The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1903-06-18
ALEXANDER'S BOYHOOD
Servian Kings Likable Traits
Described by Stephen Bonsal.
BRIGHT AND DETERMINED YOUTH

Correspondent Who Acted as His
swimming Instructor says He Gave
Promise Of More Than He Accom-
piished-Laclsed some 81 the Bril-
liant Qualities Of his Parents, but
Possessed some Much More Endur-
Ing characteristics.
Reading the shocking details Of King
Alexander's assassination and that Of
his wife, Queen Draga, who was UNI
fortunate i'll many senses Of the word,
takes me back TO that sultry summer,
only a few years ago. when the boy
king, for he is dead on the threshold
of manhood, wanted very much Is
learn how to swim and Captain Doug
las Dawson. the British military at.
tache aud ] were intrusted with this
branch of his education. says Stephen
Bonsal.im the New York Herald
With this end in view and in full
enjoyment Of a hull in the political
world Of the Balkans. We spent many
pleasant afternoons outside OF Bel
grade Iii the cool vale Of Topsheda.
'the place of the cannon, where Ser
Wan royalty maintains not a summer
residence, but summer house, to
which the boy king gladly went every
! afternoon to escape from the presence
Of his father and mother, who were
then living In distinct wings Of the
/ little Belgrade palace with want Of
harmony even on public occasions and
a sense Of what was due TO the con-
ventions of life that suggested, III
royal abandon, the legend Of the Kill
kenny cats.
The little boy whose life Is ended in
such shipwreck was ain apt learner. II
will sink oil swlm!" he would shout as
he jumped into the water splashing
] his way from Dawson to where I
stood and lie generally sank. But we
would pull him out and with the good
courage that Ike certainly possessed X
was not surprising I'd find him swim.
ming well, Il not IKE duck, at least
we'll enough to paddle along within
ten days Of the time after the date that
the task bad been intrusted to us by
the regents
| found him then, as | did more re
Gently IN Biarrltz, bright merry
and i very determined little fellow
surprisingly SO, for no one was more
unfortunate in the burden OF heredity
and the unfavorable environment Of
his young life than lie. He gave PROM
Use Of more than lie accomplished, but
any one acquainted with the condition /
OF political ana coart life ln Belgrade
can well understand the reasons why
be fell short Of the hopes aud the aspi-
ratlons which those who liked him
had for the unfortunate youth. NJ.
4 Hitrovo. the Russian minister, than
whom there never was q more saga
cious diplomat placed on guard in the
Balkan European powder mine By
! Russia. told me repeatedly ana with
no apparent political object, that the
Servians. when the years Of the re-
gency- regency Of the 1tarnishedp
generals. ais they were called lad ex-
pired, would find in Ale1ander q king
who would rule them and not sec
ond Milan
The little boy loved the simple eoun-
try house in the vale Of the cannon
and those who had lis welfare at
heart liked to keep him there as much
as possible away from the atmosphere,
! unhealthy III every respect, Of the pal
ace. / can see very clearly today tile
bright, boyish face and the glad ex
preston with which he would start out
In the morning on his outing and the
kindly thought of those who went with
him. which would load down his ad
jutant and his tutor with boxes Of
choush, grapes and giubek cigarettes,
together with basket after basket Of
the sickening sweets with which your
Seryian demonstrates his hospitality
and which you must, alas, eat to show
| your appreciation Of it.
The little Alexander inherited neither
the beauty Of his mother, Queen MAJ
talie, nor the charm and personal mag
netlsm, If | may call them So Of his
vagabond father, King Milan. But he
had solid qualities which he inherited
neither from his father nor his mother.
ana these. under favorable fostering
circumstances, would have carried him
far In the world No boy ever grew
up, however, under more unfavorable
circumstances or in a more unfortu-
nate household. His mother, the
former queen, in the days Of her Wild
owhood did not merge her life In that
Of her son. Indeed, there were times
when It seemed as 1t she cherished
political aspirations that were fatal to
his popularity and perhaps to his reign.
His father, King Milan, after having
put the best face he could upon an