The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-17

in her bed and tucked in on all sides. and while two grand danes sat on her feet to keep her down the rest sang litanies and said their beads. After that the Queen went to he'd when told.
 An in pre-Nap Napoleonic times the head that saw too much of the Queen actually fell into the basket. Provided, of course, they caught the proprietor. Once in the days when France flung the head of a King IS a gage of battle to the allied sov- ereigns of Europe" a daughter of the seventh Ferdinand of Spain, while riding about the park of Aranjuez, lost control of her horse and fell, her foot catching in the stirrup. She was in imminent dan ger of being dragged to death by the frightened animal when two equerries came to her rescue. caught the animal released the Princess's foot from the stir rup and bedded her on the lawn. The Master of Ceremony, when informed of the occurrence, rode straightway to tho scene with a bag of gold and two fresh horses of with you to the frontier" he cried Here is money. Here are passports If you are found within the reach of the police tonight your heads would pay the forfeit, according to law"
 "What have we 'done?' cried the knights, have we not saved the Princesss life at the risk of our own? Ask her yourself if we did not behave with the utmost delicacy and courage
 True" replied the marshall, but your life is forfeited nevertheless. You have touched the royal body"
 It seems a pity that Napoleon made an end of this dynasty only for six short years
 Locked in at Night.
 p-i,o n,ao, oF CpoI,, ,,,ucf gay her nraV- CTS at the hours appointed by some Bur gundy Princess in the fourteenth cen tury. but what Is worse 12 ladies of the bluest blood will watch over her, listen ing to her every breath and rushing in every time she chooses to cough or get up. This dozen danes appear in the palace at II o'clock every evening, rain or shine, and is escorted by the corps of halberdiers to the ante-room adJoin- ing the side of the bed where Her Ma1es- ty sleeps And there they sit until sun rise on little stools without backs, pray ing and pricking up their ears. you may be sure. This some "service' Is perform ed by 12 gentlemen in the opposite ante room, that is the one adjoining the slde of the bed. where Alfonso reposes- The chief watchers, male and female, nave keys to the door leading to the King and Queens joint bedroom, and It IS not only their privilege. but their duty, to look in whenever they hear an unusual commotion.
 Aside from the inner guards sentinei watches every single door in the palace, while the colonel of the Swiss bodyguari makes the rounds once an hour. naked sword in his right hand. bunch or Keys and a lantern in his left.
 The Queens Bodyeuard.
 The Queen of Spain has. for ordinary of n hD of infantry. a battery and 20 mounted men, This little army watches over her safety when she drives out, or prome- nades in the park. and she never durst set her foot out or doors without giving notice to the armed contingent responsi- ble for her welfare. If her only child was dying she would rot be allowed to leave the palace to go to his bedside un- til her household troops have been posted along the route her carriage must taNe.
 Delicacy must prevent a description 0. the outrages. ceremonies which Intends the birth of royal children in the Madrid palace how the poor mother IS sublecteo to the impertinent gaze Of hundreus or officials and nobles; how the doors or the lying-in chamber must be kept ajar, etc A well penciled report of the birth Of the present King Alfonso must suffice
 Born a King.
 The phrase Born a King Is rather fre- a,ently used, but 1t is fact that during the last two or three centuries only one sovereign really deserved the title, name ly, Alfonso XIII, whose mother, Marie Christina, gave birth to him six month after ris fathers death At the eritieai hour hundreds of cartridges were seen rushing to the palace, and the ante chambers to the Queens bedroom were filled with motley crowd of heiedftary councillors, courtiers. nobles, plsaops, nrelates army officers, ministers, parla- mentarians, relatives and friend5, togeth- er with platoons of halo srdcrs. guards and ln''o rmes. -
 A minute. by the clock, after the chlo was born, the Infanta Isabel presented it stark naked to the prime minister .ne late Sagasta. Fearing that ths cape might catch cold the midwife had thrown 9 tiny lace shawl over his shoulders put the grand master of the palace tore N away and threw 1t on the floor.
 Sagasta looked the bit of humanity over and then said in a loud voice: "The Queen has borne a King-long live the hlhs' The words were repeated oy au present Sagasta, for minute or two. fein up the King for all to see. Then he returned the babe to the Infanta lsapei, Pho brought him to his mother.