A PROMISING PRINCELLING.

Samoa Times and South Sea Gazette, Issue 50, 14 September 1878, Page 4

A PROMISING PRINCELLING.

The King «| Hulkud has hail the reputation of being sadly too much given to the tender passion, and indeed to occupy himself with that exciting amusements so luuoh more than with the more serious but far less interesting affairs of State, that those of his subject* whose morals ■ are of a better regulated quality, or.' whose' Opportunities fur mischief are not so plentiful, are discussing the question of how decently to got rid of this elderly Adonis. Abdication (the polite term for deposition) is a word therefore often on their lips. But whom to have in his place P That is just the puzzle. Like father, like son; and the Prince of Orange, or " Citron," as he is familiarly nick named by the Parisians, among whom lio now is, happens to be a thorough chip of the old block. If Citron, therefore, were to <be chosen to reign in place of his dear papa, the result would assuredly he an illustration of the homely .proverb about getting out of the frying-pan into the fire. There is, however, another son endowed with hotter qualities, but unfortunately, in poor health; and also a younger brother of the king, who is said to entertain more sober notions on the subject of running after other men's wives, and is therefore, «s a matter of course, much scandalized at the immoral goingson of his near and dear relatives. But it is so easy to be virtuous when virtue seems to open up a prospect of winning the crown. Citron, as though blindly bent upon running his own chances of wearing that covering for an uneasy head, has recently been getting into a tremendous scrape, which really reads like a romantic chapter out of a French novel, Spanish comedy, or Italian opera. He sent a note to a lady of his acquaintance, one moving in the highest circles, asking her to diue with him at a certain cafe

restaurant in Paris. By way of a joke he signed the invitation " Orangeade." The lady, perhaps in the flutter of excitement, was careless enough to leave the letter on her dressing-table, where the very last person in the world who ought to have found it of course lighted upon it—her husband. But he judiciously breathed not a word of his discovery to his too fascinating spouse. At the hour of assignation ho feigned to have an greoment to dine at his club, but really went in search of the police. Accompanied by.two of the force, he betook himself to thu.restraimt and peremptorily demanded to be shown into the private room where -his wife and the Prince Royal were 'dining. Mine host was t;ik.'ii aback, he hud not had the ghost of u suspicion as to the exalted rank of his guests ; but his better half, with a woman's wit, detecting the situation at once, came forward, and, with the most innocent of countenances mentioned the name of a distinguished general,and declared that ho and a party of officers wore dining in that particular .room, ana must on no account be disturbed. The policemen, having no warrant, had to withdraw; but it was derided byrthe three conspirators that they should watch outside, which for the three hours of i intensely cold weather they actually did. At the end of that time, nothing -auspicious having occurred, and their patience being exhausted, a return inside the restaurant was effected, and the party were allowed to enter tho room to which 4hey had before desired to penetrate. The remains of dinner for two were found two only ! Oh, Mrs. Boniface, what a large-sized fib you had told!); hut the diners themselvos had disappeared. What had of them ? A barber had, during these three hours of breathing time, trimmed the Prince's beard, and produced a short, curly wig for the lady ; and, napkin in hand, and attired in a waiter's Jacket and apron, Citron had actually served hot punch, &c., to the freezing husband and detectives seated outside the restaurant. Meanwhile, the lady, dressed as a pastry-cook's boy, with basket on hood, had quietly passed out under the very noses of the spies. The story would never havo been so rapidly let out but for the fact that Citron grumbled at the long hill mine host presented, and also neglected to tip the subordinates wfco hod so adroitly helped him out of the scrape. This want of toot on his part naturally loosened the late allies' tongues, and directly the false waiter had slipped out of sight the real waiters opened *beir mouths -with good eflect and enlightened the indignant nusband as to the true history of the escapade.— " Eve's Granddaughter," in Sau Francisco ■Chronicle.