Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1880-09-16
THE QUEENS BABY.
Details of the Arrival Of the
Little Girl Who Wasn't
Wanted.

On Friday, during a small reunion
of the royal family in the palace,
Queen Christina became somewhat
indispOsed. From that hour her con
dition grew more and more serious,
and it was thought that at last the
supreme hour was approaching. There
had been so many disappointments
and INSTALLATIONS, however, that it
was not until about 6 o'clock on the
afternoon of Saturday that the Aus
TRAN physician in attendance posi-
lively gave his opinion that the CON
dition Of her majesty was a certain in
dication Of her approaching con6ne-
meut. The intelligence was of course
in a short time communicated to
nearly the whole city, and as the vel
come news spread it was only natural
that the populace should have been
attracted to the palace. People of all
classes stayed in the Plaza de Orient,
under the palace windows, all day and
the crowd slowly increased until the
afternoon, when it was known that the
palace messenger had been ordered
of at half-past four to summon the
ministers. Hours passed and the
crowd increased as the intelligence
went abroad, until by nightfall the
enyirons of the palace presented a
very animated scene.
Directly Queen Christina felt the
first SYMPTOMS of travail her Austrian
physician advised the duke of Sisto,
the lord chamberlain, who immediate
ly ordered the commanding officer Of
the halberdiers Of the guard to send
eighty messages to request the instant
attendance at the palace Of the min
listers, diplomatic corps, and the native
p~ersonages named by royal order to be
present at the birth. Before their
arrival. King Alfonso, Queen Isabella,
the Princess of the Austrias, the
Archduchess Isabella and the ladies'
Of the royal household had assembled
in the bed chamber of the queen, with
the Austrian physician. In another
room, close by, we're the two wet
nurses from Santander, in their pretty
costumes of velvet skirts and bodices,
braided with gold and silver.
The interior of the palace was a
scene of great animation. The guards
came to occupy the gates and to line
the staircase and ante chamber. Then
came the grandees, chamberlains,
and military household, who, in fine
uniforms filed the galleries. An anx-
ious expectation was on every counte.
nance. As carriage after carriage ar
rived with personages, native and for
eign, all appearing in full uniform, ex-
cept the United States and South
American representatives, the lord
chamberlain conducted them to the
ante room next to the chamber of the
queen. 1t was a brilliant assembly of
the flower Of the Spanish nobility.
Marshals and generals, knights of the
noble and military orders in medieval
eloaks and rich costumes, judges, pre-
lates, civil and military author
titles, the mayor and aldermen of
Madrid, forming a striking contrast
with senators and deputies, in plain
evening dress. Amid the splendid
ceremonial that revived all the gor-
geous etiquette Of the eighteenth cen.
fury, motionless as statues in the door
ways, stood the halberdiers in gala
costume, and musketeers of the time
of Louis XIV. Busy curiosity reigned
in brilliant gatherings, and the most
intense anxiety was felt for the royal
sufferer in the bed chamber, until the
Austrian physician was at last able to
inform King AlphonsO that the queen
was happily delivered. The ancient
usages OF tie monarchs required that
directly after the birth the doors of
the bed chamber should be thrown
open, TO let the king present his child
to the assembly in the ante chamber,
and Alfonso strictly conformed to this
practice. A few minutes after the
lord chamberlain had announced the
event TO the distinguished personages
the king entered, bearing himself, on
a 6ne gold tray, his child, and while
all bent eagerly forward TO gaze, the
veil that covered the royal infant was
raised, and every one looked at the
, child, a strong, healthy baby princess.
King Alfonso received hearty con-
gratulations, especially from the for
eign ENJOYS and ministers.
Before any enc departed the minis.
! ter Of grace and justice prepared q
deed recording the birth. and it wa,
/, signed by many witnesses according
! to precedence. Then a solemn II
) Deum for the happy delivery Of thu
queen was sung in the chapel Of The
palace by the cardinal primate apC
the patriarch Of tho Indies, in thu
presence Of q numerous attendance o.
Z the nobility.
| All classes are highly elated at al
event as fortunate for the dynasty.
Directly after the presentation o
5 the child the Duchess Medina Torres
the chief governess, conveyed her Il
. apartments which had been prepared
! in the story below the royal bed
l chamber, aud consisting of an ante
| chamber, saloon and bed room for twl
|. wet nurses, together with a bedroom
for Lady De Jaoon, who had ais
y acted as goyerness to King Alfons
4 twenty-three years ago. The bed
chamber Of the princess is large, AM
e furnished very simply with Cretonn
curtains, etc. In the wardrobe i'm
mense chests are filled with magnif