The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1900-07-12
fanatic populace which could not under.
stand the defects of their soidiery.


Alfonso Kill, the youngest king in
! Europe was born just six months aftel
the unexpected death of his father
Meanwhile his sister, the Princess
Maria de las Mercedes, was the actual
queen, though under six years of age
At the birth of her brother she became
an Eek with the title of Princess of
the Austrias, (the Spanish equivalent of
the title of Princess of Wales, but heir.
ess to the throne in the event of Alton
SOS death without male issue. As all
the world knows, the Queen Regent has
devoted her life to her boy, and the
young king is in turn passionately at
tached to her and his sisters Though
rather slight in build for one so tall, he
is an athlete in every sense of the
word, with muscles of iron and will
as strong. He is an admirable horseman.
sometimes using five or six different
horses i'll as many hours He practices
every day in the royal gymnasium, rides
a bicycle and holds commission in the
army. He is generally seen in the uni
form of Colonel of Infantry with the
Golden Fleece at his throat. From
baby-hood he has taken a great interest
i'll military affairs, and when hardly out
of petticoatS he was in command of a
boy-reglment, the corps, numbering
| about 800 youngsters, including very
good band, recruited from the noble
families of Spain. He is a great reader
and student, having already perfectly
| mastered four languages besides his
own, among them English, most diff
| cult of all, which he speaks without the
| slightest accent This is due to the two
English governesses vet employed at a
high salary in the palace. one of whom
had charge of the little kings education
up to his eleventh year, when his woman
attendants gave place to a controller,
tutors, equerries and valets The lad of
| fifteen now maintains his own house
hold, in large and splendid suite of
apartments in the Palacio Real of
Madrid. He is one of the richest Young
men in the world his state allowance
being about one and half million dol
lars year, besides an almost incom-
| putable private fortune, and palaces,
castles and villas galore to live in, rent
free. The wise Queen Regent does not
allow any waste, and the home life of
| the Spanish court is very frugal and
simple, all the savings of the enormous
income being boarded against the
rainy day, possible even to royalty, as
history has often shown. You will
be surprised to learn that the Queen
and her children rise earlier than most
| mlddle-class American families,-at 6
a. M. winter and summer At So'clock
breakfast is served, aud luncheon at l
p. m.-the hours between occupied by
the king and his sisters in study and
open air exercise After luncheon fol
lows another short course of study.
when mother and children take drive
Oh pleasant days Dinner is at S
o'clock, but until last year the king
took his last meal of the day at >, and
retired at :. TO these judicious and
lnalterable rules of his mother, the
boy no doubt owes his DEVELOPMENT
| from sickly infant to the sturdy youth
he now is, with every reasonable pros
poet OF long life before him.
If the Queen has fault, it is as a
stichier for the dignity of her beloved
son. From earliest infancy he has
always been treated with all the cere-
monials accorded to full-tedged. sacred
Majesty. While yet in diapers, none
might approach him, even to change
those indispensable articles, without
extreme Difference. Since he has now
arrived at mans estate he has volun-
tarify dispensed with much of this eX-
aggerated ceremonial, but will never
permit anything approaching familiar
ity, even among his closest friends.
There is a curious dignity in all his
actions. even when hanging. head down.
in the royal gymnasium. Soon as able
to understand anything. his mother
took him to all state functions and de-
manded for him the same homage that
would be accorded a grown-up king. On
his tenth birthday he received with
great pomp all the foreign ambassadors
connected with his court. and his gra-
cious, affable, and at the same time most
stately manner might have been copied
with profit by many a gray-haired
sovereign. 1t is related. to the disco!n-
torture of his Secretary, one Count de
Morphi, an Irishman whose fathers
name was plain Patrick Murphy. that
his too ready tongue has received many
a royal set-bac *. For example: when
the KING was about seven years Old he
was confined to his room several DAYS
with Il severe cold. On his first appear-
ance at breakfast the Secretary hailed
him with the CHEEKY words. Good
morning Alfonso; | rejoice to see you
better Whereupon the feeble little
lad stitfened his back bone and with his
haughtlest manner replied in piping
treble. 81 am A lfonSo' tn INV 70 n,i1I-