A HAPPY FATHER.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 179, 21 August 1909, Page 3

A HAPPY FATHER.

SOME STORIES OF KING ALFONSO OF SPAIN.

King Alfonso, whose Queen recently presented him with « daughter, is the most exuberantly light-hearted of kings, and to describe him one could scarcely iind a better word than "happy." His father,' Alfonso XII., .had what was sometimes an inconveniently keen sense of humor, and'he was in the habit of letting off practical jokes at the expense of his Ministers of State or anybody else .about the Palace. This trait the young Alfonso appears to have inherited, together with a capacity for extracting fan from all sorts of unexpected sources. Some time ago he paid a visit to the little town of Arenas, a few miles from Madrid. Amongst other less important things, Arenas is celebrated throughout Spain for a sort of candy made of sugar lyid almonds, very sweet and very, very sticky. MADE THEM EAT STICKY CANDY.

A deputation of the townsfolk welcomed the King and presented him with y an elaborate box of Arenas candy, and the gathering settled down to serious [ business—tlw presentation of an ad- j dress. A deputy advanced bearing,, in £ Lis hands a Tat roll of paper, and Al- j fonso feared that he was in for a good half-hour's reading. ( Quick as thought he began to pass j round the candy to the officials about him, and insisted on the deputy helping himself liberally. In a few minutes the assembly were munching as hard as they could. The deputy's jaw went slowly j up and down on the sticky mass and his face began to wear a worried look. When Alfonso was certain that anything in the way of speech was quite ( j impossible, he smiled upon him in the 1 j pleasaptest way. ' I s • "Now, Senor Deputy, let us hear your ' speech," he said calmly. The assembly ' broke up in confusion. | During his first tour of the European ! Courts the young King had a riotously 1 merry time, and some of the more sedate ' royalties were 'highly scandalised at his . ongoings. , , ! 1 Poor M. Loubet, the most milil-mnn-Uicred and amiable of French iPresidcnts, , | was almost sent into a nervous break- • down. , 1 i WENT LIKE CREASED LIGHTNING. I, "It was no longer » dfive," he said, , 'in describing a motor trip with Alfonso ■ at the" steering-wheel; "it was a race ] lit breakneck speed. I- do not like ' motor-cars overmuch, and this one went ■ ' like greased lightning. I honestly conl fess that I was veVy much afraid in- , deed, and I heaved a sigh of satisfaction i when we got back safely to the Palace." The Kais'er prepared for his visit a programme that was a sort of continued ; review, and the young King was bored to death. He h:\d a much jollier time |in England, where he signalised his joy ; j by turning cart-wheels down a corridor I of Buckingham Palace for the edification of Queen Alexandra. One of the show-places lie was taken to was Mme. Tuesaud's. Here he displaved a keen , interest in his own effigy, saluted it, and i pretended to shake hands with it. I Alfonso hits a truly royal contempt for danger, and if proof of this were necessary it was furnished by his journey to his revolutionary provinces, and Barcelona in particular. ALFONSO'S CONVERT. | During this' expedition an urchin ma.v aged to get entangled amongst the feet of the horses drawing the royal car- j riage, Alfonso was out of the carriage : like a shot,, He picked up the child! and carried it to a neighboring ton, kept, \ as it happened, by a man of strongly j republican sentiments, whose ran was, ornamented by ft picture of a leading republican. The child's mother was sent for, but | before she had arrived Alfonso had as- j sured himself that there was no damage I done, "I exempt your son f r °m military service," he said to her. And the woman carried tlie child away, after profusely thanking his Majesty. The innkeeper was softened in spite of himself. "Will' your Majesty permit me to i offer you something!" he asked respect- • fully.' "Yes, certainly; a glass of your I>est. II wine," said the King.

In that particular inn there is ho longer a picture of a republican. A wellmeanifg I>ut somewhat gaudy picture of Alfonso has taken its place, and over the door of the inn are the words: "Purveyor to His Majesty the King."