If the King of Italy were to be put out of business along with the others, his family, as neighbors, would be a pleasure anywhere, for both his little daughters and his two sons are as unspoiled as any children could be expected to be. They ride horseback, climb mountains, and fish and enjoy any kind of outdoor life without being a nuisance to their people or those about them.
The Queen of Belgium has three young children, just like steps. Though they are the loveliest among the royal children, they are the least spoiled. When their mother assumed the duties of housewife in Brussels, she surrounded her children with plain, wholesome conditions. The late King Leopold had robbed the palace of much of its splendor, but this sensible Queen was pleased to see that her children could be brought up in a plain atmosphere. Her two boys are splendid sailors and would have no trouble in entering the naval academy in our own country, while her little daughter knows all about housekeeping and is a beautiful sewer. She would certainly be a prize to any young man looking for a sensible wife.
Though kings sometimes have queer ideas as to what is best for their country, they, advised by their wives, nearly always train their children in a plain, sensible fashion. Though they are surrounded by luxury, they enjoy very little of it themselves. Before they are very old their hours are filled with study of some kind, and they are given little time for play. Their days are crowded with military tactics, studies of their own and foreign countries, and diplomatic relations. An hour or two of rest a day is considered sufficient recreation and their summer vacations are limited to weeks instead of months.
THE GERMAN EMPEROR AT CLOSE RANGE