New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-07-01
ALpH0NsO AND CHRISTINA.
DOMESTIC INFELICl1Y OF THE ROYAL
PAIR.

| IRON THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNE
PARIS June 10.
| When Queen Christina was going TO Spain 10 DO
married she was school-Girlish and pretty because
young and FRESH but gave no promise OF beauty IN
| ripper years. happier locking being, suppose
never existed. She had been courted at Arcachon
| by the King whom she was going to wed. He had
taken her out to boat ty moonli ght the still bay
and had sung love dities under the balcony Of her
| window. If widower, he was not much older
than she was herself. She was. therefore. to en-
JOY all the advantages of lovs-match and Of ono
that satisfied In the highest degree worldly amb-
tion Romance it seemed to her, entered well into
| her destiny. But instead of dreeing her wierd >"
in lowy matched cottage. she vast spead her life
in royal palaces, and to be the first lady in an old
monarchy. Notwithstanding the disorder OF Span
| ish finances, the Cortes had well provided for her
and for her household. She to be decked out
whenever she appeared in public In the magnificent
jewels of the Spanish crown. II she had child IL
| would. though girl, be heir to the throne.
| No wonder that the planet seemed to the young
| Austrian Archduchess world of entertainments in
| stead of @ vale of tears. Ii did not occur to her
that there is in the providencial government Of
the universe such thing as dstributive justice.
The Virgin in her great bounty had favored her
Catholic, was tn nkful to Mary for having filed
her cup with bliss. The idea presented itself
to her mind that civilization would be failure II
men and women had toiled and been martyrized in
workshops in the field, at sea, and in thousand
other ways to enable her TO lead life OF perfect
bliss without having dons anything to merit 1t.
| For some time after Christina became q wife
| the newspapers devoted to the throne and altar
Landed the domestic virtues of her husband. The
royal couple were likened to a PAIR of song-birds
1T was forgotten, however by those nstituting the
parallel. that larks lnnets and nightingales build
| their own nests and feather them from their own
bosoms. in order to keep their csllow offspring
warm. Aphonso and Christina toiled not for each
| other for the children which were to come.
All they thought Of doing to receive the PEN
sions which the Cortes allowed them. and put by
money for rainy day. There was nothing very
wicked in this. Nor there anything to merit q
continuance of halcyon days. Now, permanent
happiness is only TO be bought by personal and
persistent efforts. The price is high. But those
who not content pay it need not expect to be
| happy for any length of time at a cheaper rate.
| Queen Christina has returned to her native land
stripped of her illusions. / am not sure that she
is wiser better but she is certainly joyless and
| disappointed. Her face has lost youthful bloom,
and taken careworn expression. II may not be
true that the sharpness of her tongue provoked her
husband into making use of the sceptre as rod OF
chastsement. But 1t is fact that she has quilted
him in anger and that. IL she were childless she
would never 60 back to Madrid.
| The consort Of Alphonso never able to win
| the favor Of her husbands subjects. She has q
contracted carriage shy. If not suspicious air,
is very sngy only enjoys herself in the society OF
Germans has feminine capacity for agreeable
humbug. and is Of jealous disposition. She could
not hide her jealousy of the Kings sisters, the ed
est of whom is q woman of head, heart, charac-
! ter and political ability Cosas de
EspaNa are not a puzzng mystery to her.
The Infantas Paz and Eulalie thoroughly ami
| able When they aud tho ex-Prir cess of Asturlas
appeared with the Queen IL public, she was hardly
| noticed and they were greeted with warmth. She
protested to take interest IN politics aud not to
| NEEDLE with them But Ii got out that she was
| trying to draw Spain into the vortex OF Germany.
| The German ambassador was favored above the
French and at the Court festivities in celebration
of tho wedding of the Infsuta Paz Baron Michels,
| the envoy of the Republic was snubbed. NJ Gr6vy
marked his dlspeasure thereat by not calling on
| Queen Christina on the day in which she this week
| arrived in Paris. He sent Colonel Leiohtenstein,
| General Pttie not having returned from Moscow.
| to salute her in his name Her Majesty assumed a
|
it less refrigeratng than repulsive He said to me
that he never saw less amiable woman, and that
her hauteur and scorbutic complexion explained
why it was she had lost tine Kings love. am told
| by a lady who is on intimate terms with the ex.
| Princess of Asturias that Qdeen Christina Is small
minded and ungenial. but honest, an accomplished
musician and passionate lover of natural history.
| She is also q constant friend, but is slow to form
| friendships. Her two baby daughters to some ex-
tent fill the void in her life which the breach with
| her husband must have caused. They arc nice TAT
| little things and seem TO be in capital he H. Mere
cedes the eldest Is called Princess of Asturas ne
second is longer known the Infanida Isabella,
but Maria Theresa. She has q nurse at once hand
some portly good tempered and showily dressed In
| q magnificent Basque costume. The physical and
moral well bong Of this hreng contrasts strongly
with the delicate appearance of the Queen and her
careworn face. Her Majesty took the bantlings to
Ormesson to visit Don Francisco, the las the Pari-
slams term HIM honorary father of King Aphonso.
He is very rich, oddity, touchv, and of solitary
habits All Queen Isabellas children are very at
| tentive in writing to him and in calling on him
! when they are in Paris
| The above details have obtained from private
sources. The Temps, which is not quick TO propa-
gate scan mag relates that grandee of the Court
induced Don Alphonso to forget his marriage VOWS.
When Her Majesty in person detected hisinfdelity,
| the King forgot her rank and sex and laid violent
hands upon her. The quarrel has been since en-
Uttered. In the interest of her daughters. Chris
tina who is OH her way to Vienna, will return to
SPAIN but she says she can forgive the ruff
fianism of her husband.