The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-10-15
Alfonso and Christina.

A lady, formerly a resident of Buffalo,
but now living abroad, sends the follow
ing to the News of that city;
The Viennese Christina was coy, and
tossed her head impudently when the
Spanish match was proposed to her.
This piqued Alfonso, who soon became
an ardent suitor, left off signing over the
likeness of the departed queen, and dwelt
with complacency on pleasing souvenirs
of the archduchess, who had been gay
and espiegle playmate of his when he
was student at the Theresa College at
Vienna. Christina, who is year his
junior, was at that time high-spirited
and very frolicsome damsel. She once
ran race with him in some i'm
perial park. The monarch in bud
was on a bicycle, and the young arch
duchess on feet pony, who, though
the velocipede had the wind with it, came
in first at the goal. The young idea
shoots early in sons and daughters of
royal and imperial houses. Christina, in
playing the Number Nip with the exiled
son of Isabella, and romping with him
and tormenting him in various ways, fell
in love with him. 1t is courtier-like now
to speak of her childish attachment to
the King, who did not until within the
last six months requite it. When Alfonso
was restored to the throne of his mother
the archduchess was glad to learn that
his most influential and paternal advisers,
the Due de Sesto among the number,
opined she would make an ideal queen
consort. She discovered that the Spanish
costume suited her exactly, and had
several sets of photos done in which she was
represented wearing it. On Mercedes
being preferred to her, Christina of Haps-
burg was dreadfully nettled. To show
that she resented with proper spirit the
indignity, she declared, when Alfonso
proposed for her, that she would not con-
sent to marry him until she had further
opportunities Of meeting him and seeing
him, and insisted that he should assume
the attitude of an humble suppliant for
the fair hand which he might have taken,
but did not. eff he wants to win me" !"
said the Archduchess, "let him come and
WOO me. 1t is his place to court me, and
not mine to 20 and pick up the handker-
chief which he condescends to throw
down." Alfonso, who is brimful of chiv-
alrous devotion to the fair sex, did not
think the worse of the Archduchess for
the airs she took with his matrimonial
agents at Vienna. He handsomely accept
ed the conditions imposed, and sent word
that were he only to win the archduchess
by penetrating into the wilds Of Central
Asia he would gladly undertake jour
ney there. l believe it was his intention
to 90 all the way to Vienna to make her
by word of mouth an offer, and that he
would have this autumn proceeded there
if the life of the Infanta Pillar had not
been suddenly cut short. The La
Granja accident happened so unfortu-
nately for the King that were scandal
mongers to affirm that design had a pre-
dominant part in it could not blame. Il
notified the Archduchess, and afforded
her plausible excuse for relenting. She
has been brought by it to travel more
than half the way to Madrid to meet her
royal suitor, whose depressed appearance
with his arm in sling, excited her
interest and led her to unpleasant
bygones as such, and now about the
personal appearance of Christina of Aus
tria, who would show polite spirit in