Rensselaer Standard, Volume 1, Number 16, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 October 1879 — The King of Spain’s New Love. [ARTICLE]

The King of Spain’s New Love.

London Truth, August 26. The Viennese Christina was cey, and tossed her head impudently when the Spanish match was proposed to her. This piqued Alfonso, who soon became an ardent suitor, left off sighing over the likeness of his departed Queen, and dwelt with complacency on pleasing souvenirs of the Archduchess, who had been a gay and espiegle playmate of his when he was a student at the Theresa College in Vienna. Christina, who is a year his junior, was at that time a high-spirited and very frolicsome damsel. She once ran a race with him in some imperial park. The monarch in bud was on a bicycle and the young Archduchess on a fleet pony, who. though the vilocipede had the wind with it, came in first at the goal. The young idea shoots early in sons and daughters of royal and imperial houses. Christina, in playing the Number Nip-with.the exiled son of Isabella, and romping with him ,and tormenting him in various ways, fell in love with him. It is courtier-like now to speak of her childish attachment to the King, who did not until within the last six months require it. W-hen Alfonso was restored to the throne of his mother the Archduchess wa9 glad to learn that his most influential and paternal advisers, the*Duc deSesto among the number, opined she would make an ideal Queen Consort. She discovered that the Spanish costume suited her exactly and had several sets of photos done in which sne was represented wearing it. On Mercedes being preferred to her, Christina was dreadfully nettled. Tq show that she resented with proper spirit the indignity, she declared, when Alfonso proposed for her, that she would not consent to marry him until she had further opportunities of meeting him and seeing him, and insisted that he should surne the attitude of a humble suppliant for the fair hand which he migh haYe taken but did not. “If he wants to win me,” said the Archduchess, “let liiiji come and woe me. It is his place to court me and not mine to go and pick up the handkerchief which he condescends to throw down.” Alfonso, who is brimful Jof chivalrous devotion to the fair sex, did not think the worse of the Archduchess for the airs she took witli his matrimonial agents at Vienna.' He handsomly accepted the conditions imposed, and sent word that were he only to win the Archduchess by penetrating into the wilds of Central Asia he would gladly undertake a journey there. I believe it was his intention to the way to Vienna to make by word of mouth an offer, and that he would nave kthis autumn proceeded there if the life of the Infanta Pilar had not been suddenly cut short. The La Granja accident happened so unfortunately for the King that were scandal-mongers to affirm that design had a predominent part in it I could not blame them. It mollified the vexed Archduchess,'and afforded her a plausible excuse for relenting. 81ie has ueen brought by it to travel more than halt the way to Madrid to meet her royal suitor, whose depresseu apjiearanee, with his arm in a sling, excited her interest and led her to treat unpleasant bygones as such.

And now about the personal appearance of Christina of Austria, who would show a politic spirit in dropping that name of, in Spain, evil augury, and taking some other. The Archduchess is tad and slender and harmoniously formed. Her air is aristocratic. Hhe rides and dances admirably, and is passionately fond of horses and brisk exercise. Without being intellectual she is'clever. It is her settled in tendon to be mistress at the Palasio Real. Her wilfulness is tempered with good nature and a disposition to become easily hair she is a Hapsburg. The rest of the physiognomy is Hungarian, and reminds those like Mme. Von Langsdorff, who knew the crime of the Viennese society of the Handor family. If Christina’s laugh were not pleasant and communicative, her hair a golden fleece and her complexion transparent and beautifully tinted, she would be plain, for her cheek-bones are prominent, he nose retrousse and wide at nostril, and her mouth too much ex-' pended. The future Queen of Spain has the Magyar taste for external splendor. Her court, If she can have her way, will be lively and magnificent, which would suit the present generation of grandees. She is a very devout Catholic and may be expected to remain one. Her voice is good, and she can warble with exquisite feeling a sentimental lied or provoke laughter by her droll rendering of a comic song. It will be very nice for Don Alfonso to have a queenly wife with a gypsy and a garoonnet side to her nature. The future Queen will be introduced to the MadreUinos on a high holiday. Alfonso was advised to tie the nuptial knot at Barcelona, which did not witness his demonstration of eternal grief for poor little Mercedes. Christina wishes the ceremony to take place with the utmost pomp at Madrid, and she is

to be gratified. According to present arrangements she is to be married on November 1, or All fckmls’ Day. The wedding dinner will be eaten on the vigil of All; Souls’ Day, consecrated in Roman Catholic states to those who haved ied within and without the pale of the salvation. While the harmonies of bridal music will be lingering In in the air the bells of the churches will begin toj clang out their night-long dirge. There is always money enough at Madrid for amusement and fine displays of chivalrous gallantly. Alfonso has magnificently ordered the rooms which were prepared for Mercedes in his different palaces to be newly furnished for his consort, that is to be. She will have the satisfaction of knowing there is not in her apartments a single object to remind the King of her

interesting predecessor. I dare say the creditors of Spain will learn to laugh on the wrong side of their mouths at this royal decision which it appears has enhanced the popularity of the King. His subjects say of it: “What a true Spaniard it proves him to be. Ours is still a country worthy of the Old.”— [Harper’s Magazine.