The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-11-28

At the present moment Spain and its
royal family are attracting the atten-
ton of the entire world, particularly
of all Americans, by reason of the deli
cate negotiations now pending between
the United States and Spain relative to
the pacif1cation of Cuba. Never since
the birth of the boy king, Alfonso Kill,
has the Spanish political horizon been
more threatening than 1t Is today. With
stubborn rebellion in his colonies, the
mutterings of revolution in his cap
ital, and Don Carlos knocking at the
gates Of his palace, many doubt wheth-
err the dynasty will survive the seven
years that yet remain before the youth
full monarch may begin to reign, says
the New York Herald.
But, whatever destiny may have in
store for the Spanish monarchy,
whether the Bourbon throne endures
or Is overthrown, the sight of woman
and her child on the throne of that
naughty race, proud even in Its mis-
fortunes, at a most critical moment of
the nations history, cannot but enlist
every ones sympathy. The Queen Re-
gent Marie Christine and the boy king
will always be remembered among the
most interesting and romantic hgures
of modern history.
If there is one dream more than an
other INDUCED in by young girls, II IS
to be a. beautiful princess and to marry
a charming prince. Such dream was
realized by the Archduchess Marie OIL
Austria. who married Alfonso XII, the
late king Of Spain, in 1879. only to weep
at his tomb six years later.
A PATHETIC CONTRAST.
A pathetic contrast that, between the
widowed queen regent of today and the
gtrlish figure of the merry hearted
Young Archduchess who was Wooed by
her kingIy lover in the woods of Area
chon.
The queen regent Is still beautiful
woman, but the cares OF state nave
given a thoughtful, almost sad, express
sion to her face, which adds to the dig
nifty and majesty of her presence and
makes her look older than she really is,
for she Is just thirty-nine. Since the
late kings death she has steadily won
her way into the hearts Of the people
whom she rules in the name Of her son,
and it has been said that Spain owes
her large debt for having transformed
the court of Madrid from the most i'm
moral to probably the purest in all
Europe.
It was on themornlng Of May II, 1885,
that a royal salute Of twenty-one guns
from the palace announced that the
queen had been delivered of a boy.
The event had been awaited with anX-
iety for weeksd The queen had caused
prayers to be offered in all the churches
for her safe delivery and was herself
obliged, as regent to sign the regula-
lions to be observed on the occasion
of the birth. EVERY detail was ar
ranged beforehand. When the child
was born the camarera-major was at
once to dispatch the news to the presi-
dent of the council, who was to In
form the captain general of Madrid and
the commander of the halberdiers, so
that the proper signals might be given
announcing the fact to the populace of
Madrid If the child were a prince,
then the Spanish standard must be
run up over the palace and a salvo of
twenty-one guns fired; If it were a
princess, the flag would be white, and
the number OF guns eighteen. If the
birth should be at night, lanterns
would be hoisted, red or white, accord
ing to the sex Of the infant.
A Madrid newspaper at the time
made the following announcement:
"The cyclone has passed and the king
has come; the smallest possible quaint
ty of king"
In the streets the greatest excite