The young Queen Wilhelmina of Holland, who was recently confirmed in the Lutheran faith, has arrived with her mother, the Queen Regent, at the little mountain village of Lugny, near Aix-les Bains, where she will spend the winter. Queen Wilhelmina has now completed her sixteenth year and will soon assume the duties of her station. She appears to possess decidedly more character than most girls of her age. She has always been very tenacious of her dignity. While quite a little girl she would never endure any familiarities on the part of her playmates. "You forget Tam the Queen," she woul say with much dignity on these occasions. When paying her morning visit to her mother, it was long her habit to knock at' the door and say in a commanding tone, "Open; it is the Queen of Holland."' She is' intensely proud of being a member of the House of Orange and is never tired of reading of the achievements of her illustrious ancestors. When in the course of her historical studies, she became acquainted with the terrible cruelties trated by the Duke of Alva in the Netherlands some three hundred years ago she put down her foot with emphasis and declared: Well, after that, the King of Spain shall never come to my Court."
The young Queen's chief characteristic is outspokenness. Many stories are told of her exploits in this respect. While on her visit to Queen Victoria last year, the Prince of Wales asked her what had most impressed her during her stay in England. "fo see how amiable the people are," she replied; 'I should never have suspected Holland." The Prince was greatly amused it, judging by the specimens one sees in by this unconventional answer. It is related, however, that a member of the Dutch diplomatic service had much less reason to appreciate the Queen's directness of speech. He had received. her in the course of one of her foreign tours, and was asked if he had any daughters. He replied in the affirmative. "Then pray send for them," continued the Queen; "I do so want to see some Dutch girls and speak Dutch with them." Unfortunately, your Majesty," the Minister replied, my daughters were born abroad and have never been in Holland, and they only speak" "Oh, you needn't trouble them in that case," interrupted his sovereign, "I don't want to see any Dutch girls who can't speak their own language."
On one occasion the young Queen's outspokenness placed her in an extremely unpleasant situation. She was sitting for her portrait to a well-known Dutch painter, and tired of having to keep still she remarked to her mother in French: 'I wish this everlasting painter would finish; I am perfectly sick of him." The artist took no notice of the remark, but went on with his work for a few minutes, and then turning to his sitter he quietly said in French: "That will do for to-day," and retired leaving the Queen in a state of confusion not often experienced by persons of her exalted station.
Queen Wilhelmina entertains decided views on the subject of matrimony. "TI am very fond of my people," she is reported to have said, ''but if they imagine I am going to take any husband they choose Political necessities, however, are pare for me, they are yoy much mistaken." mount in the marriages of Royalty, and Queen Wilhelmina may have less voice in the matter than she imagines, Her father King William IT when some obnoxious decree was presented for his signature would often tear the document into small tolly that he would never sign it. The jieoes, and declare with much strong Minister, however, always had another copy in his pocket, and when the Royal min the Suplicste was produced and the signa-was sufficiently disabused of its pro ices, ture obtain It is to be hoped that King William's daughter will be equally amenable to reason.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.