The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-09-13
SOMETHING ABOUT
SPAIN'S BOY KING
The Ten.Year.0ld Sovereign and His
Strong. Willed Mother.
SHE HAS KEPT HIM UNDER CONTROL
He Is a Proud Little Fellow, with the
Arrogance of His Race, but in the
Queen Regent He Has a Superior
Who Knows How to Rule.


Queen Regent He Has a Superior
Who Knows How to Rule.
While the fathers and mothers are
interested in the war that has brought
Spain into such prominence, our little
men and women" says the Ladies'
Home Companion, will want to hear
about the little ten-year-old king. We
have been fortunate in securing an
excellent portrait of him in the cadets
uniform, when reviewing the troops be-
fore proceeding to Cuba. Few sons,
royal or otherwise, have ever owed so
much to their mother as Alphonso
Kill, of Spain. Although he was the
most puny and delicate of infants, he
has, under her unremittent care, each
year from his babyhood become more
robust. Afflicted by nature with the
most difficult temper, he has, under her
firm guidance, learned to respect and
to obey, and is already acquiring the
first of virtues. that of self-command.
Although born a king, he has been
taught to understand that in his home
life he stands, and must throughout
his boyhood continue to stand, in COM
plete subsection to his mother The
tribute to the character OF this strong
and great woman is supported by
Stuart Cumberland, a thought reader"
of European fame, who thus speaks of
her Majesty: II have experimental
with many women of note-empresses,
queens, great authorcsses, artists, trav-
elers, most of them women of known
strong character, but for downright
concentration of thought and deter
mination of purpose, I have scarcely
met, the equal Of the Queen Regent of
Spain"
With this as a keynote to the secret
of the little monarch's life training, 1t
is not surprising to learn that the sick
ly, "cross" baby has developed into
fine specimen of sturdy boyhood, both
morally and physically.
HIS SHORT CAREER.
He was born on May II, 1886, near
Madrid, six months after the death of
his father Alfonso XII, when his sis
ters, the Infantas Maria de las Mer-
cedes and Maria Theresa, were respec-
lively six and four years of age. The
Palace del Pardo, a gloomy residence
about eight miles from the capital, was
the scene of the young kings birth, his
mother having removed there some
time before, much to the annoyance of
the Spaniards, who considered that the
dark forest and the high wall, over
fifty miles in length, shut her off too
completely from her people.
From his infancy the etiquette OF the
country has demanded that the king
should preside on certain occasions at
state councils, at the reception Of the
representatives of foreign courts and
at special services in the Cathedral of
Madrid. An amusing story is told of
his Majesty on one such occasion, when
he was too young to understand, but
not too young to be bored. A bishop
was preaching long sermon, and the
monarch's experience had taught him
he was expected to remain till 1t was
| concluded. A quarter of an hour, half,
three-quarters passed, and still the
bishop preached on. AT last the child
felt that he could endure it no more
and tearing off his little gloves, he
flung them almost at the bishops feet,
with such look of anger and i'm
patience that the preacher judged it
we'll to bring his discourse abruptly to
close.
" llSl the court leaves
Queen Regent and her children gener-
ally go to the pleasant watering-place
of San Sebastian. Here swimming is
their favorite pastime, and the warm
waters of the south allow them to spend
a much longer time at the exercise
than would be advisable in our colder
climes. The Queen herself is an expert
swimmer, and to be "as clever in the
fa,.
little monarch has often expressed.
FORCED TO STUDY.
The juvenile king must spend many
hours at his books, even during vaca-
tion time. Fortunately for himself, he
is not a duh child, and he is especially
quick at languages. Spanish, Of
course, is his native tongue German
he has spoken much with his Austrian
mother and with French, Italian and
English he is fairly proficient. The
last named he is studying under an
English gOverness, of whom he is very
fond, so his progress is rapid, while he
often amuses himself by making an
Irish secretary in the household of the
queen teach him various slang terms
which he brings out when English Wis
| itors are present, often as much to
their astonishment as their amuse-
| ment.
Nevertheless, the little king has great
| dignity of his own. He is often as
naughty in his bearing as any of his
arrogant ancestors, whether of Iberian
| or of Austrian birth, and it is certain
| that no one would ever be so i'll ad-
Vised as to take a liberty with him.
Since he completed his tenth year,
| his majesty has had a complete es-
| tablishment of his own: but while at
| the sea during the summer the stern
| rules of the court are relaxed to a
| certain extent, and he is allowed a
| little of the freedom which alone makes
| happiness in young life a possibility:
| and it Is at this time especially that
he finds the rather strict rule of his
mother very loving one.
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