The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-10-09


With pr-Cs sly that brand 81 agony This
lovely POpitA had -cabSllos ribtos' "
boot. and M" Possession ~ blond or ted
hair and blue ey-s se~ms ~ lsgaliI" any
thing and everything In tn" romantic line
In Spain
LuiSa Carlota. although only IS years
81 age when she left Naples usial. soon
exhibited something of the spirit ~ her
half-sister. the intrepid UuchesSe De B"rri
She bitterly resented the invidious posi-
ton of her husband end tha manner II
superiority assumed IN consequence by
the Portuguese lnfantas. II they were
IN" sisters Of the Kings second wife sh"
was the niece 81 the first Acquiescing
IN her husbands policy she dissociated
herself from the extreme ahsolutists
grouped around the throne. whereupon ~
became the aim Of Don Carlos's naughty
wife To identify her with the liberal party
and 50 to ALLEVIATE tho Kings favor from
her and her husband. An open afront
on the part Of bona Francesca toward
Doha Luisa Carlota made the wives ~
the sovereign's brothers open enemies.
After the death of the Kings third wife
bona Francesca was inConteet1hly IN"
first lady IN Spain and considered her
position absolutely secure Her brother
had inst itutcd AZ Lisbon n reign 81 terror
which surpassed FernAndo's finest per-
formances m brutality and injustice"
Crossing the strains ~ Bourbon and
BraganCa seemed to have resulted IN the
worst type Of man known sine" pomitian
and Commodus, and Don Carlos was IN"
father ~ three sons 81 jus, such n crossing,
hut these. the outraged Neapolitan Prin-
cess Vas resolved. should never reign over
spain.
Francesca ~ Naples had thirteen
children the eldest of the five unmarried
daughters ~ this crisis being Mara Cris-
tina. born in iSlS. Cnnsr luently now =
years of age. and ., ghteen months younger
than Lu-a Carlota Until the downfall
of Napoleon and his lieutenant Murat,
FrancasCos domInions were confined &c
the island " Sicily. and It u said that
owing To this enforced isolation his chill
dren did not receive a. thorough an edu-
cation a. befitted their rank. But Cris-
tina = natural ability. like that Of her two
elder sisters early manifested itself. The
plant Man. some one has remarked. grnws
more vigorously IN Italy than elsewhere.
and the shoots 81 the old. decayed tree Of
Bourbon in rho soil in some instances
displayed amazing vitality. Cristina when
a child gave proof Of no mean skill IA n
painter. and she cultivated the art during
the rest 81 her life with a success that
many a professional would have "nvied
She was a true Sicilian. n full blooded.
passionate animal. conscious 81 every one
la at EaFfh kgF
strength. impatient Of all restraint. In
her girlhood she - said to hav" been
beautiful I.usa Carlnta aspired 70 get this
sister married 20 the old rnue Fernando
a. his fourth wife and the bereaved mon
arch found the fatterihg suggestions OF
his er-in-law very soothing and agree
able 1T tickled his Quilplike humor "a
undeceive the people who had hinted that
he was the wreck ~ man remarks our
author: and rs the Ministers 81 de~potIC
snvcreiRns exist mainly for the purpose
~ supplying EXCUSES the King soon made
his Ministers petition him 20 contract
another alliance for the benefit 81 tho
nation Within three months az his
third wifes Death. accordingly. an envoy
was -"nt 80 Naples hearing a formal pro-
pnAal for the hand of Maria Cristina. The
lady was the Kings niece. 80. as We have
already remarked. nothing was left Ia bs
desired on the side n romance
II - true that Fernandos matrimonial
record was not encouraging. and as TO.
CARDS the state of his kingdom, n" had
himself compared II 70 bottle ~ beer 81
which he was the stopper. But no mis-.
glvings troubled IN. minds ~ the roya
10
accepted Don Carlos and Doha Fran
cisna wer" appalled, AZ IN" prospect. hut
their intrigues failed to prevent the CO
tastrophs II fell 20 their lot. IN company
with the Princess dc Baira. sister ~ Dufs
Francisco. to welcome IN" bride on h"I
way To- her wedding Doubtless she wiz
well Informed as 20 their disposition
| toward her Worst ot all III" buckles
! Don Carlos was Obliged o. act a. hi
/ brothers proxy and contract on his h-
| half IT,. very alliance that destroyed hu
own hopes 81 the ~uCCe-Sipn King Fer
nando frr some reason not bainR a. Arar
I Iuez on thor arrival Il - pruhahl" tina
. Lui-a CaTluta had not left her sister an
illusions a. 90 Fernandu- character. hT
she had no ,dea 81 ~ ng ~ - broken hear
like Isabel e BraRaTCE plain poiSu'
was hlntod AT IN m" Cas" ~ N" r"c"n'l
deceased Queen Amallan, and ont"r"'
the capital with radiant Couut"nluc
IN costume e ~ky ilu" which colo
henc"forwafd became ii-'inc'Iv" ut b..
party.
M
Under tho eve 4 Fernando VII Nladr,
had heen hitherto gloomy and pam,
stricken You could neither dance M
receive your friends writes travels
OF that period. without the sovereign
special permission. which was seldor
given. for a ball might become revol
a social gathering n conspiracy -Itwa
always Good Friday in Madrid, II the wa
our author sums UP the situation Cri'
tina soon changed all that The sombr