Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1886-08-26

keeps the people awake at night. just
as il he were an ordinary baby!
Early in the day on which he was
baptized immense crowds of people
filed the streets near the palace, eager
for glimpse of the procession on its
way to church. At one o'clock the
procession started. Soldiers led the
way, after them the chief mobiles OF
Spain: then came the nurse carrying
the baby, and by her side was the
papal nuncio, representing the Pope.
who is the godfather of the child.
The godmother followed. and then
came members of the royal family,
noblemen, persons connected with the
palace, and finally soldiers Of the
Koyal Guard. The church was filled
with invited guests, among whom the
foreign Ambassadors, Ministers and
their suits.
The name given to the child was Al
fonsO Leon Fernando Maria Santiago
Isidro Pascual. His family namo is de
Bourbon. The future King cried on
receiving such terribly long name.
Just rs if he were an American baby.
No doubt they will call him Alfonso
MIL for short. 1t would be too much,
even for Spanish dignity. if his mother
and family were obliged to give him
his full name every time they adj
dressed him. Twenty-one cannon
shots were fired at the close of the
ceremony The procession then wend-
ed its way back to the palace, and AL
fonso Leon Fernando Santiago Maria
Isidro Paseual de Bourbon was put
back in his cradle! 81
Perhaps some American children
may think it fine thing to be King,
to live in beautiful palace and to have
the highest and noblest people of the
country eager to wait on him. But
before we feel envious of all this gran
deur let us see what this young King
has in store for him. Alfonso XIII.
will scarcely have any babyhood and
no boyhood at all. The Spanish court
is very strict in its observance of eti-
quette, and young Alfonso, surrounded
by ebedient serviteurs and tiatterers,
must always be the King. Never any
merry, happy play for him on the foot
ing of equality with other children.
Evil-minded people will flatter him.
tempt him to do wrong, learn all his
faiings and take advantage of them to
make him worse. Thus he will be eX-
posed to many, many temptations
which common people escape.
Then, too. with all the magnificence
of the throne, he has also inherited its
cares and anxieties. For over fifty
years there have been rival claimants
to the Spanish throne; which fact has
caused plotting, insurrection and civil
war much of the time. The other
claimant, Don Carlos, has already
issued proclamation, in which he re-
fuses to acknowledge the young AL
fonso as King, and declares himself to
be the rightful heir to the throne of
Spain. ......
The late King. Alfonso NIL, was not
very popular with his subjects, neither
is his widow, the Queen Regent. She Is
an Austrian Princess, and not much
beloved by the Spanish people. Thus
we see that the young King enters into
the world with enemies ready TO dis
pute his claim to the throne, with in
surrection threatening him, and pros
poets of civil war.
Until the birth of this baby, his older
sister was considered Queen of Spain,
and, in the event of her death, the
younger sister would have the position.
These two little girls, aged respectively
six and four years, are too young now
10 realize what difference the birth of
brother has made in their lives; but,
amid the envy, plotting and intrigue
of court. these children will only too
soon awake to full knowledge of
what they have lost. and enmity may
arise between the sisters and their
young brother.
Thus you see that the life before this
young King of Spain is not all bright
and happy. 1t seems to me that any
American baby, with good parents
and affectionate brothers and sisters,
has the prospect of a happier and bet
ter life than Alfonso Kill, King of
Spain. -COngregationalist.