The New York herald., 1879-12-01

glad tidings; hurried to her sons bed,
readl" she cried. waking Don Alfonso from sound
Sleep You are King of Spain! Permit me. sire.
she continued; changing her tone Of voice ITO Kiss
your hand as the first Of Your Majesty's subJects
Don Alfonso looked at his mother sleepily for mo-
ment. languidly drew his hand from under the COW
erlet presented II to Queen Isabeass lips and then
turning over fell asleep again without having uttered
q word. The fact is. the King from early childhood
preserved the most remarkable control over his feel
ings, and as there is nothing in the world His MAJ
esty objects to so much too great ex-
haustiveness his Castilian reserve finds some-
lowing anecdote will serve to prove. On one
occasion when Don Alfonso had met with a repulse
Lacar. in Navarro and was Obliged to retreat to
Tafalla closely pressed by the pursuing Cariists,
some one asked His Majesty if the sight of the field
OF battle and SO many men dead and dying, did not
affect him. mot in the least" replied the King;
Gin Paris used to go frequently to the Morgue with
the Due de seston C'etaa tres droe" Manliness.
selfcontrol and grat determination the princi-
pal features OF the Kings character. The Comte de
Miranda wrote truly enough of his royal master
some son Years Datk, above all things ne is & man
now in Spain. He said to Comte de Morphy once.
'Io no soy dc los reyes que Sc van. De m~erte
not one OF those kings who seek refuge in flight l
shall die upon the throne. whether it be natural or
King has been apty described as strongly resem-
bling that of his uncle, cousin and father-in-law,
the DUO de Montpensier, when that Prince was lad
In Paris and famliarly known by his school fellows
at the Lycee Henri ~. "Tontone"-i. e.. metange
of great courage and determination slightly tinged
King Alfonsos love for the late Queen Mercedes
all the more intense because no discovered in her
many of the noble qualities he had almost despaired
OF ever finding in one born of woman.
KINGS DAILY LIFE.
At Madrid HIS Majesty has rather monotonous
life. He rises late. and his first to bathe his
face carefully in Barege water to counterfeit the
effects of acutaneous affection which he nherts from
his mother. Then, after swallowing innumerable
sweet biscuits and two large cups of chocolate, he
pays visit to his stables; then presides at Cabi
net Council signs come decrees and spends the
aftaruOOn
sister, the widowed Countess Girgenti. now
styled Princess of Asturias, and the one
person whom the King will not take any
step without consulting. His Majesty bows to all
but he has two different ways of acknowledging
salutaton. II passer by bends low before him the
King will hardly raise his hat but. on the other
hand, he bares his head whenever he meets churl
ish republican. whose manner is the reverse of
courteous. and who only condescends merely to
notice his sovereign. When court mourning does
not prevent him from doing so the King. accom-
panied, of course. by his sister. goes regularly al
most every evening to the theatre or opera. and
with his sister and all the court. to
Ts Ssest7 % As0is treat to hsss ss
reader. French novels are his favorite literature
and such. alas! as are considered Eight reading"
even in Paris A gentleman of His Majesty's bed
chamber afErms that the following well known
works are always to be found by the Kings bed
poems" and Leo lie chevalier eva ~ de- Faublas." In the
first rank of his courters must be placed the Mar
qus de Acances, Due de Sesto. The Duke is Of the
very highest Castian nobility performs the func-
tions OF Chef du Paais at Madrid and after the
Princess of Asturas Of course. possesses more
influence the King than any else.
"Pepe Alcanices," he is familiarly termed
by his friends, married the widow OF the late
Due de Morny nee Troubetzkoi. and Is Of the
dandies of Madrid He is small of stature, and 1t
would seem II, like the hero of Namouna. de-
scribed by De Musset, his mother "made him little
that she might make him with care" He is great
patron or bull fighting and when Frascuelo the
celebrated 0rerO wounded in the thigh the first
visit he received was from the Due de Sesto, who
thus proved himself friend and protector of the
fine arts! Directly after the Due de Sesto in the
| royal favor must be ranked the Comte de Morphy.
secretary of the King, and one OF the most noble
personages the Spanish Restoration has made promi
nent man OF great intellectual ability and cul-
ture, and OF the highest morality, it IS much to
| be regretted that he does not possess more
| influence over his royal master. Unnecessary to
say that his grave loyalty and purity of life make
him cordially detested by all the sycophants who
surround the King And lastly, to complete this
rapid sketch in broad outline of the principal ndi
vidualities which compose the Court of Madrid to-
day. the Comte de Lepulveda Marshal Of the House.
hold Of Don Alfonso. must be presented. The
Count loves the King with fathers love. for he
danced him his knee when His Majesty was u
baby. He precedes Don Alfonso whenever the King
travels. prepares the post horses and accommoda-
tions and arranges all the public demonstrations of
welcomes. In q word, his love for his sovereign 10
the love OF Newfoundland dog for his master.