Hitherto, Mr. Temple’s narratives had all been about boys and men.  But, the next evening, he bethought himself that the quiet little Emily would perhaps be glad to hear the story of a child of her own sex.  He therefore resolved to narrate the youthful adventures of Christina of Sweden, who began to be a Queen at the age of no more than six years.  If we have any little girls among our readers, they must not suppose that Christina is set before them as a pattern of what they ought to be.  On the contrary, the tale of her life is chiefly profitable as showing the evil effects of a wrong education, which caused this daughter of a king to be both useless and unhappy.

Here follows the story.

QUEEN CHRISTINA

BORN 1626.  DIED 1689.

In the royal palace at Stockholm, the capital city of Sweden, there was born, in 1626, a little princess.  The king, her father, gave her the name of Christina, in memory of a Swedish girl with whom he had been in love.  His own name was Gustavus Adolphus; and he was also called the Lion of the North, because he had gained greater fame in war than any other prince or general then alive.  With this valiant king for their commander, the Swedes had made themselves terrible to the Emperor of Germany and to the King of France, and were looked upon as the chief defence of the Protestant religion.

The little Christina was by no means a beautiful child.  To confess the truth, she was remarkably plain.  The queen, her mother, did not love her so much as she ought; partly, perhaps, on account of Christina’s want of beauty, and also, because both the king and queen had wished for a son, who might have gained as great renown in battle as his father had.

The king, however, soon became exceedingly fond of the infant princess.  When Christina was very young, she was taken violently sick.  Gustavus Adolphus, who was several hundred miles from Stockholm, travelled night and day, and never rested until he held the poor child in his arms.  On her recovery, he made a solemn festival, in order to show his joy to the people of Sweden and express his gratitude to Heaven.  After this event, he took his daughter with him in all the journeys which he made through his kingdom.

Christina soon proved herself a bold and sturdy little girl.  When she was two years old, the king and herself, in the course of a journey, came to the strong fortress of Colmar.  On the battlements were soldiers clad in steel armor, which glittered in the sunshine.  There were likewise great cannons, pointing their black mouths at Gustavus and little Christina, and ready to belch out their smoke and thunder; for whenever a king enters a fortress it is customary to receive him with a royal salute of artillery.

But the captain of the fortress met Gustavus and his daughter, as they were about to enter the gateway.

“May it please your Majesty,” said he, taking off his steel cap and bowing profoundly, “I fear that if we receive you with a salute of cannon, the little princess will be frightened almost to death.”