amiable disposition.
I send her to-day a little heart for the hair of our blessed Angel,
which I hope she will often wear. Our girls have all got one. I have
written to the dear child. You should have the dear children as much
with you as possible; I am _sure_ it would be so _good and useful_
for _you_ and _them_. Children ought to have great confidence in their
parents, in order for them to have any influence over them.

Yesterday Vicky was ten years old. It seems a dream. If she lives, in
eight years more she may be married! She is a very clever child, and I
must say very much improved.

The state of the Continent is deplorable; the folly of Austria and the
giving way of Prussia are lamentable. _Our_ influence on the Continent
is _null_.... Add to this, we are between two fires in _this_ country:
a furious Protestant feeling and an enraged Catholic feeling in
Ireland. I believe that Austria fans the flame at Rome, and that
the _whole movement_ on the Continent is _anti-Constitutional_,
_anti-Protestant_, _and anti-English_; and this is so complicated, and
we have (thanks to Lord Palmerston) contrived to quarrel _so happily_,
separately with each, that I do not know _how_ we are to stand against
it all!

I must now conclude. Trusting soon to hear from you again. Ever your
devoted Niece,

VICTORIA R.

My longing for dearest Louise seems only to increase as time goes on.

_Queen Victoria to the Duchess of Norfolk._

Windsor Castle, _22nd November 1850._

MY DEAR DUCHESS,--It is very remiss in me not to have sooner answered
your letter with the enclosure, but I received it at a moment of great
grief, and since then I have been much occupied.

I fully understand your anxiety relative to the proceedings of the
Roman Catholic Clergy, but I trust that there is no _real_ danger to
be apprehended from that quarter, the more so as I believe they see
that they have been misled and misinformed as to the feeling of this
country by some of the new converts to their religion. The real danger
to be apprehended, and what I am certain has led to these proceedings
on the part of the Pope, lies in _our own_ divisions, and in the
extraordinary conduct of the Puseyites. I trust that the eyes of many
may now be opened. One would, however, much regret to see any acts of
intolerance towards the many innocent people who I believe entirely
disapprove the injudicious conduct of their Clergy.

Hoping that you are all well, belie