Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-05-20

the old times this was held to be necessary
in order to put to flight any demons and
evil spirits who might be lurking around,
and give the newly welded couple a fair
chance to start housekeeping happily.
Nowadays. even in Spain. demons and evil!
spirits are no longer believed in, except
among the humber classes, but that is not
regarded as any good and sufficient reason
why the old practice of exercising them
should not be kept up.
On the night of the marriage Madrid v Il
be Illuminated; free performances Will be
given In the five principal theaters and II
the houses OF the nobility all over the lana
there will be feastng and merrymeking
OF course no occasion of national rejoicing
is ever held to be complete without bull
fight and the royal nuptials Will be cele-
brated by the biggest thing in that line
Madrid has ever witnessed, in which all tina
crackaJack toreadors of the country Will
participate. Princess Ena does not ike
bull-hghts, but she Will have TO conceal her
aversion to them or she Will never be popu-
lar IN Spain. The celebrations following
the marriage will Include a state banquet,
at which all of the great people of Spain
will be present. and q grand ball at the
palace. at which no less than $500 VIII
attend.
After the marriage the queen mother.
who heretofore has enjoyed 60 all the hon
ors and prerogatfves OF a queen consorc.
1t ought to be a most welcome change TO
her She viii be able to take things easy
and live her life without having a host OF
attendants trailing after her wherever she
goes. She will no longer be required 10
attend all the grand functions and pretend
that they do not bore her a bit. She will
be relieved of all participation in the af-
fairs of state, and Will have time TO cul-
tivate hobbies like other elderly women,
If she cares for them.
The new queen Will take on all the show
business. She will have less than forty
ladies-in-waiting In attendance upon her
and lot of other more or less exalted
dunkeys. who Will See to it that everything
she does Is done IN regulation Spanish
court style. As long as she is queen sho
Will never be able to give them the slip
for more than few minutes at time, eE-
cept when she is asleep. In reality. her
position In the royal palace viii be much
that of queen bee in hive. All her walk
Ing life Will be hedged about with conven-
tons and regulations and ceremonial alb
surdities. She will have half dozen mag
nificent palaces and all kinds of exalted
privileges. but no woman in the land VIII
be less free to do as she pleases. The dis
cipline OF the British navy, in which her
brother Is now entered as a mdsFipmite Is
nothing to that to which she will be sub
jected. The minutest detail OF each days
proceedings Is mapped out for her In adj
vance.
The king himself is almost as much
slave of the punctilious court etiquette that
for over two centuries has undergone
change. For example, should he wish to
visit the queens private apartments after
dark he must wear slippers over his shoes,
black mantle thrown over his shoulders
and carry shield on his arm. He must
also carry an antique lantern and a long
sword AS a wooer he has been allowed
considerable license, but as a husband he
viii have to conform to the despotsc rules
and regulations prescribed for his ancestors
generations ago. RALPH HARTLEY.