Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1879-12-06
NO. 2S6.

respect to his fellows than that OF rctfcct
equality and fraucbc camoraderle. Ho YVES by
| no means inscnsible to compliments, to which
| he scon was ebc to rer!y in good French lilo
showed himself CT a lively ard caustic wit. and
found more than boyish delight 10 hcaiiog
| biwsolf talk. Even then hO seemed to know
that one day his words would have weight 10
| tho councils of statesmen and orators. Then
| came the Fcench war. Accompanied by Count
| Morphy, an lrishmea, he went to Geneva aud
| thcnoe to Vienna, where his military studies
| were completed. -Four years later ho was crown
| ed King Of Spain.
The following aucclotc, which is told by the
Whitahall Review, relates to this period tf
dnary self-co6trol which is ono Of the distinc
tive characteristics OF Alfonso MI. Io 1874
pronuucamieu!o called tho son Of Queen
Isabella to tho thrcnc, but tho tclo.
| gram announcing tine fact did not reach
the Hotel Bssi!ewSky, in Paris till late
at night Everyone was asleep except
tho ford and anxious mother, who. Immediate
| ly on reading tho dispatch containing tho glad
tiduga, hurried to her sons bedroom 10 the
liehtcst of negligcs. ''Sce read ~ she cried.
waking Don Alfonso ircm sound Sleep You
arc klDg of Spain Permit me, sire" she cen.
tiuued, changing her tone OF vcic,, 10 kiss
your hand as tho first of Your Majesly's sub.
jectB !" Don Alfonso looked at his mother
seepily for o moment, languidiy drew his hand
from under the covering, presented it to Queen
lsabcllas lips and then, turcing over, tell
asleep seain without having uttered word.
The fact is. tho King, from carly childhood,
preserved the most remarkable control over bis
feelings, and th&re nothing in tho world Ills
Majesty objects 10 50 much as too great tx
l. -, Ioe
times almost cynical expression, az tho fol-
lowing auccdote will servo to prove. Qn one
OCCASION wheo Don Alfonso had met With ra-
pulse at Ilsoar, in Navarro, and was obliged to
retreat to Tel f'llia closely pressed by tho rur.
suing Csrl!sts, some ono asked Ills Msi,sty II
the sight of tho field OF battle and 30 many
mou dead ani dying did not Affect him.
mot n tho iolat, replied tho King; in palS
used TO 80 frequently to the Morgua with the
Due de Sestc. Cetaii igcs dr0lcI MaDliness.
self control and great determination arc The
principal features Of the kia& i character. The
Comte drhiranda wrote truly cuCugh oi lis roy.
| al master soma yas1s back. Adore all things he
is mau.' lis determination aud courage are
! both we'll hnorn now III Spsin. lie sad to
C3mto dc Morphy once. "Yc 10 soy dc los
reyes que Sc vau. Do muerte nature . vioeuts
moriso sobrc ii trUuul'-"i am not ono tr
| those kings who sacks refuge 10 fight, shall
! dis upon tho throne, whether 1t be a natural or
! violcnt death" To sum up. the character 81
! the King has been apply described IS strou&y
resembling that Of h.s uncle, elusin and father
| 10 law, the Due dc Nlontpensier, whom that
| Prize, was lad 10 Paris aud ismiarly kroWn
| to his school fellows OF the 1,yoce 1euri " as
| ''Tontonc"---i. @, mclango Of great courage
and dctermioatior, slightly tluged with cynic
ism aud 4 distruss IL tuman Dature. klug
| Alionso's love for tho late .Q!,cn Mercedes was
| all the morc intenle because be discovered in
her many OF the robla qualities no bad aimes!
| desrairod OF ever finding IN onc bQrn 81 w0maU.
