is desirous of doing everything that can
contribute to my happiness, and I study whatever can make her happy
and contented.

You will see by these descriptions that though my good little wife is
not the tallest Queen, she is a very great prize which I highly value
and cherish....

Now it is time I should finish my letter. Say everything that is kind
to good Lehzen, and believe me ever, my dearest Love, your faithful
Friend and Uncle,

LEOPOLD R.

[Footnote 10: The Royal Palace, four miles from Brussels,
which Napoleon owned for many years. A monument to King
Leopold now stands there.]

[Footnote 11: Louise Marie, Princess of Orleans, daughter of
King Louis Philippe of France, was married to King Leopold on
9th August 1832.]

[Pageheading: A BIRTHDAY LETTER]

[Pageheading: VALUABLE ADVICE]

_The King of the Belgians to the Princess Victoria._

LAEKEN, _21st May 1833._

MY DEAREST LOVE,--To make quite sure of my birthday congratulations
reaching you on that day, I send them by to-day's messenger, and
confide them to the care of your illustrious mother.

My sincere good wishes for many happy returns of that day which
gave you, dear little soul, to us, will be accompanied by some few
reflections, which the serious aspect of our times calls forth.
My dearest Love, you are now fourteen years old, a period when
the delightful pastimes of childhood must be mixed with thoughts
appertaining already to a matured part of your life. I know that you
have been very studious, but now comes the time when the judgment must
form itself, when the character requires attention; in short when the
young tree takes the shape which it retains afterwards through life.

To attain this object it is indispensable to give some little time _to
reflection_. The life in a great town is little calculated for such
purposes; however, with some firmness of purpose it can be done.

_Self-examination_ is the most important part of the business, and
a very useful mode of proceeding is, for instance, every evening to
recapitulate the events of the day, and the motives which made one act
oneself, as well as to try to guess what might have been the motives
of others. Amiable dispositions like yours will easily perceive
if your own motives _were good_. Persons in high situations must
particularly guard themselves against selfishness and vanity. An
individual in a high and important situation will easily see a great