St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-02-16
SPAIN'S OLD QUEEN.
AParis Correspondent Praises
the Much-Abused Ruler
Of the Spanish.
Fer Love for the People and
Her Admiration for
Her Son.
A Woman Of Great Tender
ness Of Heart and Real
Royal Dignity.
Her Imprudence and How She
Has Borne Her Many
ReVerSes.

the women who at II time occupied
an enVied position on the throne, none
perhaps has been more severely judged
at the time of her prosperity and made
more completely responsible for her
misfortunes than Queen Isabella of
Spain, One of the ''ROis en- eXil' of
PARIS, she was viewed at first with dis
trust and even with contempt; then.
when Spain was opened once more to
the exile. some of the prejudiceS against
her began to fade. and now, as she still
spends a great deal of her time at the
PalaiS de Castillo, the Parisians finally
have adopted her. and her receptions,
chiefly sumptuOuS dinner parties, are
attended by the representatives of the
highest French and Spanish aristocracy.
Without any pretense to the histor-
zeal fame of a Catherine H., or an EllZ-
abeth, without the halo of beauty and
tragic death Of a Mary Stuart, without
the prestige OF w%idOwhOod Of the Re
gent Christina and Queen Emma. lSa-
bella of Bourbon has acclaim OF no mean
importance. She has borne her reverSeS
with dignity, patience, g~entleneSS and
an utter absence OF rancOr; she was
lrresisti bly, attracted toward France as
the cradle Of her race, and during her
exile she has won the hearts OF the
French by a certain passive quiet self
concentration which di5armed criticism
and commanded respect.
Withal she has remained distinctly
Spanish, alike in tastes, mind, habits,
and an ardent love for the land over
which she once ruled. She has behind
her a long record of joys and sorrows
When a mere baby of three she lost her
father, King Ferdinand VII, and the
fiery wrath of the parties cOntcnding
for supremacy in Spain deprived her OF
the support of her mother, the clever
and energetic but ambitious and unpOp-
ular Queen Christina. Alone she had
to pass through the troubled times of
the long warfare between "ChristlnoS"
and "Carlists" ana nOminally a sover-
eign. she was in fact, the toy and tool
of political iHtriguerS. Luckily for her,
she was morally and physically brave,
and possessed of considerable presence
of mind, which rendered her good
service on many memorable occa-
siOHs. When still quite a young girl
she was driving in the country in a
little open trap drawn by two Andalu-
sian cObs. Suddenly a man S%pringing
from the hedge threw himself upon the
horses, shouting Liberty! libertyr' in
threatening accents. The little queen
fixed upon him the undiSmayed glance
OF her blue eyes and said. coolly. ''SOme
one must command; | command you 10
let NE pass" The man lost c0unten-
ance. tell back, lifted his hat, and let
the carriage proceed on its way. lSa-
bella'S son inherited his mothers sang
trOid. Only d few weeks after an at
tempt against Iii. life Alfonso XII. was
seen following the procession of Shrove
Tuesday III foot, bareheaded. without
any escort. through the most populOus
streets OF Madrid, between Serried ranks
OF spectators, who cOuld almost touch
him rs he passed, serene and uncon-
sci0uS.
1t is only too certain that in the
queens youth, without guidance, adj
vice, or support, married to a nan much
her inferior in intellect, encouraged in
her waywardness by those whose inter-
est it was to discredit her. she commit
ted acts of i~mprudence. but they were
chiefly errors Of etiquette, Of Judgment,
of appearances neglected and impulses
too freely followed, never errors of
heartleSSnPSS. She was always gener-
Gus, charitable to prOdigality, slow to
take OffenSe, quick to pardon and for
get. The loss of her throne was a blow
less severe than the disatfectiOn Of her
people IN which she had never been
able to believe; but both these wounds
were as nothing compared to the crush
ing pain she experienced at the loss Of
her son; the death of Alfonso XII. is a
lifelong grief. She wOrShiped him as
a baby, admired him as a youth. and
respected him as a man and a king.
She Lad 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 desti-
MES; he was sent 10 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 III which the Regent
Christina governs during the minority
of the infant king. Numerous instances
are recorded of her unvarying tender
ness and goodness of heart, both while
she reigned after her ahdicatlon. The
first time that she was compelled to affiX
the words of her royal signature, 40 la
Reina," to a sentence of capital punish
ment she trembled so much that the
cabinet minister had to guide her IN
willing fingers; they shGOk so they
could hardly hold the pen. Later. when
a messenger was sent TO the PalaiS de
CASTLE to bring her the news of her
sons victory over the CarliSts, after the
first moment of triumphant pride in the
success, her eyes filed with tears, and
she murmured in broken tones: "Oh,
those unhappy CarliStS!' and then, an
swering the establishment she read in
the looks of those around her, she
added: They are all Spaniards, alas!"
On IN occasion the Duke de la Con-
Ouista, n valued and faithful friend,
being seriously i'll, she went to visit
HIM in his room on the fourth floor of a
tall house. She paused on the landing.
begging that she should not be shown
into his apartment till she had recov-
cred her breath, because" she said, lit
might spoil his pleasure in seeing me if
he thought it had tired me to come up
so many stairs" In a thousand little
transformations ways. by delicate atten-
tions and tactful kindness, she has en-
deared herself to those around her and
made herself beloved. She talks well,
rapidly, sometimes Wittily, always SIN
cerely. She used to be fond of hunt
ing and travelling. two characteristic
tastes of the BourbonS, and IN her
Journeys was chiefly delighted by ma
jestic and wild scenery. In her fire.
Quent visits to Germany she contracted
ties of cordial friendship with the late
Empress Augusta. DiSsimilar as the
two were, it is not the 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 spontaneity. Her
quiet, unguarded repartees amused the
empress, who seemed at other times ell
tirely given up to abstruse and mystical
philosophy; they had yet another bond
in common, their womanly sympathy
for every fern of suffering and their
earnest endeavors to relieve it.
In the spring of every year Queen
Isabella goes to Munich to pay a visit to
her daughter, Princess Paz, who mar
ned Prince Ferdinand of Bavaria; she
r%ejoices in the sights of an idyllic
couple equally engrossed by philan-
thrOphy, which they practice in perfect
unity of tastes and purpose. The prince
is a distinguished medical student, and
in hiC hrOod hpnpVOIanpp O~arCOnaltU &c