! At Madrid His Msiosy has rather
monotonous life. lie risas late, - aud
his first caro is to bRtho his face care
| fully in Barege water 10 couuteracs tho
effects of a cuiancous affection which ho
| iahcrits from his mother. Thon, after sRal-
loving irnumcra5o sweet biscuits AID TWO large
cups Of chocolate. be pays visit TO his stables;
slen prosides at Cabinet Council, signs sonie
deorees, aud spends the afierro,n and evotisg
riding or driving about the capital, always &c
coInpsnica by HIS sister, tho widowed Couutesl
GGcnt, DOW styled Princess OF Asturas, and
tho ooe rerSoa whom the Kinswlll not take auy
step without consulting. Hll Majesty bows 10
all indiscsim,natey, wkatEcr ihey bow to b.m
! or not; but he bas tEo difcreut ways. Of
acknowledging q salu,ctio1. Ii p,s5ar by
bends low before lin the king will hardly
raise his hat; bat. on the other hand, be
bares bis head whenever he meets churl
ish republican. whose manner is the reverse OF
courteous, and who only condcscends me:oly to
!. | notico his sovereign. Whom court mourning
does not prevent him from doing so the King,
accompanied. o. course, by his sister, goes reg
: ularly alnlcst eeery evening TO the theatre OF
opera, R1d every Saturday at sunset he repairs,
with his sistey end all the cour:, 70 tLo Church
of AtocEn TO hosr tho "salvo" bis Majesty Is
| great newspaper reader; Fronch novels arc
+, his fnvoritn litera-uro and such, alas as hre
considered zig h! reading" even IN Paris A.
Renlloman Of Tis MaG.y's bod chambo: sh:ms
] that tho following we'll ks.o@n works arc always
i, TO bo found by tho K;nG's bed-sido:-"Mlln
!, Giraud, ma fo,n no. I;esudnaire's Poems"
: and 40 Ghevaier do FaubiaS." In the f,st
rank of his couriicrs must be plscad tho Mar
| 1uris do Aleances, Duo de SGsto. Tho Duke Is
Ut tho very highest CAsti!lan nobility, portorpIs
The functions Of Chef Ciu Fsliss al Ma.rd, and
after tho Princess Of hstur!as nr course, pos
scssss mere influence over tho King tbsn any
:, oue elsn "Fcpa A)Canicss" az no is farni!iary y
termed by his friends. married tho widow of tho
!, Isto Due de Morny, Ies Troubctzsoi. snd IL one
os tho dandias of Madrid. Ho is small OF atatae.
e and il would seem as IT, ike the hero OF NJ
y mouns, IS described by pe Musset, bis. nauther
!. "msGe him lit.io that she might mako him with
!. csre'' He is great ps.ron OF bull Fighting
aud when Frascuoio, the coeDratsd toferoi WA
woundod in the thigh, tha first visit he received
WIS from the Due dc Sesto. who thus lrove(
himself friend and protector OF the enc arts
: directly after the Due do SGsto IN the roya
- II must bs ranked tho Comta &c Morpiiy
| lay. ,ry Of the king, and ono Of tho most nob!'
secrcss % tho Spauiah Restoration has mad
perscnek> A. msa of great intellectual ability
y prominent nj Of the highest morality, 1t u
and cuitn5o, >, tied that he does not possess
much to be rese- his royal msster. Unneceg
more lnliuenceoVer. 70 loyalty and purity 0
sary TO say that his gra, tested by sli the syco
! life make him cordially a.. %. And lastly, L
plants who surround the Kh.. Dad outline o
complete this rapid sketch IN b., compose th
tho principal iudividualtics which Lepul
Court OF AadIId to-day, tho Colnte d. ',uEc
| seIs, Marshal cf tho Hntsaho!d of Don Ain.
,naet be presented. The Court !oyss the Kin.
with s. fathers ovo. for he danced him oa his
knee WHOM His Ms jas!y was baby. Flo pro .
cedeg Don Alfonso whenever the King travels,
prepares the post horses and accommodations:
and srran2es all the public demonstrations OF
welcome. in q word, his lovs for his sovereign il
4 hn nF 10 wi cnr l.;