Sleeping Princess

To tea at Buckingham Palace came Sir James Matthew Barrie. Perhaps because most people think irresistibly of him as Peter Pan not-quite-grown-up, Sir James enjoys, even from Royalty, something like the indulgence accorded in every British heart to Peter. Therefore, last week, though 300 guests were present at the royal tea, Sir James approached the Queen-Empress and whispered a request in her ear, as even good little boys sometimes do with their grown-up hostess. . . .

Queen Mary did not seem embarrassed or say, "Shh!" Her face lighted, she nodded, and with a royal finger discreetly indicated to Sir James a door. He should go through, and turn thus and thus. Then he would find Nurse Knight and should tell her by the Queen-Empress' command to show him the Sleeping Princess. . . .

Sir James melted out the door. He turned thus and thus. Soon the royal nurse whom everyone knows simply as "Nurse Knight" told him that the Sleeping Princess was indeed sleeping, that he must tiptoe. . . .

On tiptoe, then, Sir James Matthew Barrie came to the crib in which lay Princess Elizabeth (just one year old on April 21), daughter of the Duke and Duchess of York. Perhaps the baby, with feminine intuition, realized how near she was to Peter Pan. Despatches told that she stirred in her sleep, wakened for an instant and looked sleepy-eyed at the smiling man in thin-rimmed glasses, white stiff collar, and impeccable frock coat who stood, still atiptoe, beside her crib. Then, with a small pink yawn, Her Royal Highness dismissed Sir James. . . .

The incident pinked British sentimentalism near the heart. Next day London newspapers were ecstatic. Royalty and Sir James were served up in a golden haze of Peter Pantheism. Then a despatch arrived from Sydney, Australia, where Baby Betty's mother, the Duchess of York, was sojourning with the Duke after arriving from England on H. M. S. Renown. The despatch told, briefly that on the outward voyage the Duchess and her two ladies-in-waiting disported themselves nightly with the Duke and members of his suite by dancing the authentic Charleston. As a result, continued the despatch, numerous British tars on H. M. S. Renown observed closely the royal example, learned to mimic a dance with which they were previously unfamiliar, and are now to be seen teaching Australian ladies of the evening "The Royal Charleston."