A Royal Widow And Her Escort

Editorial Lonclon Cor, Sïlrit of the Times. But, to return to the carriago and the Qncen. lieyond the occupaDta whom I have named, werc two other persons, ooe of whcirn I must not overlook. He sat n the coupe of the rojal baroucho, on the side toward me, and I bad quickly noticed him as the finest louking man in Ihe whole processioo. He was dressed in full Highland costume, the chief gar ment of which was a rich black velvet (unie, with a tartán sash of exquisito colors falliDg obliquely over the breast and back. lio vvore a boDnct with a cock feather, which set jauntily upoo the head, and his aims were folded with an easy air, as-if he feit he had no suporior in the surrounding audience. He sat directly over the back of the Queen, and was the nearest to her person. I had no idea who this eonpicuous figure was, and set him down at once assoice Scotch uobleman of greal regard ; but as the carrisge passed, I head a lady near me say : "She had much bt.tter have left him at home !" "Yes" said the lady who was thus addre-sed, 'I thiuk so too. It would have shown much inore res peet for public opinión I" In five minutos alter this tho pagcant had f;.ded from the bridge. In lees than an hour from the time she had arrived in town, tho Queen had regained the railway station, aud by two o'clook was back to Windsor, and in the midst of the faithful servaDts who ehared with her the turmoils ot the day I will refraiu from following ihe Aldermen to their houses, or from occupying the reader with speculations as to how they reluctautly laid down their pomp; it is bnougfa to note ihat London, whioh had putup hershutters at 11 o'clock that raorning, resumed trade at '2. In a few minutes after that hour I regained the circle of frieods who had seut me forih, awaiting anxiously to learn how I had been iuipressed with the grandeur of the day. "Well," eaid one of them, "you witnefsed the proceseion, and you ?aw the Queen; teil us now just what you ihought of it." All who wcro present wero English, save myself, but they were all rny fiiends as numbcrlcss courtesies had proved ; - hut t!iey had been in the habit of i-peak ing as freoy to me nbout thiugs Ameri can, as I had 10 them about thiuge Jing lis!), so I feit at liberty to spuak my mind. "I suppo?c ycu havo no objection to my giving you niy real opinión V" gaid I' ol.isjiinga glüss of cbampagae tbat was put into my hand. "Oh ! no," said a ha'f a dozen ; "out with it.'' "Well, thrn, gentlemen,7' said I. '-I thlnk Engláod can produce fuonier sights tbap nny part of tho known wmld. I have never witnessed aoything so thornughiy comical as the proces-iiou of to-day. What you could have doiiu in j'our Ou}' Fawkcs solemnities yester (lay, it ia utterly inipoEBible for iuü to conceivc, nftcr teeing the burlcsquc trot;pc that figared wi;h tho Queen this morning. 1 no longer wonder that this country lina produced a Dickciis : my only surpriso is that with thu material which ab !i:ids in it, for tho lt)dicr;;us, Eoglaiid does not produco a Diokcn.s a wcxL" "Come, come, nosT, tliat is putting it pretly strODg,'1 suid ene of the gentío ineu in a faiut spirit of objection ; but uil tlio party LaughedJ "Well," s-aid snotter, who was a barrÏ8ter of ooDstderablè cmiuenee, and who addressed himsalf to ibe rest, 'I tliiuk it is muoh. to bo regreltcd that Her Mojesty sliould havo sliown suoh a want of respect for public opinión as to havo brought that man out with her agaio." "Yes," remarkcd another, "ihat sc;nd:il had been rather drepped of late, bat tli ia iiKikes the whole thing fresh again.' These retnarks suddenlj flashed back tlie exprestüons of the ladies on the bridge, and my mind gained a new light. "Vha: nmu?" faid I. "Of whom do you epeakï" "Why, John Brown," replied the barrister. "Did you uot see him in Her Majesty's carriage I" ''Was ho tlie man in black vélvet who sat mmediately bebiud the Queeu?"said I. "Yes," replied tho latter gentleman ; "I am sorry to suy it was, and still more sorry to gay that that Her Majesty was liiesed at Paddington Statiou " "Beoausa of Jobn Brown ?" said I. "Tborc could have been no othor cauNo," was l.is rcply. "What do you mean by being hissed?" said 1. "Did oue porson hiss, or did two persona hiss, or did twenty or thiriy persous hiss '(" "Well," said he, "thcre wers certainly twenty who hised." "Thut was a hiss," said I.