The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-09-11
Life of the Boy King of Spain,

Life of the Boy King OF Spain.
I have just had a conversation with a
well-known Spanish courtier concerning
the health. amusements and general way
of living OF the little King Alfonso XIII.
the gist OF which shall eudeavor to re-
produce. as nearly as possible. as it oc-
Cured:
What are the usual amusemsats Of
King Alfonso XIII-.- - l 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 charms forever.
watching military manoeuvrss. evolutions,
and ceremonies IS his favoriJe. He once
declared that one and the same officer
had taken part in the ceremony TWO days
running a eircumsIanc which ought new
! er to occur. and although he was assured
! that he must be mistaken. he Insisted
I that he was right. and commanded an
/ INQUIRY TO be made. just 10 ascertain
whether or not he was in error. The
! investigation showed that the child was
/ right and that the officer was guilty OF
I a misdemeanor. which he had committed
/ IN order TO extricate comTade from trou-
| BILE.
| He and his comrade. the watchman's
| son, who shares the Kings amusements,
work together. IL We can call the anna
/ teur gardening boys anything more than
play II IS interesting TO watch the two
running about with little spades or rakes.
! wheelbarrows or shovels. garden scissors
/ orfiower-baskets, and II would be both
! amusing and instructive 10 listen TO the
! conversation carried on BY the pair. one
! day some trees in the royal garden were
/ being pruned. and the Kings humble conf
| panion having gone on for few minutes
| on an errand of his comrade and mon
| arch, reappeared wearing a leafy crown
over his head. which he had impTovised
| out Of a somewhat gnarled bough.
! What's that round your hat?' asked the
| King. That's my crown replied the boy
| commoner; 1T nearly tore the ribon round
my hat as pinned H. There are plenty
more up there. where they are pruningn
the trees Would you like me 10 set you
one?'
The little Kings tongue is quite as
sharp as his eyesight; but he is made TO
/ be very careful how he employs 1t when
| ever grOwn-up people are present Pos
sibiy a considerable part of what he says
/ is a mere modification of what he hears
/ from people much older than himself
! Some OF the caustc epithets he applies 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 some
/ thing which the King desired, endeavor-
! ed TO show that il was either very dif-
fcult or wholly impossible, and in order
I to prove it he spoke on and on till the
royal boy lost patience and, stamping
his foot. said, Shut UP. y. calling him
| by the name of a celebrated deputy, IA
| nous for his long and eloquent dis
] Hasax~ ma a M
the garden and take yourself on to par
/ lament
One day, during his history lesson. the
King asked his professor to tell him how
/ Spain came 10 lose Chill. Mexico. and the
| other Spanish-AmeTican colonies. The
| story was narrated so thrillingly and ar
/ tistically that the royal boy listened spell
| bound. and continued after il had ended.
/ to sit absorbed In meditation. At last.
a thought having struck him. he looked
I'D to his professor and inquired: What
must / do in order to get back those
countries for SPAIN The first and most
| important thing of ALL replied the eau
| tious and diplomatic pedagogue, is that
your Majesty should-should-grow up to
| be a man. When you are a man -
| Hint muttered the lad, disenchanted.
when I am man II Is not a history
| professors advice that / shall be asking.
! / shall have a prime minister to tell me
| then
THE restrain Of court life would be
| source Of exquisite suffering TO viva
| cious youth like Alfonso XIII. were he
/ Obliged to submit 20 H. Fortunately the
! existence he leads IS that OF a boy in an
aristocratic private family, with some
extra restrictions thrown In. All MS
| hours. or nearly all, are filed up with
/ some occupation or other, according 10
! a programme which is observed with Ger
man rninuteness, and this Is calling 10
( the independent Spanish spirit Of the lad.
He cannot. or will not. understand why
he must do this thing which he hates or
refrain from that which his heart yearns
4 for. simply because this is absolutely
4 necessary for a King that IS unbecoming
/ a monarch the other thing Is harmless
| in itself. but for the King Of Spain at
the present moment II Is impossible.
! WHY fmpossible?' he has often asked,
and nearly always the reply ELECTED was.
| You will understand all this better when
Won are older why does young So-and-
/ So do II. then2' On. he is only the son
/ of a Deputy Well ! only wish were
a Deputy's son, too" Madrid CORE
spendence London Telegraph.