A little boy, who lived in Scotland, felt a very great desire to see Queen Victoria. He was an orphan boy, and had no one to care for him. He thought if he could only see the Queen, she would pity, him, and send him school where be might learn to read and write, and, thus, try to work for bread afterwards.
Little Jamie
started off one fine morning for Balmoral, to talk to the Queen, as he said.
Those who heard him thought he was a very foolish, ignorant, little boy to
think that Her Majesty would have anything to say to such a little ragged and
poor boy as he was; but Jamie did not mind what they said. He was quite
determined to see the Queen, and tell all his wants.
When Jamie
came to the castle gate he was going to walk right in but a great soldier
stepped out quite crossly, and said, “ You cannot go in there. What do you want!”
Jamie
answered, "Please soldier, I want to see the Queen.”
But the
soldier only laughed and told him “to be gone;” that such ragged boy as he could
not get into the beautiful palace; and so the poor lad drew back with a heavy
heart, and, sitting down on a stone some few yards in front of the gate, he
began to cry piteously.
Just thEn a
young gentleman came near, and hearing Jamie sob, went up to him, and said
kindly:
"Well,
my little man what is the matter?"
He spoke
gently and he looked so very good as Jaime glanced at him through his tears that he regained his trouble to the young
gentleman who when he heard it all only
smiled and said
"So, my
little man, you want to see the Queen, do you ?"
And Jamie
said, “Yes, sir.'"
“Well,” said
the gentleman, "Will you come along with me, and I will bring you in?"
But Jamie
answered doubtingly.
“Oh, but
sir, you big soldier won’t will let me by neither."
"Oh,
yes, he will," said the young gentleman. “Only try him now. Just put your
hand in mine and trust me and will got you in; for he must let me
through."
Half doubtingly,
little Jamie took another good-look at the young gentleman; and then checking
his sobs, he boldly put his little dirty hand into that of his kind conductor,
and walked off with him to the gate.
Here, the
soldier stepped out and moved his gun, and little Jamie thought he was going to shoot him, but he was not, for he, very,
respectfully presented arms to the young gentleman, and did not mind the little
lad at all.
Jamie jumped
for joy when he got inside the gate; but
he soon began to be troubled again, for he saw another great soldier near the
palace door, so he turned to the young gentleman, and said, as he looked, down,
upon, his rags, that the soldier would not let them pass but the young
gentleman replied: "Don't fear, Jamie, my lad, only hold my hand and trust
me, I'll bring you to the Queen.”
And the
little boy asked, “Gentleman, who are you that is so kind to poor Jamie?"
The young
gentleman said, "Oh, I am the Queen's son, so you see you need not
fear."
The little
lad did not fear after that, but boldly walked past the soldier who was at the
door, and wondered how was that the Prince would walk with a very poor looking boy.
And by and
by the Prince walked into a beautiful large room, and left Jamie alone for a
little bit, whilst, he went and told Her Majesty; and presently he was brought
in to the Queen, who was so kind to him, and pitied him so much, that he sent
him to a good school, where he was looked after, and taught to read and write. The
young prince, by the way, is Prince Arthur. The
Ballarat Star 30 May 1885
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