The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1900-07-12
ALWAYS HELPS.
ALMOST ALWAYS HEALS

ALMOST ALWAYS HEALS.
sovereign is allowed by her ministers
to rule. AS to personal appearance.
her most generous friends have never
called her handsome. so far as features
go: but she has very tall commanding
figure, an abundance of dark hair,
slightly tinged with gray, beautiful
brown eyes with an expression of sad
ness and anxiety in them long to be
remembered, and occasionally a smile
of singular sweetness Eliminates her
otherwise plain face. Everybody speaks
in praise of her many virtues, though
without affection, as she is Austrian
born. She is extremely pious, having
been an ahbeSS of noble religious or
der at Prague. before her marriage to
the widowed King Alfonso MI. for
which she received special license
from the Pope. His Holiness annually
bestows the Golden Rose" upon some
lady who shines pre-eminent by reason
of great virtue and piety, and this su-
preme honor was bestowed upon the
Queen Regent some years ago. With
her austere virtues, she unites a charm
ing simplicity of manner. domestic
tastes. and that indetinable quality
which is rarer and more potent than
genius known on our side OF the water
as horse sense" She is very we'll
read woman. and a good conversational
iSt welding d powerful influence over
friends and counselors, when she
chooses to exert it. AS a musician She
particularly eXceIls, far beyond the
average amateur In the select mus
Gals that frequently occur in the
royal palace. it is said that she not only
criticises the efforts of the best per
formers in the land but often takes the
how some difficult passage should be
rendered. 1t is owing to her simple
tastes that the stlictness of Spanish
etiquette at court has been greatly re-
laXed-an innovation not altogether
pleasing to the proud grandees and
hidalgoeS of the old regeme. who infni-
tely prefer all the rigors of the ancient
eXclusiveness, which permitted only
the highest i'll the land to approach the
reigning family on Bonded knees. Taken
all around. Queen Maria Christiana' S
lot is not an enviable one Married for
reasons of state-in which mere senti-
ment cut no figure at ALTO mediocre
young rake, somewhat younger than
herself, whose chief interests in life
seemed to be centered in bull-tights and
ladies OF light morals-She found her
self III tragic position Wien Alfonso
MI. suddenly passed to his reward
whatever that might have been, in
November of 81 Young AS he was.
her royal husband had outIved his pop
ularity and the country was ON the
verge of revolutionary that tireless
Jack-in- the-boX, Don Carlos. the Pre-
tender. ready to pop up and seize the
throne on tie slightest preteXt. But
death at tWenty-eiglt is eXpiation
enough for the follies of wildcat SOW
ing. and Spain remembered only the
dead Kings youth, while regretting its
brilliant promise all unfultilled Not
Withstanding the deep-rooted national
antipathy to everything foreign, Span
ish chivalry awoke toward the widowed
queen. then about to become a mother,
AS she knelt beside her husbands coffin,
And the former Austrian archduchess
sustained herself wonderfully well in a
most trying situation knowing that
only pity tolerated her. The throne had
to be protected for her children, and
therefore it was necessary to sever all
intercourse with the parental relatives,
III order not to excite suspicion that
she was influenced by Vienna or Berlin,
either of which would have been fatal.
There were wheels within wheels to be
considered and opposing factions to be
placated; yet she has managed with
such tact and discretion that Conserva-
tives, Liberals, Socialists and Possibil-
lists have found no serious flaw i'm her
reign. Whatever tears she may have
Shed in the privacy of her chamber,
when appealing to the Almighty for
help for her son, she has always pre-
sented a calm, firm front in public.
with unbroken hope and spirit during
the darkest hours. 1t isl universally
conceded that her great tact alone saw
ed the kingdom from an entire debacle
when Spanish fleets were destroyed by
a stronger enemy and one after another
OF her most trusted generals were COM
PEELED to yield to American command
ers-while at the same time Spain was
menaced by foreign invaders and by the