The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1898-05-21

sPArNss JOAN ' or . Arc:
Maria chriltipas tle Wsna1 Whom
n7-vg We Are Eightiags TOR
WrittenIby an impartip / Eqkls bnans 1
In all the history Of our wars this
is the FIRST time in the 1872 years Of
its-axistence that the United States
has had to deal with woman
sDons Maria Christina. Queen Re-
gent Of Spain, is the responsible. par
tywith whom President Mckinley
treated during the Cuban trouble,
and it was she, who in her impress
i've speech before the. Cortes .on
April 20, declared. that the people
must defend herson's throne against
''foreign tyrannyiW That meant us.
What is the personality of Il is
woman with whom we must fight.
Is she young or old, beautiful or
plain, pleasant in names. or repei-
liant? Is she glad to war or is che
sorry? Is she cruel hearted or is che
amicable7 Is she religiouRor other
wise? So little is known about her,
yet SO often is her name spokenl
NDona Maria Christina, Queen Re
gent of Spain, is now 40 years Of
age She was married in Madrid in
November, 1879, and was then, as
she is now, one of the quietest royal
personages in Europe.
To understand the life and char
acter of Maria Christinaitis neces-
sary to go back to her courtship,
which was far from being a happy
one. Alphonso XII, who was IN
vited to the throne in ~-1874yvwas a
monarch idolzed by one-half OF the
subjects and ldetested by the other
half. Senior Segasta, then the lead
ing statesman in Spain, loved him
and WAS influential in having him
put upo d the throne to replace the
liberal stitutional government.
Acco rdingl y Alphonso Xll.wasPro.
claimed king in 1874, and almost
Immediately it became ofthe utmost
consequence that he should marry.
Sagasta and the people surround
ing him wished him to take for a
bride. a woman from Germany or
Austria, but Alphonso shad con-
ceived great attachment for Maria
de las Mercedes, who was the daugh-
ter of the duke of Montpensier. The
duke was unpopular in Spain and
it was undesirable that they should
wed, but Alphonso's deep love for
Mercedes triumphed and he led her
to the altar in January, 1878. Their
life together was far more than ideal
for five months, but at the close of
that period Mercedes came down
with gastric fever and died, leaving
her husband inconsoIable. The
Spanish people mourned deeply for
their beloved sovereign and allowed
him to devote himself to the mem
DRY of his wife for a Year, but at
theend of that timeth demanded
that he should marry again, and
impressed by the Importance of
choosing another wife, he sent an
envoy TO Austria Hungary. This
envoy selected the Archduchess
Maria Christina, who was niece of
Emperor FrancisJ osephof Austria
Hungary,to be the Spanish kings
next bride. They were betrothed in
the summer of 1879 and on Novem-
Der 20, the wedding was celebrated
in Madrid with great pomp..
The bride, Dona Maria Christina,
was described as very slight blonde
with an impassive countenance.
Her features were thin and cold,
with the exception of her mouth,
which. epouted out in unattractiver
fashion. Her eyes were pale blue,
sparsely yelled by thin lashes, her
hair was Of the ashes of blonde
type, without suspicion of gold.
The King Alphonso did not pre-
tend to love his wife for her beauty,
but was attracted to her by her
many virtues. and her life was happy
from royal standpoint, which does
not mean a great deal to an Ameri-
can. Two daughters were quickly
born. The first was named Mer-
cedes by the king, with touching
reference to his first wife; the sec,
ond was named Maria Christina,
after her mother. The king did not
long survive this marriage and died
in Madrid in 1885, six years after,
marrying the Austrian princess
When Alphonso died, Maria
mourned sincerely for. him. He
had not been wholly faithful hus-
band, that she knew. but he was
kind, and never openlysviolated his
marriage VOWS. He had made fire.
quent visits to Paris and some gay
centers of Spain unaccompanied
by herself, and news of his conduct
there reached her ears, but these
were received by Maria Christina
with cold silence, and it was ques-
ton among her ladies if she as
much as ever mentioned them to
tha-king-She WAS strapped Up in
her childgep, and though she did
mt lossSa XII. .skNn1lH - r..