The Grenada gazette., 1886-08-14
A BABY KING.


viable One.
On the 18th of May last. baby was
born in Madrid whose birth was an
nounced to the people of that city by
the firing of cannon. This child was
the little King Of Spain, and his birth
rejoiced the loyal subjects OF his late
father. In few hours the whole civ
ilized world knew that a son had been
giyen to the widow Of Alfonso Xll..
and that this boy is the newborn King
Of Spain.
This little baby, so helpless and in
nocent, has already caused great ex-
citement in the country over which he
is expected to rule. The first thing
was to procure a nurse, or nurses
rather, for him. Women came from
all parts of Spain to offer themselves
for this position. Two were selected
for the young King, each of the others
receiving a present of two hundred
dollars as an indemnity for her loss OF
time and trouble in coming to Madrid.
Among the refused candidates was the
wife of rich merchant, who did not
care for the good salary which is given
to the nurse, but was very deslrous OF
the honor of being nurse to the King.
This baby, born in the magnificent
palace of Charles ", one of the finest
palaces in the world. has. besides the
two nurses named, a physician, sur
geon dentist and the whole Spanish
court, composed OF the noblest lords
and ladies, eager to be his servants. |
wonder if the royal child cries and
keeps the people awake at night, just
as if 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
ROYAL 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
lsidro Pascual. His family name is de
Bourbon. The future King cried on
receiving such a terribly long name,
just Us if he were an American baby.
No doubt they will call him Alfonso
Kill 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 ad-
dressed him. Twcnty-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!
Perhaps some American children
may think it fine thing to be King,
to live in Il beautiful palace and to have
the highest and noblest people of the
country eager to wait on him. Bu,
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 cti-
quette, and young Alfonso, surrounded
by obedient serviteurs and fatterers,
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 fatter him,
tempt him to do wrong, learn all hi:
failings and take advantage of them tc
make him worse. Thus he will be ex
posed to many, many temptations
which common people escape.
Then, too, with all the magnificenct
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 ha.
caused plotting, insurrection and civi
war much of the time. The othcl
claimant, Don Carlos, has already
issued a proclamation, in which he re
fuses to acknowledge the young AL
fonso as King. and declares himself tt
be the rightful heir to the throne O
Spain.
The late King, Alfonso XII, was no
very popular with his subjects, neither
is his widow, the Queen Regent. She il
an Austrian Princess, and not mucl
beloved by the Spanish people. Thu
we see that the young King enters int
the world with enemies ready TO, dis
puto his claim to the throne, with in
surrection threatening him, and pros
| poets Of civil war.
Until the birth Of this baby, his olde
sister was considered Queen Of Spain
and, in the event Of her death, tn,
younger sister would have the position
| These fwn little Uirls a0ed rasne nectival,