The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-02-28
EX-QUEEN ISABELLA.
Her Home in Paris, Her Friend.
ships and Winning Ways.
How One of the Women Who at One Time Held
an Enyiable Position on the Throne
Spends Her Time.

ruled, is now a resident of Paris, and cor
respondent writing from that city to the
New York Sun gives the following interest
ing account of the manner in which she
now passes her time.
Of the women who at one time occupied an
enved position on the throne, none per-
haps has been more severely judged at the
time of her prosperity and made more COM
pletely responsible for her mlsfortunes than
Queen Isabella Of Spain. One of the "Ros
en- exil =" of Paris, she was viewed at first
with distrust and even contempt; then,
when Spain was opened once more to the
exile, some of the prejudices against her
began to fade, and now, as she spends a
great deal of her time at the Palais de Cas-
tile, the Parisians finally have adopted her,
and her receptions chiefly sumptuous din
ner parties, are attended by the repr esenta-
tives of the highest French and Spanish
aristocracy.
Without any pretension to the histe rical
fame of Catherine ii, or an Elizabeth,
without the halo of beauty and tragic death
CT Mary Stuart, without the prestige Of
widowhood of the Regent Christina and
Queen Emma, Isabella of Bourbon has a
claim of no mean Importance. She has
borne her reyerses with dignity, patience,
gentleness and an utter absence of rancor;
she was irresistibly attracted toward France
as the cradle of her race, and during her
exile she has won the hearts of the French
by certain passive, quiet self-connsntra-
ton which disarmed criticism and COM
manded respect.
Withal she has remained distinctly Span
ish, alike in tastes, mind, habits, aud an
ardent love for the land over which she once
ruled She has behind her long record of
joys and sorrows. When mere baby of 3
She lost her father. King Ferdinand VII,
and the fiery wrath of the parties contending
for supremacy in Spain deprived her of the
support Of her mother, the clever ard ener-
getIc but ambitious ana unpopular Queen
Christina. Alone she had to pass through
the troubled times of the long warfare he
tween
"CHRIsTGNos AND "CARLIsrs,"
And, nomlnally sovereign, she was in fact
the toy and tool of political intriguers.
Luck lily for her she was morally and phys
ically brave, and possessed of consider
able presence of mind. which rendered
ner good service on many memorable occa-
si0nS, When still quite young girl
she was driving in the country in
little open trap drawn by two Andalusiau
CObs. Suddenly a man springing from the
hedge threw himself unon the horses shout
ing Liberty liberty!' in threatening ac-
cents. The little Queen fixed upon him
the undismayed glance OF her blue eyes ard
said, coolly, Some one must command; l
command you to let me pass" The man
lost countenance, fell back, lifted his hat,
and let the carriage proceed on its way. ISa-
belia's son Inherited his mothers sang
frnid. Only few weeks after an ATTEMPT
against his life Alfonso XII was seen fol-
lowing the procession of Shrove Tuesday on
foot, bareheaded, without any escort,
through the most populous streets of Mad
rid, between serried ranks of spectators,
who could almost touch him as he passed,
serene and unconscious.
is only too certain that in the Queens
youth, without guidance. advice or support,
married to man much her inferior in in
tellect, encouraged in her waywardness by
those whose interest il was to discredit her,
she committed acts of imprudence, but they
were chiefly errors of etiquette, of judg-
ment OF appearances neglected and i'm
pulses TOO freely followed, never errors of
heaItlessness. She was always generous.
chWtable to prodigality, slow to take
ottsnse, quick to pardon and forget The
seeefe than Ne disaffection of her
people, in which she had never been
able to believe; but both these wounds
were as nothing compared to the crushing
pain she experienced at the loss of her son;
the death of Alfonso XII is a lifelong grief.
0he wOrshiped him as baby, admired
him as youth, and respected him a man
ana King. She had the maternal instincts
OF ardent devotion; she gave her son all the
advantages of a solid, sound and thorough
education, such as would best fit him for his
future destlnles; he was sent to study in
England, France and AUSTRIA she selected
his second wife for him, and the wisdom of
her choice has been made apparent by the
admirable way in which
THE REGENT CHRISTINA
Governs during the minority Of the infant
King Numerous Instances are recorded of
her unyarying tenderness and goodness of
heart, both while she reigned and after her
abdication. The first time that she was
compelled to aflix the words of her royal
signature, 10 la Reina.'' to n sentence of
capital punishment, she trembled so much
that the Cabinet NJ mister had to guide her
unwilling fingers; they shook so they could
hardly hold the pen. Later, when a mes
Senger was sent to the Palais de Castillo to
bring her the news of her sons victory over
the CariSts. after the first moment of tri-
umphant pride in the success, her eyes filled
with tears and she murmured in broken
tones: ION, those unhappy Carlistsl" aud
then, answering the aStonlShment she read
in the looks of those around her, she added:
They are all SpaniardS, alas ~
On one occasion the Duke la Conouista. n
valued and faithful friend, being seriously
i'll, she went to visit him in his room on the
fourth floor OF tall house. She paused on
the landing, begging that she should not be
shown into his apartment until she had re-
covered her breath, because" she said. ait
might spoil his pleasure in seeing me if he
thought 1t had tired me to come up so many
stairs" In thousand little transformations
ways, by delicate attentions and tactful
kindness. she has endeared herself to those
around her and made herself beloved.
She talks well, rapidly, sometimes
wittily, always sincerely. She used
to be fond of hunting and travel
ing, two characteristic tastes of the Bour-
bOnS and IN her journeys was chiefly de-
lighted by majestic and wild scenery. In her
frequent visits to Germany she contracted
ties of cordial friendship with the late En-
press Augusta. Dissimiar as the two wo-
men WERE it is not less true that the aged.
serious and sad elder sovereign took a strong
liking to the younger one with her half
French, half Spanish vivacity and spop-
taneity. Her quick, unguarded repartees
amused the Empress, who seemed at other
mystical philosophy; they had yet another
bond in common, their womanly sympathy
for every form of suffering and their earu-
est endeavors to relieve it.
In the spring of every year Queen Isabella
goes to Munich to pay visit to her daugh-
ter, Princess Paz. who married Prince Fer
dnand of Bavaria. She rejoices in the
sights OF an idyllic couple equally
ENGRossED BY PHILANTHROPY,
Which they practice in perfect unity of
tastes and purpose. The Prince is a distin
guished medical student, and in his broad
the sick and wounded.
Nowhere less than in Spain has ROYALTY
lost the outward prestige OF rank. and the
old forms OF respect and homage are reyer-
emily observed by the .grandees when they
are honored by a visit from their sovereign.
When Isabella first accepted the invitation
of Napoleon Ill to meet him at Biarritz her
reception seemed a revival of medieval
splendor. She entered the cathedral of |
Bayonne under dais; she was attended nv
a numerous cortege composed of nearly all |
the grandees and dignitares of Spain I'M
mediately behind her walked the Emperor |
and Empress of the French she was the |
only one wearing the national mantilla, and
seeing her pass thus in her lang black robes |