The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1881-03-16

versltled by thatof a fusiilade in the streets,
when a batch of luckless reformers would be
seen to kneel with their backs to q firing party
more Ibe1aco. Not that the Queen-good,
indolent soul-Wished anybody harm, but
she liked to see her courtiers with smiling
faces; and the prime ~fayorite for the nonce
might sulk # not allowed to deal with mem
bers OF the Opposition as he pleased. What
did q common soldier, who had risen to be a
general by picking up the Queens garter and
handing it to her with a pretty speech-What
Gid such a one care for the principles Of civil
and religious liberty !? Devotion to the person
OF the Sovereign was the one ideal Of duty,
and q very profitable one he had found it.
For Isabella, like Catherine II. Of Russia. is
generous to her adorers. Like the Czarina,
TOO, she never, While she had a good civil list,
let them suffer from her caprices. If dis
missed, they were not sent away empty.
Lie was said Of a great FrenchWoman who
had been crossed il love that she consoled
herself by partaking largely Of sausage fla
vored with garlic. Isabella has also derived
comfort in exile from the pleasures Of the
table, till her Majesty calls up the idea Of q
certain lady of whom Sidney Smith said that
you might marry her to a regiment, and that
it might even be the duty of a magistrate to
read the riot act and dispense her. She was
always plump. It was about fifteen years
ago-When she was about thirty-6ve-that
Isabella paid q visit to Napoleon III, at Bay
onne. Some wooden steps covered with
crimson velvet were constructed to help her
to descend from the railway car. Just be-
fore her train steamed in the Empress Eu-
genie gave q last injunction to one of the Off
Gals about these steps, trusting they had been
made sufficiently strong. The gentleman
who held the steps for the Queen Of Spain as
she alighted had a bad half minute of it, for
they creaked ominously, and had they broken
the catastrophe would have bee appalling.
Isabella, it may be added, was fast asleep
when her train arrived at Bayonne, so that
the French Emperor and Empress were kept
waiting while she was being awakened and
was hastily adjusting her toilet. Generally,
however, Isabella plays better at royalty,
though punctuality is not her chief virtue.
Her manner as an ex-queen shows a happy
blending Of dignity and gracious Familiarity.
She grants audiences without difficulty and
will bid her visitor to be seated. It is Ell
quette at her Court..to accept this invitation at
once. She is addressed BY those who know
her wishes simply as 'tMajesty," not ssyour
Majesty"
In spite of her largesses and lavish expen-
ditures, Isabella is rich. But she has grown
wise with age and will not allow herself to
be cheated; she is also determined to have
the full worth Of her money. Some years
age she contracted with q confectioner, who
agreed to feed her and her household at a
fixed price per diem. For herself and the
ladies and gentlemen of her household, I think
the price was twelve francs a day, for the
servants four. Subsequently there arose q
dispute between the Queen and the pastry
cook, which the French law courts had to
decide. It then appeared that the Queen
regularly took q substantial meat supper after
q late dinner, though she rarely goes TO bed
later than twelve. Her Majesty is not de-
scended for nothing from Charles v, who
ate regularly every morning in bed a chicken
boiled in wine, and then went to sleep for q
couple Of hours afterwards.
However, the French tribunals decided
that she had acted fairly honorably by the
cOnfectiOner. and dismissed that worthv's
petition, with costs.
Isabella is genuinely fond of her children,
and the manner in which she brought up Don
Alfonso to be q king and a gentleman is alto
gether to her credit. In 1870 she very gen.
erously abdicated in his favor, though she
had still plenty Of chances Of recovering her
crow Queen Isabella has at least avoided
doing much evil.
KhalIl EhendI7s Death.