Young 'Princess Charming'

VIRGINIA’S HANDS dropped from the yellowed piano keys as she heard her mother call from the dining room. She looked somewhat frightened as she slid off the polished bench and walked slowly through the archway. Her cheeks flushed, and she stared down at the flowered wool rug while Mrs. Ashbaugh read aloud the six weeks’ grades on the yellow report card.

“Why, Virginia! What has happened! Until now your grades have always been good. But these are—why, not one of them is higher than a B.

And you have C in Spanish and D in Attitude and Co-operation.” Mrs. Ashbaugh’s usually mild gray eyes flashed fire as she looked toward her pretty blonde daughter’s turned-away head. “Daddy and I shall have to talk over this matter and decide what shall be done.

But first I want to hear what you have to say. I feel that it is only fair to give you a chance to explain.” Virginia’s lips quivered and then pressed tightly together.

Her slim fingers clasped and unclasped as she looked through tear-filled eyes at her mother. “There might possibly be some excuse for low grades in your subjects—although I cannot think what it could be. But there is no excuse for a D in attitude and co-operation toward your kind teacher!

Surely daddy and I have failed somehow in our training or this would not have happened!” “Oh, it isn’t your fault, Mom, or dad’s either. Honestly it isn’t. You and dad have always been willing to help me with my homework whenever I’d ask.

And you’ve always tried to teach me to be polite. But it’s—oh—it’s just everything!

You—you wouldn’t understand how a girl feels,” Virginia burst forth stormily. “Wouldn’t I?” half smiled Mrs. Ashbaugh. “I believe that I would.

Once upon a time I was a girl, you know. Come, dear, let’s sit down near the piano. You talk, and I’ll listen carefully. I’ll try to be fair in my judgment.”

“W-e-ell,” Virginia began, “it’s just everything all at once. All the other girls seem to get by in their classes without extra work. And yet they have lots of fun and they get to go to parties and picnics all the time. I’ve studied faithfully to get good grades.

When examinations are given, I try to be honest, but when it’s all over, I find I haven’t done as well as some of the students who cheat and copy the right answers.” A little sob caught in Virginia’s throat, and she stopped for an instant. “I’m simply tired of all those dull subjects: English and algebra and history, and above all cooking and Spanish. And I’m sick and tired of always being asked to help out in the church program or to play a piano solo or to help with the Junior Dorcas.

I’m—I’m tired of being polite and helpful. I just want to have fun!” Mrs. Ashbaugh put her arm around Virginia’s shoulders and laid her cheek against the tousled curls.

“Perhaps you’re trying to do too much, my dear. It might be well to drop out of some of the school affairs and parties for a while. For you must keep up your class-work and your music. “And as for your Spanish—well, I am disappointed.

You must remember that a foreign language well learned may someday be very helpful to you. Perhaps you’ll decide to be a nurse and work among Spanish-speaking people. Right now you have a wonderful chance to learn the proper accent from your new teacher. He has just returned to Oregon after spending many years in Peru, South America.

And yet you are wasting this opportunity.” Mrs. Ashbaugh looked at Virginia’s reddened eyes and tear-stained cheeks before she calmly made her decision.

“Yes, I think that for a while you must give up some of the social affairs arranged by the various clubs.” Virginia raised a horrified face. She stared wildly at her mother. “Give up the school parties and the M.V. hikes and club meetings?

Why, Mother, I can’t do that!” she wailed. “Right now I’m not allowed to go to half as many things as the other girls are. And even when I do go I’m never allowed to have a date—daddy always takes me and comes to get me before anyone else has to leave.

It’s—it’s downright embarrassing, Mother. You have no idea how embarrassing it is.” Her voice shook, and her eyes brimmed with tears, but she could not hold back the rushing words.

“No wonder the older girls laugh at me behind my back. I always have to come right home after school and practice my music lesson.

Then I help with dinner while Winona practices. Most of the other girls don’t have to do all those things. Jane and Doris always walk downtown after school.

They stop at the inn for a malted milk or a chocolate sundae. Their folks don’t care when they get home or what they eat between meals.

