THE PRINCESS ROYAL OF ENGLAND.

West Coast Times, Issue 613, 11 September 1867, Page 3

THE PRINCESS ROYAL OF ENGLAND.

A correspondent of the New York " Nation," writing from Berlin, gives an interesting account of a fair which, was got up by the Crown Princess — somewhat in opposition to the aristocratic sentiment of the city — held at her own palace, and presided over by herself. He says : — " Among the most valuable or remarkable objects were four drinking-cups of the sovereigns Frederick 11. and Frederick William 111. and IV., a painted glass flagon and glass of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, and an inkstand in exact imitation of Frederick the Great's, purchasable only by a member, of the Royal blood. The above articles were contributed only by the Crown Prince. From Russia came two fine malachite vases valued at L9O a-pisce ; likewise an album bound in malachite; from the Queen of England two magnificent Indian fcrshawls, both bought, I am told, by the richest silk-mercer here, a Jew. The Grand Duchess of Baden contributed an assortment of cuckoo clocks in richly, carved cases, and the Queen of Sweden a" fur cloak. Another royal and generous, donor was the Prince of Wales, whose gifts of Oriental ornaments and Turkish and Japanese weapons took up a whole compartment, and were sold off the first day. The six tables to the right were devoted exclusively to objects of art — oil pictures from distinguished hands, watercolor drawings and prints, and especially five photographs from originals, were placed about in attractive and rich profusion. As special objects of interest, however, were two life-size heads, one of a vegetable girl and one of a fruit girl, painted by the Crown Princess from life, and purchased by the King for 4000 thalers (L 600). They are highly creditable productions — I do not mean for a princess, nor yet for a woman, but just for an artist. The different textures are finely given, the firm fleshed cherries creditably rounded off, and the faces have much and true expression. The same Royal artist and Begas were the sole occupiers of the sculpture table. The living stream has borne me on almost to the arched entrance to the Gedachtnisshalle, when I am stopped by a crowd clustering round a bower to the left. A very brisk sale of flowers is going on in this ' Bude.' Asmall swarthy-complexioned man steps up and selects the very daintiest of bouquets — camelias and roses, if I could see them ; — and lays down a thousand thalers on the silver plate. He does not wait for the nine hundred and ninety of change, but edges his dimiunitive person through the crowd till he finds himself opposite the Crown Princess, to whom, with every mark of respect and gallantry, he presents the nosegay from his master the Sultan. • Well worthy of the golden prime of good? Haroun al Rashid !' " At length the rotunda is reached, and the lady who seems most lively and most simply dressed is the Crown Princess, looking at that moment ' the sweetest lady of the time.' She is giving change for a shilling to the buyer of some of her wares, and calb'ng attention to her other articles. She does not deal in gold and silver and jewels, but in baby-baskets, cradles, staring Highlandmen-dolls, unmistakable little shoes and jackets, penny trumpets, and such like. Rich people might go to the other splendidly arrayed tables, but at hers the poorest might spend his sixpence. Besides there were scope and opportunity for the rich man to spend his gold. Many paid their sixpence jast to gaze and go ; others trembled to find just two feet of table between them and a real, live princess, and had to be reminded' to move on; some bought together the strangest collection of articles — it was too delightful to have a princess serve them. On one of the days a stolid, bulky Pomeranian, confronting her, addressed her thus, ' Meine Ilber Frau Kronprinzessin, I want to buy yoiij eldest son.' She answered, ' I am vtM^~ sorry I have sold all my eldest sons fjOL& I had so many.' 'It would have bdth something for my whole life if I had bought it from you,' reiurned the man. His address was taken, and the uromise given to send the eldest son. He received a hint he should now move on, but he turning once again to the Princess, said, * Frau Kronprinzessin, since you have promised to send me your son, you may as well send me the whole of you !' " But such incidents are far too numerom for guy more to find * place beWi

Propriety bade me move on, too, but it was with regret I left the Princes ' shop.' Nor was the touch of humor wanting. The Crown Prince presided over a certain pink bag designed to trap innocents souls. "Ein kuhner Griff, 10 igr." (' one good grab for ten zwanzigers') was printed outside of it and whoever was bold enough to risk his money came of with a wooden spoon, a sugar mannikin, an empty box, &c, &c. for his reward. The bag was a most popular institution, thanks to the neverfailing flow of humor and affability of the Prince."

Coral Jewelbt. — The special correspondent of the " Times" at the Paris Exhibition says that coral has risen enormously in estimation as an article of jewelry. Pieces that five or six years ago would have sold at twenty shillings an ounce, now fetch one hundred times that sum. Formerly, too, the dark red coral was the most esteemed ; now it has yielded the place of honor to the rose pink variety. Whether this new taste is a mere ephemmeral caprice that will die out remains to be seen ; but it is certain that coral which but a few years since held a secondary place as an article of personal ornament, now commands in the rough price equal to about twenty times its weight in gold.

Enteepbise in China. — English authorities having applied to the Imperial authorities in China for the privilege of constructing a railroad after a delay of many months answer was returned from Prince Kang (the actual ruler), that the difficulties in the way of such a project were insuperable. The prejudices of the people were very strong ; the country of Confucius differed from the wild, semi-barba-rous and primitive regions of Europe, whose inhabitants -were comparatively of recent origin : whereas the Flowery Kingdom was under elaborate culture, and the occupations of the inhabitants were peculiar. Sir Rutherford Alcock, the British minister, probably found more difficulty in appreciating the force of the argument they adranced than in building the proposed road, He immediately advised that the project in contemplation be abandoned. " Eph-raim is joined to his idols." A Young- Woman Bpeied Amve. — A friend gives us the account of a most terrible case of the" burial of a handsome young lady at Jacksonville, Illinois. Some time last summer a young lady of seventeen years of age, suffering with the toothache, went to bed with a small vial of chloroform for the purpose of quieting her teeth. Iv the morning she was found to all appearance dend, which was confirmed by opinions of several physicians who were called and examined the body. She was then buried. A few days since her relatives were about to remove from Jacksonville, having located in another state, and had the remains of the young lady exhumed for the purpose of carrying them to their new home. Curiosity prompted the opening of the coffin, when they were horror-stricken on finding the corpse turned over, both hands full of hair and her clothing turned to shreds, revealing the horrible truth that the young lady had been buried alive. The chloroform had placed her in a deep trance, the awakening of which was in her coffin and grave. The lady was engaged to be married at the time of her supposed death. A more heartsickening case we never remember to have read or heard of. — "Indianapolis Journal," April 9.