The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-06-29
SPANS REIGNING FAMILY.
THE YOUNG KING AND HIS MOTH
Err AT HOME AND AFRO I'D.

Their Daily Life In the Splendid But
comfortless Palace at Madrid and
the More Cheerful Royal Retreat at
SIM sebasstan-The Weekly Pilgrim
aEe of Alfonso XIII and HIS HOUSE,
hold 10 Pray In the chapel of Atochn'
a Especial Correspondence Of the journal
and Courier)
Madrid, Spain, June NATURALLY the
FIRST efforts in the sightseeing line Of
the visitor to the Spanish capital are al
rected toward the reigning family. 1t
is easy enough to get gllmpse VI
Young King Alfonso the Thlrteenth,
either in Madrid or the royal retreat at
San Sebastian, as he takes his dally
airing on orse-back; but to see his
mother, the queen regent, Donna MARIA
Christiana-who IS yet by far the most
important personage-is much more
difficult as she is never visible to the
public eye except on rare state occa-
sions. To accomplish it at this time OF
year, when official fetes are over Tor the
season, requires the services Of the Uni
ted States minister, in an interview es-
pecially arranged, at the cost of deal
more "red tape" than is dreamed of on
our side of the Atlantic. But it can be
done, nevertheless, by dint OF patience
and perseverance-the former virtue eX-
ercised in liberal measure by yourself
the latter by Uncle SamuePs representa-
tive in Spain. Though it involves con-
siderable trouble you need feel few
computations of consequence, for our
obliging American minister counts at
tending to the reasonable desires of his
visiting countrymen among the official
duties for which he draws generous
salary After vexatious delays-Ameri-
cans being anything but popular In
these parts Just now, you know-an au-
dience was granted to our party; but as
it was appointed for days ahead, we are
improving the interim by visiting the
show portions of the royal palaces--un-
officially. so to speak-and gathering up
local gossip concerning the reigning
family, so that we may feel better &C
quainted" when we meet, as Samantha
Allen remarked to Queen Victoria.
On any Saturday afternoon you may
see the king and his household going to
the Atocha chapel to pray according to
the habit of their ancestors for many
generations. The original convent of
Atocha, situated at the extremity of
long street of the same name, was built
for the Dominicans about the year 1870,
by the Confessor of Charles V, and Is
now being demolished to make way for
new basilica. But the dngy little
chapel in which for centuries kings and
queens have performed their devotions,
will be left intact 1t contains the vene-
rable image called Our Lady of Atocha,
considered the tutelar deity of the pres
ent dynasty and an oracle to be reli-
giously consulted in time Of trouble.
Royal marriages take place under her
auspices, and the wedding rousseau OF
Spanish queen, to the minutest arti-
Gle, is always donated to Our Lady i'm
mediately after the ceremony She has
a mistress of the robes and ladies-in-
waiting the same as any earthly queen.
Should her majesty be preserved from
unusual calamity, she is also in duty
bound to donate the clothes she was
wearing at the time to this Virgin.
Thus Isabella II, who was stabbed by
Merino when on her way to Atocfa,
gave her dress, with the rent of the
dagger in it, to the protecting Virgin;
and Queen Christiana, a few hours af-
ter the attempted assassination of her
youthful husband at the gate Of his pal
ace. some years ago, sent her gown, to-
gether with her lace mantilla, blackened
with smoke from the murderer's pistol,
and the costly jewels she was wearing,
to her imaginary benefactress. The sa-
cred image, sitting enshrouded ABOVE
the high altar of the chapel is very
black and old, having been rudely
carved of some dark wood many centu-
ries ago. The Atocha virgin ranks
third in holiness among the hundreds in
Spain-outranked only by those of Ear
agoza and Guadalupe-and volumes
have been written about her and her
miracles Early in the present century
she was decorated with the Collar of the
Golden Fleece amid extraordinary
pomp and ceremony, as a token of roy
al gratitude; and her wardrobe, enriched
by the gifts and splendid trosseaux Of
many queens, is one of the richest and
most extensive in existence In 1862,
when the whole kingdom was in sus-