The Portland daily press., 1898-09-06

Dwight, forty-one in all, dated l848 to
1s47 inclusive, and in conclusion twenty
one letters of later date written at various
times from 1850 to 1856.
LIFE OF THE BOY KING OF SPAIN.
1 have just had CONVEX sation with q
well-known Spanish oourtier concerning
the health, amusements, and general way
of living of the little King Alphonso
XIII, the gist of which shall endeavor
to reproduce as nearly as possible as 1T
occurred:
''What are the usual amusements OF
King AIphonso kip" Inquired.
"Like those of most lads Of his age,
they are legion, and any change OF place,
persons, or circumstances may suggest
new ones. Among the perennial pleasures
which seem to keep their charm forever,
watching military manoreuyres eyolutions
and ceremonies is his favorite. He once
declared that one and the same officer had
taken part in the ceremony two days run
ming, = circumstance which ought never
to occur and although he was assured
that he must be mistaken, he insisted
that he was right, and commanded an
inquiry to be made. just to ascertain
whether or not he was in error. The in
vestigation showed that the child was
right, and that the officer was guilty Of
a rnisdemeanor, which he had committed
in order to extricate comrade from
trouble.
"He and his eomrade the watchman's
son. who share the Kings amusements.
work together, If we can call the amateur
gardening of boys anything more than
play. 1t is interesting to watch the two
running about with little spades or rakss
wheelbarrows or shoyels, garden scissors or
flower baskets, and it would be both
am using and Instructive to listen to the
conversation carried on by the pair. One
day some trees in the royal garden were
being pruned ana the kings humble
companion having gone of for few
minutes on an errand Of his comrade and
monarch, reappeared wearing a leafy
crown over his rat, which he had impro-
vised out of somewhat gnarled bough.
What's that round your hatp' asked the
King. That's my crown replied the
boy commoner; 'it nearly tore the ribbon
round my hat as I pinned it. There are
plenty more up there, where they are
pruning the trees. Would you like me to
get you oney
sharp as his eyestght; but he Is made to
be very careful how he employs 1t when
ever grown.up people are present. Posi-
bly, a considerable part of what he says is
mere modification of what he hears
from people much older than himself.
Some Of the caustic epithets he appliss to
certain of the eminent politicians of the
Cortes are OF this category; but they are
daily becoming less and less frequent.
One day his playmate. instead of doing
something which the King desired, en-
deavored to show that it was either very
difficuls or wholly impossible, and in
order to prove it he spoke on and on till
the royal boy lost patience. and, stamping
by the name Of celebrated Deputy,
famous for his long and eloquent dis
course, cor else you may leave me and
the garden and take yourself off to Parlia-
ment.'
Zone day, during his history lesson,
the King asked his professor to tell him
how Spain came to loss Chilli, Mexico,
and the Spanish American colonies The
story was narrated so thrillingly and ar
tistically that thu royal boy listened spell
| bound. and continued, afJer 1t had ended,
to sit absorbed in meditation, At last, q
| thought having struck him, he looked up
| to his professor and inquired, What
must / do in order to get back those coun'
| tries for SpainS' sThe first and most Inn
portant thing of all. replied the cautious
| and diplomatic pedagogue is that your
Majesty observation-disclosures up to be
man. When you are man him !
muttered the lad, disenchanted. when
I'm a man it is not history professor
advice that I shall be asking
l shall have Prime Minister to tell NE
then
"The restraint of court life would be G
source of exquisite suffering to d viva
| cious youth like Alphonso XIII, were he
obliged to submit to 1t. Fortunately thu
| existence he leads is thnt of boy in al
aristocratic private family. with some
| extra restrictions thrown in. All bis
hours, or nearly all, are filled up with
some occupation or other, according to {
programme which is observed with Ger
| man minuteness and this Is CALLING te
the independent Spanish spirit of tht
| lad. He cannot, or will not, understand
why he must do this thing which HI
| beart yearns for, simply because this IL
absolutely necessary for King this il
| unbecoming a monarch the other
thing Is harmless in itself, but for the
| King of Spain st the present moment il
is impossible why impossible? he ha'
often asked, anG nearly always the reply
elicited was, You will understand al
this better when you are Older WIZ
does young Soand So do it, thenp oh
he is only the son of a Deputy. Well.
only wish were Deputy's son, too
Madrid Correspondence London Tele-
| graph.
The naval veterans at Cincinnati threat