suggestion that we take a look around the farm together, since neither of us had been there before.

It was one of those halcyon days which occur frequently in the Midwest in summer, and the air was filled with the wholesome smells of cattle, hay, and of nature. As we walked through and among the buildings, neither of us said much but we were both very much aware of each other. The sun was quite warm, and soon Chuck removed his shirt, revealing strong muscular arms and a powerful back, golden tan from many hours in the sun. He noticed my close examination and smiled to himself. Entering the barn, we noticed the ladder which led upward into the hay mow above. As if by tacit mutual consent, we climbed up into the soft, sweet-smelling hay. There is something subtle about hay which makes anyone in its presense want to lie down in it. Chuck found the loft door and swung it open, disclosing a view of most of the farm buildings with the golden yellow and green fields beyond. It was a magnificent and calming sight and sinking into the hay, I gazed out enraptured. Chuck lay down close and placed his head in my lap. This somehow surprised me, but pleasantly. We remained silent and motionless for a long time until, glancing down I found him looking steadily into my eyes in a questioning way. My hand stole slowly upward, my fingers straying playfully into his thick blond hair. My eyes wandered over his body, drinking in the masculine beauty to be found in every line.

At last he spoke the words I had been waiting for: "This must have been arranged by the gods."

from VRIENDSCHAP, Amsterdam

HISTORY

The 'Queen'

WHO ALMOST BECAME KING OF THE UNITED STATES

NOEL I. GARDE

As most Americans know who remember anything of their American history from school, the period between the close of the Revolutionary War and gov. ernment under the Constitution was marked by chaotic conditions, throughout the new nation, Most thoughtful American leaders were thoroughly dissatisfied with the weak union of the United States under the Articles of Confederation in the 1870s. But what could best replace this weak system of government?

Amongst the various possibilities being considered was that of a constitutional monarchy on the British model. In view of the still bitter feelings associated with the thought of a "king," the proponents of this view felt obliged to move with the greatest discretion. The first problem was to choose a suitable candidate for king, and one of the first names to come up was that of Prince Henry of Prussia, brother of Frederick the Great. A prominent figure in the wars and politics of the second half of the 18th century, Prince Henry, like his brother, is usually included in comprehensive lists of famous homosexuals in history.1 Presumably his American sponsors did not know too much about this aspect of their candidate.

To sound out Prince Henry as to whether he'd be interested in becoming King of the United States, the American royalists enlisted the active support of Baron von Steuben, former Inspector-General of the Revolutionary Army, who had remained in the United States and who had formerly served under Prince Henry in various campaigns. Steuben wrote Prince Henry on November 2, 1786 to convey to him the sentiments of prominent Americans, enclosing a letter along similar lines from a very prominent American. Subsequent historical documentation has indicated that this prominent American was none other than the nearest thing to the president of the United States,

1 Havelock Ellis, Sexual Inversion, 3rd ed., p. 35; also Hirschfeld, Bloch, Moll in various works.

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