Page:The Queens of England.djvu/605

VICTORIA. 543 and resentment of the nation, as expressed by the Prime Min- ister, and sent the document permeated with the essenec of the golden rule, thus making a peaceful adjustment possible. The death of the Prince in 1861 was the beginning of the fourth period in Victoria's life. For twenty-two years she was a happy wife and mother, giving loving welcome to each of the nine children and grandchildren as they came to join the family circle. In 1861 two great sorrows carqe to the royal woman. In March her devoted mother died ; it came as the first great sor- row. She realized then, as millions of daughters have realized when the mother love cannot answer to the sacred name, "Mother," how large was the place that mother had faithfully filled in her whole career. But she had her loving husband and her "dear Alice" to comfort her. Little did she dream that a greater grief was so soon to follow with more crushing weight. The Prince Consort was far from well that entire year, and died on the 14th of December. "Few who were present at morning service on the following day will forget the thrill of awe and sorrow which ran through the churches when the name of the Prince Consort was omitted from the liturgy, and a long pause was made after the words ' 'widows and orphans.' To many this was the first intimation of the Prince's death." Royalty is, perforce, isolated in all vicis- situdes of life, and so the Queen mourned alone at Windsor. In proportion to the strength of the tie that bound their lives in one, was her great grief. The knowledge that her subjects through- out the realm and in her remotest provinces mourned with her could in no way lessen the pain. But she was still the Queen, though widowed, and took up her burden of state matters a few days after her loss. She had her devoted daughter for a few months longer, when, in July, 1862, she became Grand Duchess of Hesse-Darmstadt, taking yet another light out of her mother's home. The forty years since sorrow first came to England's Queen have been checkered indeed. The children who came m the first twnty years, bringing joy and gladness, began to answer to the calls of duty and of death. Victoria, the third of the name, and Princess Royal, had the blessing of her father on her marriage, for it was in 1858 she wedded with the Crown Prince of Prussia, afterward, for three months only, Emperor Frederick Third, of Germany. At eighteen she was the mother of the present Emperor, William the Second, and in 1888 the