The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-06-05
Death of an Infanta of
Spain Alone in Paris.
A Chinese Envoy Who Re-
fused to Be Fumigated.
How the Old Pass at Thermopylae
Is at the Present Time.

At this time when everything relating
TO Spain and the Spaniards attracts atten-
tion 1t is worthy of note that on tn 18th
of Nay an infanta of Spain died practi-
cally alone and almost friendless in
Paris. The Princess Isabella Of Bourbon
Bourbon passed away in the Hotel Vic
toria In the Cite d Autin, whore she, tho
sister in law of Queen Isabella, had lived
for seven years. At the time OF her death
she was 76 years OF age. she was the
sister of the king Don Francis of
Assist, the aunt Of the queen regent of
Spain and tie grand aunt OF the young
sovereign. OF her nine children, two
daughters only survive: the Princess
Maria Christina, who lives in Madrid and
the Princess Maria Isabella, who is estab-
lishsd at Malaga. 1t Is somewhat ro-
markable circumstance that the late Prin-
cess should have died, rs she did, far from
all her family, death surprising her thus
alone, without single servant attached
TO her personal service, so that IL was To
strangers devotion that she owed the
fact that she did not die entirely forsakeD,
In her furnished apartment-uhe Droprie-
tor of the hotel having literally been one
to whom fell the melancholy duty OF
closing her dead eyes. One must remem-
ber, however, the lasting differences which
existed between Isabella of Bourbon and
the royal family of Spain.
Since her marriage TO the Polish Count
Gorowski, which was very romantic
match, the princess had scarcely any
intercourse with the heads Of her family
who had opposed her union. During her
residence in Paris, she nevertheless re-
ceived through the Spanish Embassy a
pension which was said to amount TO
seven or eight thousand francs month.
But she was extremely generous-even
prodigal-in her charities, seeming In
such matters to consider her limited re-
sources inexhaustible and she therefore
always found herself in financial straits.
1t frequently happened after some lavish
donation, that she had not even the
wherewithal TO provide for the needs of
her modest establishment. From this
idiosyncrasv of hers arose other difficult
ties which contributed To render still
more strained her relations with her kin
dred the latter regrettinR the fact that
claims long since made against the Span
ish estates Of their adventurous relative
forbade her keeping up, in Paris the
rank TO which her birth entitled her, and
also that her somewhat iIl-considered
charity rendered insufficient the subsidy
she received from her government
In spite of the seclusion In which she
lived she had, by her wit and affabilty,
retained the friendship of the Princess de
Roban, who visited her each week regu-
larly. The rest of her time Was divided
between the pensioners OF her bounty, a
few old friends, among whom was nj.
Bouillet, former diplomat who had re-
mained faithful to her in spite OF her
fallen fortunes, and short drives i'm the
Bois. Being OF n strong constitution. she
had even shortly before her death sufli-
ciently robust appearance, as well as the
proverbial appetite of the Bourbons The
end came suddenly-a stroke Of cerebral
paralysis, to whicn she instantly sue
oumbed. She, who, according 20 those
who knew her best. feared intensely to die
alone, died far from her family, and almost
without friends. The Spanish Consul,
hastily summoned, went to the mortuary
apartment and applied to IL his seals.
When Chung, the special envoy of the
Emperor of China to Queen Victorias 3
diamond Jubilee arrived at Port Victoria.
British Columbia Ii was found that there