We are a mean people sometimes. It appears that the
Queen intends to expend a part of the Jubilee money to be presented to her by the ladies of England, on an equestrian statue of the Prince Consort, to be placed in Windsor Park. This caused dis- content. the ladies apparently thinking so much honour paid to a husband most inexpedient, and an official intimation has been issued stating that the Queen will devote the remainder of the money to some great work of charity. It seems to us that her Majesty is ungenerously treated. Every town is using the Jubilee to buy itself a park, or a library, or a cemetery ; every petty charity is working the idea to advance its own pecuniary interests ; and every pretentious advertiser is calling his specialty a "Jubilee" something or other. But in the midst of the fuss, nobody—except the Emperor of Germany—thinks of a gift which may give personal pleasure to the Queen. She had to think even of that statue for herself, and is, in fact, in the posi- tion of the child who is so good that she has a whole sovereign given her for herself, but must not spend it. Suppose London, the only town in the Empire which has mach to forgive the Queen, who ought to live here steadily through the season, presents her Majesty with a purse to be expended upon anything which will give her pleasure, but is not useful to others more than to herself? The " Jubilee " is being overdone, and we should like to see a little more household feeling and less calcu- lating selfishness in its celebration. Who gives a friend ten pounds on his birthday, with instructions to give it away in coals?
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