THE BABY.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2137, 20 July 1907, Page 1

THE BABY.

(“Daily Mail.”) Tho following account of the birtii of the lioir to the Spanish throne is from a lady who was in the palace on the eventful day:— MADRID, May 10. My Dear, —After what has seemed like months of nervous tension and a tendency to jump out of one’s chair at the rumble of every passing cart, it is all over. Iteally the affair was such a hustle and hustle at the last that I have to pinch myself to believe that it is all true. I and some of the ladies had dined together as usual. It was too warm to go to the theatre, so we ordered coffee in my rooms and sat by the open windows overlooking the gardens. The Queen, with the King and her mother, had quite a long stroll there in the early evening. M e finished our coffee, and then leaned out and looked once more oil those harp flagstaffs poking up into the blue flight sky. I had those hare poles on m> brain for the thousandth time. \> ( wondered if it would be ■ flags 01 coloured lights—tlieu toddled off t< bed. 'flint night- there was no one jvait ing in the big square. for weeki there had been small groups bangin' about, hoping to be the first to get news, but that particular night the sentries had it all to theniselves. I was awakened by a voice shouting. ‘‘Get up! Be,quick!” I simply fell put- of:bed, and, rushing to the door,

without my dressing-gownscreamed, “Is the palace on fire? AVnit lor me!” I opened tho door. Marin B. stood there. Sho was absolutely crying with" excitement. “Fire! You goose, no. The Queen- ” I rushed for my dressing-gown —Maria had lior l«ur in curlers, and looked a sight—amßlashed into the corridor and tlio arms of one of flic halberdiers with a long spear, who was running faster than I have ever seen a Spaniard move before.

By this time— all in a moment it seemed —the palace swarmed and hummed like a hive. Behind closed doors 1 heard the electric switches turned on, while half-dressed maids hurried from room to room. The captain of the halberdiers swung by, a body of men in all the glory of their old-world costumes at- his heels. “AVc are hidden to summon everybody. It cannot he so very long.” he vouchsafed. I observed that we had better go and dress, and lucky it was that we did so, for a little later the bishops were assembling in the private chapel.

iml we all rushed away. The chapel looked lovely, white lowers everywhere, and such decor i lions. But wo all gave our dignity

lway sadly. Tlio old Duchess of Clad forgotten half her hair and all ler rouge. The bishops were also no! ,s tidy as they might have been, and I lever saw such a collection of unshorn -bins in my life—and the Spaniards !<> get so dreadfully blue. Some ot lie dear Indies prayed very hard, hut ill the same there was a constant •iistlc of unrest and excitement and ih.o more than a suspicion that a cer;iin amount- of hoi/king-a mi-eyeing vas going on all the while.

THE BRAVERY OF THE QUEEN. It. was a brilliant morning when we lelt the chapel, and then I rail against Lady ’ who told me' that tile Queen’s mother, the Dowager Queen and tho doctors and maids liad all

been called up about four, and had not left the Queen’s apartments since. She said that. Princess Henry was ter-

ribly excited, but was being awfully brave, and that' the Queen herself win. behaving splendidly. But- then, she is so plucky—it is only when one sees her among all these courtiers, with their fussing and their fuming about trifles, that one realises how splendidly English her Majesty is. My dear, you can have no conception of the sight. All Madrid was like a disturbed ant hill, and I shall never make you understand what a burly burly tlio square was in. The place was literally black with people, all seething and looking up and laughnig and praying together. The women were telling their heads and in-

voking the aid of all the saints in the calendar. Through the mob the harried coachman and chauffeurs were trying to force their way with carriages and motor-cars. Troops kept marching to and fro, the hum grew louder as the sun rose, and the. air grew as hot as a bakehouse. A heap of grandees who had come to a council or .something joined us ladies. They were greatly excited, for, having come to t.iie palace on business as usual, they had only received a message to say that the King could not leave the Queen’s apartments. Presently all tho crowd in tlio square bent and waved to and Iro. Tin, great- churchmen were arriving. They had come more carefully dressed than had most of the, bishops,'who wore a very “up all night” and worn appearance*. But even these great worthies betrayed some anxiety, and

the Archbishop of Toledo threw an anxious glance at the Diamond Tower as he left his coach. Up in the tower were flic men with the two flags. One was t-he Royal Standard, you know—that was for a boy; the other was white. THE KING. Of course, we all tried to talk and even to laugh, hut- wo had'a. queer, tight sort- of feeling all over, while Marin, did nothing but sniff and roll her wet handkerchief into a damp hall. She was getting on my nerves, when a whisper went round—“the King”—and we all fell hack from the windows and made wa.v for him to come and look at the sight on the square. Oh! my dear, I was sorry for that hoy. He was livid under his dark skill, and I could see his throat

working hard against the collar oi his uniform. He gripped tlio handle of his sword so tightly that his fingers looked liko iron. I never knew before how fearfully frightened a man van be at such a. time. He looked out at the people, v ho were too busy with their pcerius.s, pushings and prayers to see him, r-> d then ho went away again, and tve were all marshalled into the. saloons near the royal apartments, roeo'. ling to our rank. AVe all looked like the characters of a pantomime, an I oil! liow tired, how hot, how anxious we got. Tho palace was fearfully quiet. Everybody seemed to he holding '..is

breath. In whispers wo began to suppose things. Suppose we had to wait or hours, suppose it- should be a girl, suppose the baby should not live, suppose the Queen Suddenly the door of the, saloon where I was, opened. 1 nearly screamed, the tension was so great. I didn’t hear the words, but- as the door closed a great shout went up. I waved my handkerchief, I know, and Maria lent against the wall and cried more than ever. I told her it was all right—that it was a boy—that everything was over. I don’t- believe she heard a word, and indeed a second later I could not hear myself speak, for the whole of Madrid turned itself into one huge roar. They told me afterwards —those who had been out in the streets—that in a flash Madrid literally blazed with the red and -ellow, and that the white flags were tossed away with scorn. Then U,c guns started inland the •• ,ia I >s deafening.