Lord, keep his memory green!
The second year of the Queen's marriage wore on to November, and again
the Archbishops and Bishops, the statesmen and "Medicine men," the good
mother-in-law, and the nurses were summoned by the anxious Prince to
Buckingham Palace. This time it was a boy, and the holy men and wise men
felt that they had not come out so early in the morning and waited four
hours in an ante-room for nothing. Prince Albert was overjoyed. Everybody
at the Palace was wild with delight, so wild that there was great
confusion. Messengers were dispatched right and left to royal relatives.
It is said that no less than three arrived within as many minutes, at
Marlborough House, to acquaint the Queen Dowager of the happy event. As
they came in breathless, one after another, Her Majesty might have
supposed that Victoria and Albert had been blessed with triplets. The
biggest guns boomed the glad tidings over London,--the Privy Council
assembled to consider a form of prayer and thanksgiving, to relieve the
overcharged hearts of the people; the bells in all the churches rang
joyous peals. So was little Albert Edward ushered into the kingdom he is
to rule in God's own time.
No such ado was made over the seven brothers and sisters who came after;
but they were made welcome and comfortable, as, alas! few children can be
made, even by loving hearts and willing hands.
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