| OCR Text |
Show I : ! SPAIN'S HAPPYROYAL BABE I : This is the first time within living i ' memory that a son of a Spanish king I ; has been born at La Granja. Others, I Fuch as the Infantes Don Carlos, Don ? ' Felipe Frarncisco and Infanta Maria I ' ' Luisa. were born while their parents j were still only heirs presumptive to the I throne. Queen Victoria's private desire I may have been for a girl, but publicly I , Fhe expressed the wish to have an In- I f ante "espanol," typically Spanish; that I Is to say, brown and dark haired. But I Fuch a hope would only be partially re- Ialized. Eince she is very fair, and the Spanish Bourbons have the green-hued eyes and white skin which run in the family. Infanta Maria Teresa being the I i only exception. Though the newly born I ' infante is of fair complexion, he is I slightly darker than his prother, Prin- 1 cipe de Asturias. whose features strik- I Jngly resemble those of his mother. It I , misht be said that the Principe de As- I turias is a thorough Battenberg, while i Infantito Don Jaime is more of a Hourbon. He is a strong, healthy in-I in-I fant, weighing eight pounds, and ap- pears to be more quick tempered than 1 his elder brother. I He Is now dressed In while laced I robes, with tiny pink colored ribbons, I and wears hanging from his neck the tiny golden cross and medal of Our Iady of Tilar. much venerated in Spain. "When court officials meet him I they stop and bow, just as to a grown- I up person. The New Infant to Be a Soldier. I King Alfonso wishes him to be I brought up a soldier, and, like the I Trincipe de Asturias, the new infante's j dresses are to be embroidered in red j rilk bearing the number 1, which is I that of the infantry regiment entitled the "King's Own," garrisoned in Ma- Idrid, In which the Principe de Asturias was enrolled a month ago as simple sol-t sol-t dier wearing a minute sword. j The newly-born infantito remains I most of the day with his mother, and is i removed in the evening to an adjoining room under the care of a lady of the court until a nurse is appointed to take charge of him. Queen Victoria, who 'tends the infantito Don Jaime devot-I devot-I fdly, has not been much troubled, as 1 her second son, though a little more nervous than the, Principe de Asturias, ! seems to be as good natured. Some three weeks ago the Principe de Asturias was a little troubled with his teething, but that period over he is r.ow a thoroughly healthy, good natured na-tured strong boy. The whiteness of ' his skin and his clear blue eyes are remarkable. He already seems to know his duties and I Wednesday witnessed a quaint scene. The relief of the royal guard takes place every morning at 11 I o'clock. A patrol of "Alabarderos" I comes to the royal palace to change the Fentries to the sound of fife and drum. Afterwards the infantry company of I "Barbastro." which keeps guard on the 1 ' exterior. The formalities of the band I relaying and bugle blowing have been omitted these days to avoid trouble to Queen Victoria, but not the display of the national flag, wTiich is handed over to the fresh cuard, during which all I salute. The Principe de Asturias, in his I Knglish nurse's arms, was witnessing I the scene from a balcony and raised up I his tiny right hand to his temple, mili- Itary fashion. Asturias Sleeps Under a Tree. Principe de Asturias's life is most healthy. He is already bathed and dressed by 7 o'clock, and then visits his I parents. The most of the day he spends f in the beautiful gardens of the royal residence, wheeled in a perambulator, 1 and when tired sleeps under the shadow of a chestnut in one of Queen Victoria's favorite nooks. It is a real open air I life, and the doctor who visits him f twice a day is surprised at his wonder- I ful health. 1 When the weather is bad, and during I the last week It has been cold here, I with patches of snow still unmelted on j the surrounding mountains, he is taken Indoors, and amuses himself with his I first top, a "Teddy bear," which Queen ? Victoria got in a raffle for charity pur-1 pur-1 poses, and with Japanese toys presented I by Prince Kuroki during his recent ; visit and by the Japanese ambassador I In Madrid, Mr. Maugiro-Inazaky. I He also, takes a daily afternoon drive J accompanied by two nurses, in an open 1 landau drawn by four mules and es-I es-I corted by a couple of mounted "Guard ia I ' Civiles." Here at La Granja, accord's accord-'s ing to custom, a special rider, in choco-I choco-I late colored dress, with white leather band acioss the chest and large I brimmed soft white hat, which gives I him the appearane of a cowboy, rides by the Principe de Asturias on one of j the small, dark long haired native . J horses called "biases." I King Alfonso's Daily Life. King Alfonso of Spain seems to be chiefly known abroad as a most excel- lent sportsman. But he is something I more than that. Though not resem- f bling the Spanish in this particular, he pets up very early, and even at La I Granja devotes the greater part of the 1 morning to his favorite studies on mil- I itary subjects, and those who have J heard him talk about such matters rec- I ognize his sound knowledge. But as he is now on holiday, "en va- I -a clones," as he calls it, polo ronsti- II lutes his main amusement at La Gran- I ja, besides his morning walk, on which j h is only accompanied by Marques de 4 Viana. No one can mistake King Alfonso's walk and dress. He walks with long Ftrides, and when recognizing a friend I some distance off, utters the Spanish ! salute, "Adois," in a clear voice, throwing throw-ing up his arm with a peculiar toss. He wears his hat pulled down almost J to the nape of his neck, a mannerism I which has become the fashion in Madrid, Ma-drid, especially when wearing soft green "Tyrolean" hats, which King Alfonso Al-fonso usually affects. Polo is played every afternoon, and i the ground was opened officially last I Monday. It is an ideal polo ground, I f-nd, according to the professional, few, If any. European polo grounds rival La Kranja. It lies just at the foot of I La Granja mountain, amid splendid scenery. The ground is sufficiently hard i and the turf excellent. There are two pavilions for the players and a grand- i stand. The polo ponies are aecom- I modated in the royal household stables, I not far from the polo ground. King Alfonso leads at La Granja a ' s life free from officialdom and etiquette, f ' For the present, the royal family will ; Ftop at La Granja almost the whole of July, and there will be in autumn sea- 1 son. Society life at La Granja. which at- ' tained great splendor during the reign I of the late King Alfonso, fell away if during the present queen mother's re- gency, as she preferred to pass the I Fummer on the Spanish seashores. La J Granja begins to revive again, since it I Is the favorite residence of Queen Vic- i toria, who, loving a quiet, open air life. with beautiful gardens, finds these ele ments at Ildefonso. King Alfonso, too, is now getting more accustomed to La Granja than at the outset, and encourages encour-ages the nobility to visit the 'place Is'ew York. Herald. c |
