeing- the Queen; they thought they might get a glimpse of her." Her Alajesty talked to the bid man for a time, and read him a chapter from the Bible. On leaving, she handed him a five-pound note, saying: "When your people come back, teW them that while they have been to see the Queen the Queen has been to see you." It was by such kind acts as these that Queen Victoria endeared herself to her people. The Mife of her Majesty abounded with instances of unostentatious thought fulness m her visits to her subjects.. Especially was this true of the poor and sick, and those lowly members of her ; great empire saw perhaps, more of her true character than others m high stations! A YOUNG PHILANTHROPIST. Even m early life this spirit of love was often manifested m little acts of kindness. When the Queen was only seven or eight years old she had set her heart on a certain doll which she had seen m a shop- window. She had to wait, however, until she. could save the price," six shillings, out of her pocket-money. At last the day came, and the coveted doll was paid for and received. With the precious treasure upon her arm, the litis lady bade' the shopkeeper good afternoon,' and was about to stejj from the door, when a poor, miserableloking object of a man met her eye. He stood aside to let her pass— a mute agonised appeal m his sunken cheeks and> quivering chin. "Did you wish to Speak to me?" asked tho little lady, staying her steps. .-.■ , Encouraged by her winning voice, thepoor man' said, m trembling accents: "I am very hungry. _ I would not ask for help if 1 were not ready to sink with hunger." The little lady stepped back into the shop, approached the woman behind the counter,, and said: "Oh, please, do you mind taking the doll back and keeping it for me for a few days longer? And will you return my money for the present?" ;. This was done, and the little lady/hurrying out of the shop, placed "the whole of the money m the hands of the starving man. He was like one thunderstruck. Never had bounty rained upon . him m such profusion before. The object of her bounty murmured m a low tone, though loud enough to reach her ear: "If the Almighty. made you a queen, it would not be more than your goodness deserves!" Then he hobbled away to satisfy his hunger. THE QUEEN AND JENNY LIND. There is a pretty story told of Queen Victoria and Jenny Lihd, which shows how the modesty of two women/ the Queen of England and the queen of song, caused a momentary awkwardness which the gentle tact of the singer overcame. . It was on the night when Jenny Lind was to sing at Her Majesty's Opera House that the Queen made her first public, appearance after the memorable Chartist day. For the great artiste, too, this was a first appearance, for it was the beginning of a season at. a place where, the yeafl before, she had won unparalleled fame. It happened that the Queen entered the . Royal box at the same moment that the prima donna stepped upon, the stage. Instantly a tumult of acclamation burst forth. Jenny Lind modestly retired to the back of the stage, waiting till the demonstration of loyalty to the Sovereign should subside. The Queen, refusing to appropriate to herself that which she imagined to be intended for the artiste, mode no acknowledgment. At length, when, the situation became embarrassing, Jenny Lind, with ready tact, ran forward to the footlights ana sang "God Save the Queen," which was caught up at the end of the solo by the orchestra, chorus, and audience. The Queen then came to the front of her box and bowed, and the opera was resumed. A BROAD-AHNDED CHRISTIAN. In religious matters the Queen was not only triily devout, but abroad-minded woman who could sympathise with all denominations and Christians, and all shades of belief. A_ , , Alany" years ago the Queen was told by the then Bishop of London that two members of the Royal band who worshipped at. a Wesleyan chapel had refined to «t---tend Sunday rehearsals. 'The men, said the Bishop, "have since been dismissed from the service for these scruples " "What !" said Her Alajesty, "two of my men dismissed for conscience sake? I shall order that they be immediately reinstated. I will have no more persecution m my service on account of religious belief, and I will have no more Sunday rehearsals." And the Queen carried out her resolution. A CHARAIING LOVE CONFESSION. - The letter which Her Alejasty wrote tel King Leopold immediately after the important interview with the Prince, at which she confessed her love for him, was m the following terms :■ ■ "I do feel so guilty. I know not how to begin my letter, but I think the news it will contain will be sufficient to ensure your forgiveness. Albert has completely wonjny heart, and all was settled" between us this morning. ... I feel certain he will make me veiy happy. 1 wish I could say I felt as certain of making him happy; but I shall do my best." Some of the incidents of that confidential interview were set down by the Prince himself m a letter to his grandmother : "The Queen sent for me to her room, and disclosed to me m a genuine outburst of love and affection that I had gained her whole heart. The joyous openness of manner m which she told me of this quite enchanted me, and I was quite carried away with it." In the year following London was thrilled by the joyous scenes of the wedding — a union of pure love.

Air. James Mills accidentally shot his son near Penrith (N.S.W.) last week, mistaking the top of his head for a rat. At Orange the same day a man was accidentally shot, through being mistaken by another person for a rabbit.