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Show THE SHiU'S FATOBITE BOT. HE COSTS TAB MuNABCU ABOUT III THOUSAND D0LLAK3 YEARLY. Some Interesting details are given in a letter by a member of the special Swedish embassy in Persia to tbe Oalltgnatd JUeuenger on the aulject ef Azis-es Sultan, the boy favorite of the aban. Itlsnotknown how the shah first came to take an Interest In tbe 11 year-old boy who Is now such a prominent figure at the Persian court, but the shah has always bad one or more favorites around him upon whom be lavished his beneficence. Borne say tbe shah looks upon the boy in tbe light of a fortune's favorite, a bringerof good luck.on wboe health and length of life the shah's own llfo depends. Others maintain that when the shah one night was going to bed the boy, who was then only two 3 ears old, came running In, and urged the shah not to go to bed yet, but wait a little. On account oi this strange request tbe shah's bed was examined, and a poisonous poi-sonous snake was found underneath under-neath It. The writer says that the boy costs tbe shah something like 3,000,009 francs a year, that his every whim is gratified, and that the shah sometimes takes the boy upon bis knee and lets him drink out his cup, a mars of favor which has never been conferred even on the princes. The writer then proceeds to discuss the probable prob-able fate of the boy and remark-"The remark-"The death of the shah or Azis-es Sultan will be a dire calamity for the one who survives. Should Asia die first, tbe shah will be Indeej-al-; should the shall die first, Aziz will probably be killed, unless his relations rela-tions save bim in time. He is so thoroughly bated by tbe whole na tion that everybody wishes his death for the sake of themselves aa well as for that of tho country. Asamat-terof Asamat-terof fact, the shin's swn popu-laxity popu-laxity has decreased considerably on account of his lave for this favorite. A prominent and poa erful mollah at Teheran, who has made himself conspicuous by witinz letters to the shah. In which he criticises the lalter's actions, is understood to have spoken very strongly against ArJx-es-Sultan. He said that It Is not so very wonderful that roads, bridges, caravanserais and other useful and necessary institutions an neglected, when so much money Is expended upon an Ignorant boy." |