The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1877-05-11

cal touches on the sOlltuuo III WnASn eao
King lived, through the refusal OF the
native nobility to attend his court.
But he was good deal more than
buffoon-he was trusted counsellor; and
he was really one of the few wire-pullers
who shuffled puppet after puppet OH the
scene at Madrid until the stage was left
clear for the entry of Alfonso. he had
a sound head, and the smallness OF his
shoulders gave him exceptional oppor-
tunities of using it to advantage. he
was employed in confidential missions,
and in this capacity was Invaluable, 1or
he was about the only person known 10
have been formerly about the person OF
the Queen who was allowed to enter
Spain. No one thought Of suspectlng
hint was only the dwarf, aud besides,
he had capital excuse for his presence
in the country: He had come to look
after his property" patch OF ground
in the neighborhood of Aranjuez bestowed
on him one day in kind freak of good
nature by the Queen. He talked much
about his property and of the penniless
condition in which he had been lett by
the fall of the dynasty; and pretended
anxiety to secure his estate from contisca-
ton gave him an opportunity OF seeing
many of the men in power and OF quietly
sounding them as to their disposition
towards the exiled house. But his chief
business lay among the leaders of the
Alfonsist party; and he was the most
faithful and most intelligent of go-be-
tweens for them and for the cabat IN
Paris. He was as free from mOlestatlon
bv all parties as the parrot could have
been, and he had that birds gift of ac-
curately repeating whatever was said In
his hearing, joined to an intelligence
that was all his own. His memory was
wonderful; he took no notes, carried no
papers, but conveyed the substance OF
communications from one side to the
other without losing single item OF
Importance on the way. When all was
ready, and Alfonso was about to start
from Paris, the little man was IN high
glee with the expectation OF being pro-
NOTED to the Kings suite. But the young
monarch was sufficiently we'll advised to
leave as much as possible of his mothers
property behind him, in ideas as in personal
belongings, and the dwarf was given to
understand that as small as he was there
would not be room for him in the bag
gage. There was another reason tor his
exclusion: Alfonso simply detested him
for the contempt which his influence in
the Queens household tended to bring
upon the royal name. He was part OF
a peculiarly hateful past, and part out
of all proportion in Importance to his
physical size. He was left in Paris, in
fact, as the Queen was left, because both
would have been highly dangerous COM
panions for momentous journey. 1sa-
bella was nothing loath to have him with
her; she loaded him with favors; and
with these and her subsequent gifts, he
became what he is at this moment, a rich
man. Alfonso would perhaps have been
content to have seen both of them for the
last time. but, as we know, be found 1t
imp ,ssible, in the long run, to resist his
mothers entreaties for permission to re-
turn to Spain. He coupled his as
sent, however, with one almost in
tolerable condition: she was to leave
the dwarf in Paris; and there was
more negotiation on this article of the
family pact which preceded the Queens
journey than on all the rest put together
so much, ut least, is now openly stated
by persons likely to be pretty we'll in,
formed. The Queen cried like an infant
when she babe her abridgment of a
courtier goodbye, and she left him for a
consolation the well-filled purse on which
he now leads the life of gentleman in
the most luxurious capital of the world
Richard Whiteing, in N. Y. World.
THE poor Spitz is meeting with his
St. Bartholomew in Williamsburgh. That
quiet suburb, it appears, has been here
tofore quite an Elysium for the Spitz, it
being estimated that before the massacre
began there were 1000 within the limits
of the Burgh. Last week great many
of them were killed, and this week the
destruction will continue. Even the
owners of the obnoxious animals are
than, ~ tho rolica for oYacufiOn