The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-03-23

Then the royal guardians OF some three
Austrian Archduch,a seS. one or two Of the
bourbon PrincesSsS ami S-rlc Of N. Ger
man Processes viii point out how dtprg-
ciated in value the goods are. After due
dickerinS the little King and some prDSurn-
ably indifferent Princess will become en-
gagged without having anything particular
TO say about il themselves.
Plans for
IT was hoped in Spain that this hi OF
business could he arranged before the coru-
nation festivities in May. but the muttcr-
tngs of revolution became too loud TO per-
init OF the royal departure from the cIun-
try 1t was planned at one time to make
Inose OF Alphonso's brother monarch. KING
Edward VII. at Westminster Abbey i
month later, but the serious condition vi
the country has apparently caused a con-
siderable change III those plans.
IN Spain, a. in TIE Netherlands. the coro-
nattcn isn't really a coronation at all. In
tioIiano the polite fiction Is that the reign
Ing monarch is so lofty in dignity that no
SUBJECT could assume the mortal stature
necessary 10 place The crown ON the mon
archS head and thus for the moment have
4 position of superiority. The real reason Is
mat the doughty Netherianders are too in
Hspehdent TO relish the idea of having one
OF lheir NUMBER wear q crown. the supreme
symbol of sovereignty. For n similar -.o-
son the Kings and Queens of SPAN have
Yer peen actually crowned since the days
Oh the Nisigoths.
Oath of Office.
All that AlphoEso will have 10 do to be-
come King in fact as wei! as in name Will
pe 10 go TO the Senado or Senate and take
the oath 10 support the Constitution There
VIII be gorgeous robes. state carriages
priestly ancintings, and a company of ali
tne most distinguished of Spanish aranGees,
Win the Ambassadors and representatives
or Inc other noted royal families of Europ,:
nut crowned heads will he conspicuous bv
their absence. An American paper recently
printed a page full OF pictures of most II
the Kings and Queens OF all Europe- with
a utie explaining that they We're among the
ton glorious by their presence. But not
one Of them all. except. perhaps. the old
King of Denmark, father Of Queen Aiexan-
ora VIII be present at either coronation.
because through some queer bit Of etiquette.
lor which no reason except tradition can be
gwen. 1t Is not considered good form for
one Wearer or a crown 10 see a fellow
monarch crowned.
Ceremony without POmp.
Beyond the general facts given above. no
oeen given out yet in Madrid. and it is
thought quite possible that the ceremonies
VIII DE kept under cover almost entirely.
sauds and gew-gaws before a prbIi% nvsr.
purdened with taxation and infested win
anarchy would seem like tempting Proyi-
ism statesmen. 'i''"-
ON the principle OF the old lady who said
through the month of May She lived
through the rest of the year. il is possible
tnat AlphonSo. the uDluCky thirteenth. may
long enough To make his Influence
felt in Spain. His father. always a rather
weakly man. died of consumption AT tho
age Of q. six months before his ONLY son
was born. Little Alphonso. who had there
Tore the rare distinction of being horn a
King. has had n battle from the first start
with the Inherited seeds of disease. At 4 he
was seized with an Illness from which no
one expected him to recover. but his expsr-
fence was another instance of the queer fact
that the sickly often can pull through sick :
ness better than the strong.
Fond of outdoor sports.
To-day he Is about as well rs he ever has
peen- You Will find scarcely any one in
Madrid who does not take il for granted
mat ne Is consumptive. hut he has not so
lar given any sign of serious ndisposition.
AFTER ne so narrowly escaped death in in
fancy his mother realized that the only
hope was to keep him ont of doors as much
as possible. He has managed somehow 10
get as nrm a grip on manly sports as IL ne
were a robust little English Niscount. They
say ne is as much at home on n horse as
ARIZONA cowboy. and that he would
nave a fair chance of winning a free-for-
wouldn't let him come in ahead be
cause ne was n King. But his forehead is
Too hlgh and narrow. his eyes are too
and his nerves RESP ond too quickly
10 the stimuli of ordinary experiences.
Inc rich man who has lost his wealth
suffers far more than the poor man who
always been poor. and thus it 10 that
little Alphonso OF the urlucky Mi is n
more than uncommonIy tragic figure. +!
Spain Of 1
His life hangs together by a thread: his
throne hangs together by a nail. his proud
old country hangs together only BY tradi- |,