Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-05-02
SPANS LITTLE KING.
He Is SickIy Boy, But Of Sunny Dis.
position.

At half-hour past noon on the day
of May l., 1856. the cry of Viva Ell
Rey." resounded through the streets of
Madrid. a king had been born to
Spain. The populaCe, mad with joy.
surged toward the gates of the royal
palace to make sure that the flag
which waved over the apartments Of
the Queen was red. Had ii been white
it would have signaliZcd the birth OF
another girl, and the Sale law forbade
women to reign. But the flag was red,
and the people of Spain, Sadden"d by
the death of King Alphonso Nil. which
had occurred five months before, one"
more were glad. viva el Rey," was
the cry throughout the length ard
breadth of Spain.
And today. The attitude of Spain
toward the United States causes us to
feel keener interest in everything
Spanish than we have ever experienced
before. Ii is not a friendly interest, and
ii is all the more intense by reason of
that very fact, The great mass of
American citizens have never before
been so thoroughly alive To the doings
of the land of hull-tighters. In this
country all eyes are turned toward
Washington. In Spain all eyes are cen
tired on Madrid, says the Boston Her
aid
And in the royal palace. realizing
that a great crisis is at hand which
threatens his country. but not grasping
the import of what is impending, is the
King of Spain. He is not quite Il years
oh e.ia 81 Al lint # Il
ton who is worried because his mother,
the Queen Regent, is also worried. He
doesn't understand what it is all about.
but he clasps her fondly around the
waist and assures her that. no harm
shall come TO her OF to Spain as long n
he is King.
And Maria Christina Desiree Henri
cite Reniere of Hapsburg Lorraine.
Queen and Regent of Spain. Arch
duchess of Austria, lineal descendant Of
the great Empress Marie Therese, signs
YEARLY and clasps her King to her
breast. AS she looks back through the
vista Of years-years which have been
fraught with opposition and even
hatred before being crowned with the
tolerance of Spain-She is not 50 SUR
of her Kings power, but breathes no
word of treason
What could be more pathetic. viewed
| even through the uncertain atmosphere
| of gathering war clouds than the his
| tory of this little royal family 1t WAS
! not an easy destiny that confronted the
Archduchess Maria Christina when she
| married Alphonso Nil, King of Spain.
| She realized that his heart lay buried
| in 40 # \, f;,ct E Il
Mercedes, the daughter of the Duke If
Montpenser. The wedding took place
| in January, 1878. and there was muc il
rejoicing throughout the peninsula.
| The happiness of the couple was of
| short duration. for after five months
| Mercedes died from gastric fever. tn"
| same disease that was to carry off her
husband seven years later
A year later, during the summer of
| 1879, the King again married. 1t was
not his wish, but 50 impnrtunate were
! the grandees of the court of their in
| sistence for an heir to the throne that
Alphonso acceded to their wishes. His
marriage with the present Queen took
| place by proxy in Madrid. where the
wedding nuptials We're celebrated three
| months later.
| The ArchduchesS Maria Christina
was u years old when she was chosen
| for the second wife of Alphonso, 20
whom she gave her whole heart. as
| We'll as her hand, for to her it was not
a merely state contract. But her mar
ried life was from the first beset 10y
| many trials, for the King had married
for purely dynastic reasons, and was
limo f,,r. II fisc.t
| Queen Mercedes.
| a curious story is told about heaut-
full ring which King Alphonso gave to
his first wife. and which she received
with great delight and wore until the
day of her death: but afterward it was
| said that from the moment the King
| placed the ring on her finger her
! health began TO fail. Before the funeral
his majesty removed the ring from his
| dead Wife'S hand and gave it later to
! his grandmother, Queen Christina. who
wore it and died shortly afterward a
| few months later in 1873.
| The next recipient of the fatal ring
was the kings sister. the Infanta Maria
del Pillar. who died a few days after
| receiving it. The king then gave it to
/ ms sIster-in-laW. the youngest daugh~
| ter of the Due and Duchess de Mont
pensier. and she died after wearing It
| for three months.
| After this series of fatalities. King
| AlphonSo determined to keep the ring
| himself. and his death followed not
| long afterWard. Queen Christina. who
was determined that the jewel should
bring no more i'll fortune to the Span
ish royal family. presented the ring to
the patron saint of Madrid, the Holy
| Virgin of Almadeno. and it is to be-
seen now hung by thin gold chain
round the neck of the figure represent
ing the saint.
KING AlphonSo very soon understood
the excellent qualities of heart and
brain possessed by his second wife
and before he died was fully aware of
the treasure he had gained, and the
knowledge of her husbands affection
and trust was most soothing to the
Queen in the first months of her be-
reavement and during the many weary