The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-04-14
KING ALFONSO XIN.
The Youthful Monarch who was
Born a King
is A BLyE.BLOOpED BOURBON
And Appreciates Every Inch OfHli Dig
nty-Hsld in Cheek by His lIo.herwitll
uTirn Hund-Ths Pettsr Of the shinEls
wakes the Echoes Of ths Palaos-Glvss
Promlss Ofa Bright Career.

new 4uEh 0uH9hy IEGhbs 4Hht
pale-faced little boy. who is called
Alfonso XIII Of Spain, and is sup
posed to be exceedingly angry with
US Just now on account of the Cuban
resolutions in Congress, is generally
spoken of by his subjects as Aifonsito.
which is being interpreted. little Alton
so. Officially. however, the boy Is
known as King Of Spain, Of CASTLE, Of
Leon, OF Aragon, OF the Two Sicllles,
OF Jerusalem, OF Navarro. of Grenada,
of Seville, Of Toledo, OF Valencia, of
GalIcia, OF Majorca, OF dinorca, OF Glib
raltRr, OF the East indies and the West
Indies and OF seven or eight other
places.
He can wear two crowns day, II he
wants to, and have plenty left over at
the end OF the week. His multipleX
majesty does not reign over all the re-
Glons. OF which he Is tltular king, but he
Is king OF them all the same. Alfonslto
is ten years old, and has decided opIn-
ions on every subject brought to his
attention. His opinion Of Grover J.,
King of America, Prince OF Bu1Zard's
Bay and Woodley and Serene Trans
parency Of QuanticO. would be inter-
chronicier OF the Escuriai.
Alfonso is the only monarch In the
world who was born a king. His father
died November Is. 1885. and he was
born May II, 1856. The little fellow has
a well developed Idea Of his own regal
Importance. which his mother, the
queen regent. has hard work in check
ing. Recently, when he was Ill, one
OF the high officials OF the ministry
called at the palace and said TO the Ut.
tie king: How Is Alfonslto to-day?'
The fever-racked boy rolled his eyes
toward the gray mustached grandee
and replied: ITO mama am Alfonsito::
To you am the king" There Is an old
one. Of that Dauphin Of France, who,
when the good priest told him he must
die, replied: "But in Heaven 1 shall
still be the Dauphin."
Alfonslto is fond OF playing soldier,
and has q company OF young grandees
which he drills in the gardens Of the
royal palace OF Madrid. Not long ago
he had a mutIny in his "garde du
CORDS" the infantile hldalgos going IN
tears to their respective mamas and
declaring that they could serve the
king no longer, Queen Chrlstiana, hear
ing Of the trouble. made an inquiry,
and found that when the soldiers OF the
king did not move quickly enough, or
made mistakes in drill. he was accus-
toned to beat them numerically with
his little tin sword. She reasoned with
the king, but AlEonsito raised such
row over his prerogative that she
finally had to retire with him into
back room In the palace, which serves
In that royal household all the purposes
fulfilled by a woodshed and shingle
in a country town in America,
AlfonsIto likes to hear the people
shout when he drives out with MS
mother. He is an old little chap for
his years. and catches on to things
quickly. One day he was driving with
his mother through the streets of Mad
rid, the crowds cheering as the royal
carriage passed, and he said, with
wan smile on his sallow little face,
"They cheer. for me, mama, but they
love you"
sometimes will be discovered with an
old, old look upon his face. meditating
on no one knows what. He hears, OF
course, lot OF political gossip about
the palace, though his mother tries to
keep such things from him. Now and
then he will come to her with the flag
end OF some question OF domestic or
international Importance, and Will not
be satisfied until she has taken him on
her knee and has explained In simple
terms the situation. He has strong
likes and dislikes among the high func-
tIonarIes of state. treating sOme with
freezing dignity and rushing into the
arms OF others with joyful cry when
they visit the palace. Campos he al
ways liked, though always a little
afraid Of the grlzzled old warrior, but
for Sagasta he never had any use
Alfonso XIII may be the last OF the
Bourbons. but II he is he will, Judging
by his boyhood, end the race as be-
comes Bourbon.