Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1878-03-08

The MARRIAGE or KING ALFONSO OF SPAIN.
There We're some striking and dazzling
features attending tie recent marriage OF
King Alfonso, at Madrid which are described
IN Il letter to the New York Post The cere-
mony at the church was long and complica-
ted The bride, before answering the ques-
ton. DO you. Serenisima Dona Mercedes,
Inianta, etc, accept for your lawful husband
Don Alfonso MI, etc, turned to her father
AZ mother and kissed their hands as II sub
uniting her answer to their authority, and
then replied Yes. / do" The thirty
pieces OF money which the bridegroom places
IN the hands of the bride, endowing her
with all his earthly goods were on this coca
sion gold doubioons. scarf was at the
close of the mass thrown over the shoulders
OF the kneeling bride and groom. typifying
the bond that was to unite them for life and
they were pronounced with the final benedic-
ton husband and wife. The cortege from
the church to the palace after the ceremony
was brilliant with the splendid state equip
ages of the royal family and nobility the
horses being profusely decked with white
aud crimson ostrich plumes, many of the
vehicles being drawn by six horses each. The
young InfIntas rode in a beautiful blue and
gilt carriage drawn by six eream-colored
horses with pure white ostrich plumes This
carriage, it is said, looked for all the world
as though it had come straight from fairy
land for what with lis being all gold, white
| and blue outside. with horses that looked
like magnihed kittens, aud inside all white,
pink and blue tule, snowy blonde wells. huge
bouquets o. natural flowers and sweet young
faces with great blue eyes, nothing more eX-
| quisitely fantastic and unreal could be i'm
| agined This carriage was also preceded
| and accompanied by gentlemen outriders in
| full court uniform. The carriage of the Duke
| and Duchess of Montpensier and that of the
| Princes of Asturias came next Then fol-
lowed the empty carriage which always pre-
| cedes the royal carriage on state occasions.
This carriage was drawn by eight horses
And last of all, the superb tortoise-shell and
| silver-gilt state carriage lined with white
| satin, and looking like an immense boabOR-
Mere. and in it came the royal bride and
| bridegroom. The eight horses that drew the
| carriage were pure white, the immense clus-
| tors of ostrich feathers on their heads pure
| white, the harnesses scarlet and gold and
the mounted jockeys in scarlet and white
| uniforms. The carriage was preceded by
| four outriders two gentlemen full court
uniform rode ut each side of the carriage
which was followed by the Kings staff off,
| GERS on horseback and the remainder of the
| Royal Guard.
All this gay pagean;ry. however, could net
conceal an ominous fact, which is thus men
| toned
There has been one thing universally no
ticed and commented upon and accounted
for in different ways The royal procession
to and from the Basilica passed through
dense. compact crowd of people along the
| whole route ; there was not a balcony or
hOusetop whence a glimpse of the process
sion could be had that was not filed and
crowded with people, and yet there was not
one cheer, one Vica, one handkerchief waved
for either King or Queen, on the part of the
people.