Rensselaer Republican, Volume 22, Number 32, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 April 1890 — THE KING AND THE CAT. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

THE KING AND THE CAT.

At so, the King and tha Brggar-Matdan— Stories of the Little Ruler of Spain. Stories of the little King of Spain are in order now that his recovery baa been assured, and several new ones have come out The young King, as is well known, has been brought up in a strictly family

way, and very" much as nay other young l person of good birth in his kingdom. His mother has very sensibly forbidden the lugging in of the royal features of his life any more frequently than the absolute necessities of the strict rules of Spanish court etiquette required, and except on the occasion of State ceremonials young Alphonao has been attended almost entirely by his mother and by the staiwart peasant nurse who has been his companion from his earliest babyhood to his present comparatively mature age of four yearn. Daring his fllaese she and the Qneen were constant-

ly at the little fellow’s bedside, and about the only other living creature so constantly m the room was a. eat Tho young King, before his sickness had begun to tire of the baby playthings that had been at his command, and, seeking other toys, let his fancy light upon a Maltese cat that be saw somewhere about the palace. * The animal at once became a creature of distinguished consideration in the royal household. In answer to the name of Perico. The ribbon upon its neck was tied there by the King himself, and when he was taken sick the King insisted that pussy should be in the room with him. So, for a full month the faithful cat was constantly in the sick chamber. Naturally the animal became a great favorite, and one of the high ladies at the court made for it the embroidered cushion upon which it is sleeping in thftjictnrb here: . j ■ - ■

Another story from the sick room, and one that has more of the flavor usually found in stories of royal infauts, George Washington and other lofty personages. It deals with a little crippled girl whom the King met on one of his walks or rides about with his nurse before he was taken sick, and to whom, seeing often sgain, he had taken a fancy. It came to be that whenever the King in his outings saw the little cripple he would make one of the ladies of honor descend from the carriage and oarry some little gift to her. When he had been sick for a while he said to his mother one day: “What will become of my little cripple and what will she eat, now that I go out no more?” “Bread,” said the Queen, ‘‘like all the poor people; that is, if she can get it.” “I am too little to command,” said the King. “As it is to do good,” replied the Queen, “I will permit you to give orders/” The King, at this, said nothing, but the next day he had taken to tile little beggar the bonbons some one had sent to himself. No affidavit goes with this story, but it is a very pretty one, and there is no particular reason why it should not be true, =•

THE KING OF SPAIN.

THE KING’S FAVORITE CAT.