The evening times., 1898-07-02
TWO QUEENS
OF SPAIN
And Little Alfonso's Father
Married Them Both.
Who Gave Herself No
Royal Airs.

One afternoon, about twenty-six years
| ago. the Convent of the Danes de rAs-
somption. at oAuteuil. was enjoying a
! fete. The parior' shone like a mirror.
/ the long tables In the refectory were
covered with delicacies pleasing to the
eye. for frosted cakes white and lemon
colored creams. buttered tarts. and fruit
preserves were mingled with flowers and
sprays of green from the superb borders
of the convent garden. The pupils wore
their uniforms. Of white alpaca. some of
| which were relieved by the silver medal
fastened to the breast with a colored
ribbon. The nuns, with violet robes and
| white wells. formed on the lawn, pictur-
esque. and, u must be added. noisy
groups. for they were chattering like
magpies. s-zr
That June afternoon was a memora BILE
| one In the history of the convent, for a
great event was about to occur. The
Countess de Paris. on the eve of return
Ing to England after a short absence, had
noticed that her little Mercedes was
somewhat pale. and had decided to con-
nde her for some weeks to the care of
the Danes de fAssomption. rather than
to take her back to the humid shadows
of Stowe House.
At O'Clock precisely-punctuality be-
ing the poifteness of kings and queens
the carriage Of the countess whirIed In
grand style into the little inner court of
the convent. and stopped before the door
hung with long white silk curtains. The
countess. who was driving. threw the
reins into the face of the groom in her
haste to spring to the walk She gave
her skirts hasty shake. and. although
with her clinging dress of gray wool and
her round hat there was little in her ap-
pearance that smacked of royalty. she
proceeded without moments loss OF
time to perform the duties of etiquette
imposed by her rank. graciously extend
ing somewhat large hand to the row
of twelve nuns bowling low at the foot of
the staircase. each of whom kissed her
hand respectfully. Behind her trotted
pretty little girl. slender and sprightly
badly dressed and unbecomingly coifed
VIII your highness go to the garden?''
asked the mother superior after the hand
kissing ceremony had ended Our pupils
await with impatience the moment when
they may render to a daughter of France
| the homage that is her due
The little girl smiled under her high
crowned hat. turned quickly on her heel
and ran to the garden. paying no further
attention to the dame in the long white
by her vestments of ceremony. followed
her.
The child soon came to the garden and
stopped short. feeling quite intimidated
by the artillery of the not altogether
friendly giances of some fifty little duch-
esses. countesses and rich bourgeoises
The prospect of having a royal maiden
among them fiattered them, of course and
1t would be very sweet to speak of Mer-
cptps Orleans = y nj
hood. But meantime the nuns would have
eyes for her alone, and that was sure to
be very tiresome. These small ladies al
ready knew something of it. for they had
"highness" among them now. Indeed.
the nun who had caught the young prin-
cess and who held her by the hand march
ed straight to group in the midst of
which stood a plain little girl whose face.
framed by braids ri hair, had in it neither
winsomeness nor freshness. and whose
afr was awkward and somewhat suIlen.
The nun took her also by the hand and in
a very emphatic voice presented the two
children to each other: Her Imperial
Highness Maria, Christina of Austria, Her
Royal HighnesS Mercedes of Orleans.
THE little girls" said the Countess
Jacqueline de d. who only yesterday
related the incident to me, looked stead
lily at each other without smiling and al
most with defiance. 4 Finally Maria Chris
tina coldly extended her hand. in which
Mercedes without enthusiasm laid her
own. Then the young archduchess let
the plump little hand of the French child
drop disdainfully.5 and. turning to a tall
girl at her side, said, caressing her chin
with a white hand:r'What a hand, grand
Dieu, Red. perspiring. pahr
Mercedes heard or guessed the remark.
for they noticed that she instinctively
slipped her little fat hands under her
large sleeves But Jacqueline de c.,
who was the enfant terrible and spoiled
child of the convent. and whom high
ness could not frigh;en. did not lose
moment in making reply. and to the ut
ter stupefaction of the already dismayed
nun, said, Indignantly: Red they may be.
and perspiring. perhaps, but proper at
least. Look at your own nails. Madame
rArchiduchesse."
And" continued the Countess Jacaue-
line de c., in relating the incident to
me, "it was well that the supper bell
brought q diversion. for in the twinkling
of an eye the pupils divided into two
camps, one surrounding Maria Christina
and the other Mercedes. They regarded
one another with flashing eyes and
clucked like young puilets in rival poultry
yards. 1t required much cream and cake
to quiet so much effervescence. Meantime
Maria Christmas eyes had filled with
tears, and that evening. noticing that
held myself somewhat aloof. and was i'll
at ease in spite of my apparent indiffer-
ence, she came to me and said humbly:
You were right to make me ashamed of
myself, Jacqueline. I cannot see why l
so soon found fault with that pretty little
French princess.
AT the convent of the Danes de fAs-
somption they are fond of showing the
little room where the Archduchess Maria
Christina passed two years of her life.
her narrow bed and the small mirror
where 1t seems she passed more than one
bitter moment. for she adored beauty and
suffered cruelty in seeing herself SO un-
attractive.
My dear" said Jacqueline de C. to
her one day, one cannot possess every
thing; you are already very lucky In be-
ing such a great lady"
"Ah." replied the other, Il would rath-
er be Jacqueiine de C.. with her pretty
face. than Maria Christina of Austria.
with this odious chin, for. you see. 1 con-
slider myself extremely ugly"
And we know that Alfonso XII was of
the same opinion. for before espousing
Maria Christina he married his cousin.
Mercedes d'Orleans, in spite of the wishes
of his mother and his parliament. who
had planned for him an Austrian alli-
auce-Chicago Tv4ning Post.