Oh, how I wish I had been born a princess—a real princess! And not one of them has to go to bed until ten or after, but I have to be in bed by nine o’clock, just like a—a baby.

Why, I’m almost fifteen, and you and daddy treat me as if I were a little girl. “Oh, how I wish I’d been born a princess—a real princess! Then I’d be able to do exactly as I pleased.

I wouldn’t have to be polite and obliging to anyone unless I wanted to. I could have a whole closetful of beautiful dresses, and furs, and rows and rows of shoes and slippers. And best of all, there’d be no lessons except when I wanted to study—no cooking classes, no music, and no Spanish!”

Mrs. Ashbaugh’s eyes twinkled as she kissed her young daughter. “I think that I know what is wrong with you, my dear,” she chuckled.

“You have a bad case of sorry-i-tis. It needs only a simple treatment for a cure. “Before we get up and start dinner, I am going to give you this medicine in the form of a story.

But first I want to be quite sure that I understood you. Did you say that if you were a real princess you would have no work to do? No lessons or music? No duties of any kind?

Is that right?” “Oh, of course I’d have to study some,” nodded Virginia. “But I wouldn’t have such dull subjects as I do now.

And there wouldn’t be so many of them, either. And just think of the freedom I’d have. I could go where I pleased and when I pleased.

It would be simply wonderful!” “It happens that only last week I read several magazines and newspapers that had excellent articles about a real ‘Princess Charming.’ It is her story that I am going to tell you. When I am through I want you to decide who has the more carefree life—you or this young princess,” began Mrs.

Ashbaugh. Virginia wiped the tears from her eyes. She settled back against the davenport, for she always enjoyed her mother’s stories. “When little Princess Charming was quite small, her beautiful queen mother gave her the first reading and writing lessons that she ever had.

But before very long Nannie, the queen’s own childhood governess, became the small child’s teacher. “At the age of seven little Princess Charming moved from the nursery to the palace classroom. Here she and her older sister were taught by a very fine university graduate from Scotland, Miss Crawford. Their classes met every day except Sunday.

The classes were held from nine-thirty to one, with a short recess at eleven o’clock.” “Did she have to go to school six days a week?” exclaimed Virginia. “What? Are you already surprised at the working hours of a small princess who has nothing to do but have a good time?” laughed Mrs.

Ashbaugh. “Yes, classes were held six days a week, and compared with their classes, your five school subjects appear easy. You think that just one foreign language—Spanish—is hard. But this Princess Charming and her older sister studied three foreign languages: German, French, and Latin.

They had mathematics, English, geography, and history, the Scriptures, music, and art, government and statecraft problems, and public speaking.” “That makes thirteen classes so far!” burst forth Virginia, wide-eyed. “How could a young girl hold so many things in her head without getting them all jumbled together?” “Oh, that isn’t all,” Mrs.

Ashbaugh said calmly. “There is much more to the education of a Princess Charming than what is found in books. “A princess must be taught queenly behavior from the time she is very small. This little princess and her older sister were not allowed to slouch down in their schoolroom seats.

And I am sure they were never allowed to chew gum or answer rudely when their teacher asked them questions. These little girls could not even sit down to recite. They had to stand very straight during long, long schoolroom recitations, holding their young bodies in proper standing position.” “I can’t imagine what it would be like to always jump up out of my seat to recite,” said Virginia thoughtfully.

“Sometimes we stand up, but more often we don’t. I should think she’d get awfully tired and cross. I’m sure she couldn’t always be polite to her teacher.” “Why, Virginia, this young princess must always be polite.

Never, never, under any conditions whatsoever, is she allowed to act bored and impatient. She may long to be in her own rooms, reading a good book, or she may long to be out in the gardens with her sister. But no matter what her own wishes are, she must always listen politely and with interest to what is being said.

“She is never allowed to forget the true meaning of such words as bravery, unselfishness, courage, kindness, self-control, tact, and service to our people. “She simply can’t be human to have to do all that!” cried Virginia.

“I don’t know any girl who has to study and work like that. She surely can’t have any fun at all!” “Oh, but she does, Virginia, for she has a very wise father and mother.

