1 Slst Aug. To-pay, the Slst of 'August, Wilhelmiva Helena Pauline' Maria completes her.-eighteenth year: and assumes the sceptre of the Netherlands. Good-looking, amiable, and very rich, this young heiress of. the House' of Orange would seem almost to have been sent by heaven to: reign aver the Kingdom of Holland.' he -only-surviving child of her father,.. Willem III, who died in 1890: after reigning 41 years, the fruit:.of -his: second marriage with Adelhaid, Princess: of Waldeck. and; Pyrmont, who. lias been Regent for eight years, she ascends' to-day one of the most desirable thrones in Europe amid the congratulations and. good wishes not only oftlier own: people, but of all the nations round her. Since Belgium was' constituted an independent kingdom by the Ireaty of London in April, 1839, the kingdom. the Netherlands has: led a placid and prosperous existence; its only: trouble, which has.not cast muck of a shadow over its prosperity, being the desultory war that never ends in Acheen: Everyone spanks well of the young Queen, who mother, the Queen, Regent, and promises has been. admirably brought up by her
to make' an admirable sovereign; and limited as the Kingdom of the Netherlands is in-extent, there ate, we imagine, few thrones on the Continent for which the girl-Queen would willingly exchange that on which she steps to-day. here are not many Hollanders in-Shanghai, but we all join with them in the best wishes for their new Queen and we heartily hope for her a long and happy reign.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.