Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1898-06-01
SPANS YOUNG KING.
Alphonso was Twelve Years Old on the
18th of Nav


18th of May.
King Alphonso XIII. of Spain, born
posthumously to the throne of his father
was II years old on Sunday, the 10Th
OF May. In department he is aristocratic,
nay, majestic, and, with manners singu-
larry reserved, gentle and courteous, he
is every inch a king.
Picture an extremely delicate child
stunted in growth. of white complexion
and fair and silken hair. His beautiful
curls were sacrificed not very long ago.
They lent to an open, honest and engage
ing cOuntenance an old-wOrld look which
became the boy well. The forehead is
prominent and develOped-'rather too de-
veloped in one so young" phrenologists
maintain: the nose is pointed, the eyes
large and luminous, perhaps too wistful,
as though the soul were yearning after
the unattainable. His majesty's hands
are small; so, too. are his feet, and we'll
prODortioned. This mere chit of mon
arch stands erect. He does not walk.
he marches, and never so proudly as
when he may appear in public in the uni
form of cadet of the infantry school,
with a gold collar around his neck which
is an heirloom, worn by his father, AL
phOnso NIL. before him. In general he
wears the boy sailor dress of blue serge
or flannel and in the drawing room is at
his very best in rich black velvet and
costly lace.
Alphonso NH. is adored by his moth
er, the Queen Regent, Christina of HaOs-
burg, and by his magnificent grandmoth-
er. Archduchess Elizabeth. He is idol
lied by his sisters, the infantas. When,
on the opening of the COrtes he drives
into Madrid in his golden coach drawn
by six mules, seated at his mothers side.
her majesty superb in her diadem and
white veil, the people show enthusiastic
Loyalty.
Opinions differ as to whether the King
bears a family likeness TO the Bourbons
and the Hapsburgs. There are those
who aver that he strongly resembles the
sons of Charles ". | have seen the King
but for q moment at time, yet | was at
once impressed by his striking likeness to
his late father. His only too apparent
nervousness, Notwithstanding q look of
resolution. of intrepidity, pervades his
countenance, which is the more enga ging
because it is enhanced by an expression
born of genuine lghness of heart.
From the hour of his birth his royal
mother has shown herself to be an ex-
traordinary woman. In her noble resolve
she was determined III the anguish of her
widowhood that her AlphOnsO should not
be born a child of tears. Her maternal
mission demanded fOrtitude mental as
we'll as physical. She would nerve her
self to ignore her bereavement, and the
boy should inherit his fathers joyous tenn
permanent By nature Of melancholy
disposition, Christina, in her early widow
hood. is said to have fought q brave fight
against morbid sentimentality, and to
have come off victorious. To chase away
care she was bent on her immediate sur
soundings being transformed so that the
objects near her should not remind her too
wildly of the past. So she ordered the
Miramar palace, in San Sebastian, to be
completely restored. and the gardens of
the royal palace at Madrid, in the Campo
del Moro, were changed throughout.
While all these alterations were going on,
Christina, with her children, took up her
residence at the royal castles Of Aranjuez
and PardO a la Granla.
Alphonso is reared on principles strict
ly hygienic. His dress, his food his
walks, his gymnastic drill, his very games
are stern study. He spends his boyhood
in an atmosphere of ease, of soothing iso-
lation. BY 10 o'clock at night he is in
bed. and he is up and out of doors by 8
in the morning. Astride horse or wheel
he is in buoyant spirits, and in his pre-
cocity applies himself to his studies with
gravity beyond his years. He speaks
Spanish. English and French, and is mas
tering the rudiments of Latin and Ger
man. For modern history and the nat
ural sciences he has a decided predilec-
ton. On attaining his 10th year several
professors were appointed in charge of
his schooling. To the teachings of these
able men-for they are the pick of the
profession in things elementary-he does
full credit. In word, his conduct is ex-
emplary.
| must not let characteristic anecdote
escape me illustrative of the royal boys
perceptive powers. One of his tutors
moralizing on the evils of fattery, told
him that kings III particular should be on
their guard against the silver-tOned voice
of the fatterer. They were out riding
together a few days later, when the tutor
went into cstaSies over the boys equeS-
trian skill. Alphonso turned in his saddle
and called his monitor to task with:
pray, remember, sir. what you eau
toned me against. | know how badly |
ride"
AlphonsO will come to the throne, if the
dynasty stands the storm, on reaching the
age of 16. Thousands despair of his attain
ing manhood, but then the sanguine ar
que that, though Of delicate constitution,
the monarch is admirably nurtured and
his health meanwhile is good. In support
of this view the young duke of Cilba is
taken as an example. In infancy he was
puny and his life was despaired of, his
parents having been cursed with heredi-
tary disease, but the duke, through paying
strict attention to hygiene, escaped his in
heritance.
From court circles at Madrid and Wen
na is the mournful intelligence that the
girl archduchess, Natalie, who died in her
teens at Presburg, in Hungary, quite re-
Gently, and who was cousin-german to AL
phonso, was destined by her parents to be
and gifted child, for whom her paternal
aunt, the queen regent. entertained deep
affectiOn.-Chicago Record
Pepper" said Willie, ''why did you
buy golf coat?"
ITO play golf in, my son. said Mr..
Willis.
"Did you need it?''
"Of course [ did,
''Then l need a top-coat to play tops IN.
I seen 'em advertised. "-Harper's Bazaar.
Bowker-"How did Wainwright come to
marry that woman? Why, she is only
a nursemaid. and besides she is on spark
ing terms with half the police force.''
Stillings-"That's what he married her
Cor Ii her old friends ON The eeroo