Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1878-12-20
B E AND HER BOY.
A Bad Young Man With an Unpleasant
MOther---What the Present King
of Spain Is.

As little acts in the individual gem
orally indicate his real character, |
will relate a little incident, which may
serve somewhat to illustrate the char
acter of Alfonso, as we'll as that Of an
other prominenS Bourbon.
One afternoon, as | was riding with
one of my own countrymen on the
magnificent road to Tarbes, we passed
the carriage of Don Sebastian, uncle
to the queen. The prince had left his
carriage and was walking leisurely in
advance, appropriating to himself the
middle Of the highway, although there
was good walking on either side. As
we considered that horsemen had a
better right to the open road than foot
men, we expected that the prince
would step to one side and permit us
to pass but, on the contrary, he, with
characteristic Bourbon arrogance,
turned neither to the right nor to the
left, and my friend, feeling that, apart
from the question of right, American
citizenship was the peer of Bourbon
royalty, rode right straight on until
his horses head brushed the shoulder
of the don. At this the indignant
prince sprang quickly out of our way,
and we passed on, thinking no more
about it.
A short time subsequent, early one
pleasant morning, | rode out alone to
a quiet double avenue, just in the out
skirts of the city on the northeast, for
the purpose Of p%racticing my horse, a
somewhat vicious English cob, for the
chase. As at that hour of the day
there were usually but few out riding,
| thought my way clear, and started in
upon a run. / had not proceeded far,
however, when suddenly thOughtless
youth sprang from behind a huge tree
at my horse, clapping his hands and
yelling like a savage, at which the
cob became so thoroughly maddened
that it was with difficulty | retained
my seat in the saddle. That reckless
youth was Alfonso, the Prince of As
turias, now King of Spain. He had
slipped away from his tutor and other
attendants with whom he had been
walking, ever ready for every kind of
mischief, and utterly regardless of the
tremendous misfortunes of his family.
But the worst | have to relate. Still a
few days after this occurrence, | again
rode out to the double avenue, this
time in company with my friend, who
had, but a short time before, so ex-
cited the anger of Don Sebastian, and
he was now mounted on the same
English cob before referred to.
Scarcely had we reached the spot
which had been the scene of the in
cident just related, when the knowing
horse became suddenly seized with
frantic madness, and, after two OF
three tremendous bounds, threw him
self violently over upon his back.
crushing his rider beneath his weight.
In hat fall my friend sustained in
ternal injuries, and died shortly after
of hemorrhage. Had he been the vic
tim of determined revenge on the part
of those naughty Bourbons they
could hardly have worked out theil
purpose more efectually.
Many little incidents might be re.
lated of the childhood Of Alfonso
which would indicate hal he partakeI
! largely of the dolce for niente, as wei
as the malicious nature of the Span
) iards, which is well illustrated in theii
saying, give him a cigar or a ciga
rette, and let him alone, or take hin
to a bull-6ght, and he is happy" Blu
, | will not trespass on your columns
|, Only permit me, in this connection
=. to relate a little incident concerning
Isabella, as it will serve to illustrat
what has been termed her dual char
acter," and besides it may, incidental
/, ly, contain a lesson which it might b.
/ we'll for some of our highly evangeli
cal churches to heed.
One bright Sunday morning, as
r was walking up to the old church Q
st. Martin, which stands just to tn
: east Of the castle, | was startled bye
loud beating of drums, and observe,
! that the crowd about the doors wa
giving way, and that the people wer
q uncovering their heads in a most rev
erent manner. Locking over into tn
I court of the castle, | saw that tn
\ queen was coming, and all reverence
7 was paid her as she passed. Proud
naughty and defiant she moved along
o her giant form resting on the arm 0
: the notorious Marfori, her husband
children and suite following in tn
rear; one would hardly have imagine
- her as one bowed by misfortune muc.
- less as being in the proper frame q
mind for the worship of her Mas
q ter. She entered through tn
portals Of the house of Goo
' but as she stepped her foot over Oh
sacred threshold, Isabella, the haugh
! ty queen, became Isabella, the hun
y bic Christian, at least to all appear
i ances; and those who, but q momer
Y before, had Frustrated themselves [
/. do her reverence, now crowded uncert
moniously past her, and seated then
!, selves promiscuously around her, a
q though many of them we're clad i
/, the humble garb Of the poor. Trul,
thought |, as | bowed my head viii.
= the soft, seraphic tones Of the old O
gan seemed to be bearing upward tn
IS prayers of kneeiing prince and pea.
: ant, truly, inside the house Of God
i not the place to usher "the rich ma
e with a gold ring t9 tho highest sea
. As has been said, Isabella SCENE
" to possess a dual character; one phai
Off most zealQgsly pioqs, which wo
a for her the golden rose the other M
|, toriously vicious, which lost TO her
p crown. But, as she was in the hab
Of donning her piety as one wears h
Sunday clothes, history can place h,
only among the most notorious hyp,
= critics.