Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1893-06-02

was ever before her eyes What Won
der, then, that Isabella, when she was
20 years old, had for paIamours half \
dozen good-looaing young cavaliers,
who had entree to the court and who
despised the weakness of Don Fran
cisco.
In her youthfulneSS Isabella for a
number of years carried on these love
affairs with some discretion. avoiding
the openness which characterized her
mothers misdoings. But as she grew
older she flung restraint and decorrm
to the winds, and abandoned herself to
the prOf1igate life which she has led.
more or less openly, ever since. One
of her earliest favcrites was the Mar
shall Francisco Serrano. Isabella had
become fond of this handsome man
even before her marriage, and during
the four years that followed this mar
rlage de CONVEYANCE Isabella with him
consoled herself for her sacrifice to her
mothers wishes. Serlano became the
most conspicuous man in Madrid.
While yet a bride Isabella addressed
him publicly as her bonitO Francisco
Qretty FranciSco), and the court really
believed that he stood in the place of
her husband. The husband began to
complain and induced the ministry to
attempt to Danish Serrano from court.
The result of it was that the ministry
was overthroWn, the husband was
frowned into silence, and the lover re-
manned the lover. Remained for
time only, however, for Isabella tired
of him, too. When, in 1851. she bore a
son, the ScandalmongerS, did not hest
tate to declare that Serrano was the
father, but as the child was born in
wedlock and us his mother was Il
queen in her own right, he eventually
succeeded to the throne.
Other lovers succeeded Serrano.
Their royal mistress battered, reward
ed and dismissed them. and the women
OF the court kept good pace. Thus Isa
bella reigned and thus she revelled.
amazing the world, disgusting her sub
jects, for thirty-tivc long years, until
the people of Madrid arose and the
queen was compelled to flee to France
Most surprising it is that these Madrid
people were no SO much excited by the
immoralitieS of their sovereign as they
were indignant at the character of her
politics. The ministers of Isabella had
cOntrivCd to outrage their feelings, and
~ the revolution that followed isabella
was dcpCs cd. She crossed the PyrcneeS
by night and proceeded to Paris, where
Louis Napoleon welcomed her. Her
son, Alfonso accompanied her, and on
June %, 1916. Isabella renowned her
claim to the throne in his favor. After
Spain had resumed its tranquility and
had found that Il monarchy was the
only form of government it could I'M
derstand, Alfonso returned to Madrid,
to be hailed with joy and crowned king
Of Spain. After eight years of exile,
Isabella i'll 1876 returned to Spain and
was received at Santander by her son
the king. But as the ministry feared
her and the people did not want her she
was not permitted to remain. SO she
returned to Paris and there she lives
today. Her son died, and his son, Il
posthumous child, now years old, is
his most Catholic majesty, the king of
Spain
Every nature, no matter how de-
PRAYED, has in it a good instinct. Isa-
bella has been immoral, protiigate,
cruel and jealous, but there have been
many small deeds in her life that will
always reflect to her credit. She was
generous almost to extravaganza.
When the huge fire which burned for
eight days and consumed whole
quarter of Madrid was finally eXtin-
guished, the queen wept bitterly at the
losses of her people. She gave and
sent to their assistance Ill the funds at
her disposal She proposed that the
crown jewels and the most valuable
be sold to give relief to the poor fami
lies She could not understand that
they were not hers to dispose of and
said it was shameful that the queen of
Spain should have jewels and pictures
while her subjects had no home and no
bread.
She was fond Of gayety and while at
court gave numerous balls. At one of
these balls she said to the daughter of
a diplomat: DO tell your partner to
jostle me Il little in the waltz 1t must
be such fun. They always clear the
space for me when I begin" Etiquette
forbade the dancing to begin before the
queen entered the abllroOm. but if de
layed Isabella always sent an order to
commence, mot to keep the young girls
from their amusement" She turned
night into day, rising at p. N. and din
ing long after midnight.
Now she lives in Paris surrounded by
a few grandees of Spain who have re-
manned true to her The world hears
little Of her, save when a scandal mo-
mentarily stirs up that quiet exile
court Her relatives avoid her for
they know her temper. 1t seems that
no one can come into contact with her
without becoming involved in quarrels
and trouble She is q soured, disap-
pointed woman.