River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1880-10-21
Life in the Palace.

The Madrid correspondent of the
Herald writes: Sentries of the line are
found at all the exterior doors and at
the front of the staircases. We went
up narrow, badly lighted stone stair
case called "Esealera de las Damas,"
not, certainly, for its bad smells, highly
suggestive of poor drainage, but be-
cause it leads to the apartments Of the
ladies of the royal household. On
reaching the first landing one Of the
tail porters bowed to us and we found
ourselves in large gallery, with glass
windows looking on to the yard below.
At every turn or entrance of the gallery
stood halberdier of the guard. These
picked companies are the inner guard
of the palace, and their chiefs are
grandees and mobiles, their sergeants
officers of captains rank. We passed
them and made for the Chapel Royal.
1t is Il small chapel, very simple in its
architecture, and has no benches or
chairs except those reserved for the
canons and priests of the chapter royal.
At the bottom ofthe chapel, facing the
alter, are galleries, where the King and
the royal family, with their households,
remain during mass that is said for
them every Sunday generally at eleven,
and every week day as early as seven
in the morning. Our visit continued
through the galleries until we reached
the hall of columns. The noble hall,
with its stucco and marble columns,
is only used on state occasions,
such as banquets on birthdays or
fete days of members of
the royal family. Through the ong
suit of apartments, hung with pictures
of value, we reached theEhrone room,
and admired that splendid apartment,
with its IN ny windows on the Plaza de
Armas and velvet panels and tapestry.
Here we found sentries and were told
that we were at the door of the royal
antechamber King Alfonzo's and
Queen Christiana's apartments are III
the corner of the palace which looks
on the two squares of "Oriente" and
q Armas." The kings own room is
handsomely furnished, and the tables,
| the bureau or work table are prOfusely
provided with books, newspapers, re-
views and other proofs of his majesty's
active and inquiring spirit Down a
| passage and by a staircase we passed
| a
/ de Oriente. An antechamber for guards
and servants was very well fitted up,
| and led to the rooms fitted up for Sc
| nora de TacOn, the second but really
| the effective governess of the royal m
fant's household, as the nominal chief
| of this household is Duchess Medina de
Las Torres, a grandee and guzman.
! Sonora de Tacon was the gOverness of
| King Alfonzo twenty-three long years
ago. she Is assisted in her duties by an
| English head nurse, who was EN- Floyed
in the family of the Duke of sFernan
Nunez. The wet nurses are provided
with rooms next those of the Sonora de
| Tacon. and are two fine, healthy-loOk-
ing Pasiega peasant women, twenty
one and twenty-three years old.
/ The rooms of the royal
heir are simply furnished, and
sofas. chairs and chairs are covered
with French cretonne of a neat, simple
design The curtains are of the same
stuff, and the only contrast Is formed
by the splendid cradles that the two
royal grandmothers have given their
grandchild The Queen Isabella and
ArchduchesS Isabella have spent little
fortunes ON lace and embrOideries for
T these cradles, one made to the shape
Of a landau carriage and the other like
boat. There is also in corner the
cradle that served for King Alfonso.
The marvel of these quarters of the
royal babe is the layette. This layette
was made after English patterns. an
important detail as the babies of this
country are kept swaddled up tightly
and allowed no freedom for their low
er limbs at least until they are SIX
months old The layette had, how
ever. to be made of Spanish stuff and
| by Castilian hands. as the national