The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-03-20
THUY ARn prsTuRREp.

That Is strange and somewhat dis turbing news that has for quite a while been coming across the water from Old England. to the effect that King Edward has fallen in love with his own. wife. Tn fact, the intimhtion is that he is actually getting spooney over her. We say it Is strange, be- cause 1t is not usually considered good form for a monarch to love his own wife. no matter how many other wives he may be soft on. It is disturbing because the learned doctors seem to think it must be case of heart weak ness, or softening of the brain, at the very least.
 As The Kansas City Journal says, when the symptoms first showed them selves not much was thought of 1t, for while he is a, sovereign of mighty realm he is first husband and Is amen able to the rules of domesticity just as though he had no great armies and splendid fleets. Alarm was aroused only when the king kept up thls strange infatuation for his wife. It got to be habit with him. It couldn't be ac- counted for. for 1t wasn't natural. Grave men of medicine pondered deep ly and came to the only reasonable con clusion that it boded illness for his majesty. And now he is being watched continuously for additional evidence. One evening he stayed at home and played dominoes with the queen. There was a consultation of experts the next day. At another time he said good morning as he passed her in the hall. Again 1t was observed that he held his consort's hand a full minute one even ing at the opera, but this might have been accounted for on the score of absentmindedness. Once his majesty slipped a bundle of bills into her ma- jesty's hand with a suggestion that she buy a new hat. And he hadn't done thing wrong and had no special favor to ask. No wonder the great physi- clans are consumed with anxiety for their lords health"
 It seems to be too much for the learned doctors of England. If the King had only showed an occasional in- clination to spoon not much would have been thought of it. Those who a passing whim, or they might have suspected that Neddy had been up to some sly game and was merely try ing to blind his queens eyes, or else that he had some object in view and wanted to get her over to his way of thinking. Husbands sometimes do those things--so we have been told.
 But the doctors are disturbed because hey are not yet able to decide wheth- CT his actions are caused by the senil- ity of old age or by an affection of the heart, or whether the unusual behavior is a symptom of softenins of the brain. Either is cause for apprehen- sion. because any one of them may re- suit in death or in the loss of his fac uIties. The latter is most to be fear ed, for while the death of king mere ly leaves a vacancy which can always be filled, if he should lose his mental powers and become @ sort of mad king he might cause no end of trouble before they would know what to do with him. While love for one's wife is not always looked on as an evi- dence of mental or physical weakness 1t is none the less true that there is much uneasiness felt in England be- cause of the kings actions. Possibly he will get over the attack in time and be as natural as king is expected to he