The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1906-06-30
DON ALFONSO Kill, KING OF
SPAIN.

STAIN.
There are many discordant opinions
in regard to King Alfonso XIII. Some
believe that he displays gifts that will
raise him to a personality of the first
order; others again, cannot forget the
phrase Of his prime minister, Senior
Maura, when coerced into resigning his
premiership. "Alfin is little boy" de-
clared this statesman; and his friends
interpreted it as a censure upon an
ineradicable inconsistency of judgment
and an hereditary fickleness in his
Majestys. King Alfonso was q posth-
umous child; HIS mother lavished upon
him the whole intensity of her affec-
tons. and was unhappy if his tiny
hands were not clinging to her skirts,
when truly to educate him we'll, 1t
might have been better to send him, If
not to undergo the healthy discipline of
the college at Vienna or to Sandhurst
where his father, Alfonso XIII, was
brought up, at least to some sphere
where the freedom of his tutors
methods would not be restricted.
He rises at from eight to half-past
eight in the morning, and after his
bath and toilet, makes fairly sub
atantial breakfast, consisting of beef
steak or cold chicken and a small cup
of chocolate, usually left unfinished and
a glass of milk. Owing to his love of
outdoor exercise the Kings appetite Is
invariably healthy, but at the same
time he is very abstemious and does
not crave dainty dishes; he drinks lit
tie or no wine. During breakfast and
the few minutes preceding he scans the
principal newspapers or INDUCES in
some favorite novel, or, again, he pass
es the time chatting with his attend
ants. 1t is not the custom of his Ma
jesty to hear mass; he only does SO on
days of precept or on family anniver-
saries The first person received by the
King is the prime minister. Senior
Sigismundo Moret, who arrives about
half-past nine. Afterwards he inter-
views his various ministers, signing de-
crees, sanctioning laws and discussing
the affairs of the Government Then
follows the hour of the audiences.
When King Alfonso has this time at
his disposal he takes advantage of 1t to
pursue his studies.
The official hour at the palace for
lunch is on E O'clock; but it is often
half-past one or two o'clock before the
royal family is seated at the table. The
party usually consists of the King, his
mother, his sister, (the Infanta Maria
Theresa,) his aunt (the Infanta Isabel.)
and his two brothers-in-law ((the In
fantes Don Fernando and Don Carlos,)
After this meal King Alfonso drives
out in his automobile or carriage, and
devotes the greater part of the after
noon to sporot, above all to shooting
an hunting going to the Cana de
Campo, the Pardo, or other royal es-
tates. The former is a beautiful pos
session, which extends beyond the con-
fines of the palace gardens, and is
separated from them only by an ave-
nue. and the River Manzanares. The
Pardo, much greater in extent, begins
at the very gates of Madrid, and
stretches to the granite slopes which
rise to the higher snowy Guadarrama
mountains. AS hunting ground it is
priceless; deer and rabbits abound in
fabulous numbers. Sometimes the king
makes more distant expeditions, In
mctor-ear or train he goes to other
royal shooting estates, especially to Rio
Frio, situated on the farther slope of
the Guadarramas. A large number of
guests usually accompany him on these
excursions, and among the members
Of the royal family, his paternal aunt,
the Infanta Isabel, is rarely missing,
being an ardent sportswoman. His fav-
orite make Of motor is the Daimler. a
liking which is shared by our own
King and Queen and the Prince of
Wales, and during his stay over here