The king and queen have been very careful to teach their daughters to act natural and kind. They have been taught to think first of others, and thus they are not at all self-conscious about themselves. This gives them real charm in their manners. “And as for fun, this Princess Charming has done all the things that you have been allowed to do.

She has had a little playhouse at the Royal Lodge country home. You had a playhouse when you were smaller.

She has worked in her flower garden, just as you do, and she has learned to ride horseback, as you did over on the ranch. “Then she has studied piano, and she really loves her music and enjoys playing piano duets with her older sister.

She spends quite a good share of her not-too-large allowance for new records, just as you do. “And in their younger years she and her sister loved to dress up in long, lacy skirts. I have no doubt but that they pretended to be playing princess, just as you and Winona used to do when you were smaller.

Of later years they have helped with the annual Christmas entertainment of the royal household, just as you and your sister help with the holiday programs planned by the M.V. group.” “But doesn’t this princess ever get away from home to see any friends her own age?

Does she have to stay right in the palace all the time? Can’t she go and come as she pleases—that is, if there is any time left after all those thirteen subjects are studied?” questioned Virginia.

“Yes, of course. She has plenty of friends her own age, for she is a Girl Guide patrol leader. She has been to camp, just as you have been to your summer Junior camp. There she willingly helps with her share of the cooking and dishwashing and general work.

At camp she passed the lifesaving tests, showing that she is a good swimmer. Then, she belongs to clubs and often speaks before various welfare and youth groups.”

“That begins to sound a little more exciting,” said Virginia. “I was beginning to be afraid that she had all work and no play. But there is one thing you haven’t mentioned, Mother, and that is about her clothes.

Doesn’t she have lots of pretty dresses and hats and shoes? I should think she would, for surely a princess is rich.” “I imagine that during the war years she had less clothing than you had, dear, for then clothing was very strictly rationed.

She had a few plain, well-tailored suits—hand-me-downs from her older sister. She had sweaters and tweed skirts and sturdy walking shoes. “She uses no make-up, for her girl friends do not use it or need it, with their smooth, lovely skins and fresh, rosy complexions.

And her only jewelry is a plain pearl necklace, to which her father, the king, will add one pearl on each birthday.” “Just one more question, Mother. If this princess is as old as I am, surely she has dates, as most of my friends do. You haven’t mentioned one word about it, though.”

“This sweet Princess Charming is older than you, Virginia. She is past sixteen, but she does not have what you call dates.

Those are put aside until she is older and through school. She is beginning to go to various concerts, art exhibits, benefits or garden parties, and weddings, but she is always escorted by an older person, just as you are escorted by daddy, who takes you to a party and calls for you when it is time to come home.

“You see, my dear, the king and queen have her best interest at heart. They want her to grow up simply and naturally and quite unspoiled. They want her to be sweet and girlish while she is still a young girl. They want her to study hard and prepare herself for all the responsibilities, cares, and joys which will come to her as a member of the royal family when she is grown.

“For this young Princess Charming is the younger sister of the most important girl in the powerful British Empire. She is Princess Margaret Rose, who is next to her older sister, Princess Elizabeth, in the line of succession to the English throne. Do you wonder that her wise parents have been very careful in guarding and guiding these two beautiful young English princesses?” Virginia slowly shook her head.

Her eyes had a dazed look as she stared into space. At last she spoke. “I—I never dreamed that a real princess had to work as hard as all that!” she said.

“Why, Mother, she works ten times harder than I do, I know. And yet she’s always sweet and polite while she’s doing all those things. It makes me ashamed of the way I’ve grumbled about my lessons and scolded at you and daddy.” Quickly she turned to wide-eyed Winona.

“Here, Sis,” she said. “Give me your apron. I’ll start getting dinner, even if it isn’t my turn. I want you and mother to look for those articles and pictures of Princess Margaret Rose.

I’m going to paste them in my scrapbook, and when I feel myself slipping back into my old habits I’ll reread them. “I’ve made up my mind that I’ll study so hard and act so nice that all my friends and everyone who meets me will call me ‘Princess Charming Virginia,’ of Eugene, Oregon, U.S.A.”