New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-12-11
TOPICS IN PARIS.
SPANISH COURT PLEAsUREs-THEL LOUVRE.


Socetv il not vet officially IN town The first, and
indeed only, drawing room which has been opehed
this season is Queen Isabela's. She received on
Sunday her intimate friends, on the occasion Oh 'no
st. Elizabeth anniversary. Beatihed EIlzaoe'h
the patron saint of all the lsabelas. oh Monu's
there was formal levee. The snug anu eies%n'
palace in which the Queen Mother resides was redo
lent with the flowers that had been sent oy fiench
well.wishers and sympathizing spanlaruS iHo
Queen Mother has now few enemies anu sho n"s
reoIIv many friends. She has retired with good
grace from the region of active journalism ana Is IN
The domestic and social relations kind sociable and
extremely gracious. The passions which rendered
her vouth stormy one have not been quelled by
AGE But az she does not display her weaknesses 1t
is agreed on all sides to ignore them. The Queen
Mother does her best according to her light 10
make her SOUL" and to render those around her
happy She likes TO see smiling races ID her nouSo-
hold. From time to time she undergoes pen''en-
tial whitewashlng, which makes her feel quite easy
in her mind about her prospects in another WORTH
She has director who gets her to follow up ner
pilerimages and novenas with course OF hu'nano
actions, styled by him acts OF charit'' MsuS Il"
time tie wolf has been chased from the door Oh d
starving family by the good-natured Queen since
she came TO live in Paris Her motive, perhaps is
not a noble one. But the charitable actions no
doubt are n source of moral health on one side and
alleviate human misery on the other The ex-
Oneen il about TO undertake q series of devotonal
exercises in the Church OF Notre Dame des VIC
torres and in la Salnte Chapelle, which was Dpllt
nv her ancestor St. LOUIS. Her object is to obtain
celestial protection for her two young daughters III
whose names matrimonial negotiations are gong Oh
al Vienna and at Lisbon. The eldest OF the III
tantas will probably be married to the hereditary
Prince of Portugal, and the youngest to the Arch
duke Charles brother of Queen Christina.
Isabella, although woman OF queehIy dignity,
lives IN such an unaffected manner that II Is nara
70 realize she was lifted from her cradle to sit upon
the throne of Ferdinand and Isabella, and that the
greater part of her life passed amid the state
liest surroundings When she was recently at
Madrid she lived to please her children in style OF
regal pomp which she LAYS aside when she is here.
Fetes were given in her honor by the wealthy mem
bers of the nobility. The King insisted on her
showing herself at bullfghts, in the theatre, ana al
the Church of the Aloctia Everywhere she went
the population acclaimed her. They regarded her
rs one of themselves and had no memory for the
faults or even crimes of her reign. They do not
take to the little German Queen who is poor
product of q closely cOnsanguine marriage. lhe
Queen Mother occupied the wing of the palace ID
which the apartments Of her eldest daughter are
situated 1t was inhabited by the lateQueen Chris
ings are arched, and decorated by paintings of
Tiopolo and the furniture grandly sumptuous
guard of halberdiers III the SNOWY medieval uni
form of the household troops of King Alfonso was
posted in the vast antechamber. Once week there
was regular levee which was attended by the
whole royal family. And every day while the
Queen Mother was at the palace she granted audi
ences to her former subjects.
A Spanish lady who was at Madrid when Ter
Majesty was there tells me that it was impossible
not to like her, she so Obhring III anyone
called whom she knew TO be proud, poor or in diff
cult circumstances, she took the initiative of say
ing: "What can do for youf Is there anything
that can ask for you of the King, without, of
course meddlIng in politicsY The Queen my
daughter hopes she will never be able to under
stand politics / am trying to unlearn what knew
about them for the crown should be borne by
single head"
While her Majesty was at Madrid the great
banker and railway contractor, SALAMANCA, gave a
hunting party in her hi nor at his seat near AiOc-
cete. All the royal family except the young Queen,
whose health is not satisfactory, went. Prodigal
expense was gone to by the banker to receive them
worthy. The hunt was battue or easy butchery.
This Is how the august royal and noble personages
hunted. The Comte de Salamanca has forest in
his domain. Large spaces are cleared in t.5 In the
like those one sees at race-courses are erected.
They are beautifully painted and adorned with
sylvan trophies The royal family was taken to one
of these stand-houses, and its different members
present took UP their stations according to the
order of courtly precedence. The cOurters stood on
the steps behnd. Those who were least distin-
guished were higher up. In front OF each 10 whom
a gun was given there was forked support on
which to rest the muzzle. But no courtier was 10
fire until his betters in the. front row had had
enough of sport A band of guitar players had a
tribune to themselves and played lively airs The
musicians were dressed like Figaro in The Barber
OF Seville" Theu there were Yood-rangers, whip
pers-in huntsmen and sylvan guards, the notes OF
whose horns contrasted sharply with the frivolous
music of the guitars. While the former instruments
were blowing loud blasts herd of deer rushed be-
fore the pavilion, followed by dogs. The King,
his mother sisters and Prince Philippe of Braganza,
fred The ex-Queen knocked down two stays
the exPrncess of the Asturias. four and the other
two Infantas, three each. When this herd had
swept by the ex-Princess of the Asturias got on
horseback to be ready to follow the second herd
which she and the King chased through the forest
They had small fowling pieces slung to their
holsters and sometimes took flying shots daresay
the whole scene was picturesque and Stirring. Eng
lish or American taste would be shocked II Queen
Victoria and her daughters, or the ladyhUod OF
Fifth-ave., INDUCED in sport of this kind. Span
iards like to see their scnoras and sonoritas in
trepid huntresses 1t is sign they say. of old race
when a woman handles a fowlng-piece deity
Shopkeepers' and artisans daughters have few OPP
portunities for using guns. Velasquez painted the
beautiful little Condessa de Haro. daughter of Don
Louis de Haro equipped for n battue or butchery
sucb as was organized the other day at Albecee fol
the delectation of the Queen Mother and the In
fantas She had on q mousquetaire or cavalier gray
felt hat and feathers steel cuirass damascened,
crimson velvet petticoat inflated with farthngale