SOME ROYAL LOVE STORIES.

Observer, Volume XXIX, Issue 43, 10 July 1909, Page 22

SOME ROYAL LOVE STORIES.

A YOUNG man in Havana who occupied the position of a reporter fell in love with a girl, the daughter of a wealthy planter. He applied to her father in the orthodox way for his consent to their marriage. " Presumptuous I" said the father, with eyes flashing. " You, a povertystricken journalist, and my daughter ! Sir, get out of my presence." The journalist was very angry. It brought forth a heated declaration of pride. " Your daughter is too good for me, you say ? I will marry a princess before I die." And with head* erect he left the irate father. Th journalist went to Spain. He wrote poems. The poems were read by the Princess Josephine, of whom the present king is the greatr-nephew. There was a meeting. The two fell in love with each other. It is said the journalist was so sincere in his affection that probably he forgot his declaration to the Havana planter. They were both royally happy, eloped, married in Valladolid, and were eventually pardoned by Queen Isabella, the one-time journalist being received with all the respect due to his new and high raoik. Another great-aunt of King Alfonso escaped from her royal father's palace by means of a rope ladder to contract a morganatic marriage with a Polish count, so that romance may be said to come to the king by inheritance. And all the world knows the impetuous love-making that led to his marriage with Princess Ena of England. Though not always so unconventional, according to royal standards, romance has ever been busy with the royal houses of Europe. Questions of State are usually supposed to be the main consideration for marriage in such circles, but in many cases they have been of genuine affection. The parents of the Kaiser were anxious for him to" make an alliance with the daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Schleswig-Holstein, but they were wise enough not to mention the matter. It was arranged, however, that the Prince should receive an invitation to visit the Duke and Duchess for a few days' shooting, and thus the meeting came about. Arriving at Priimkenau, the Prince dismissed the carriage, and decided to walk to the castle. But he was not quite sure of the road through the park, and was debating the problem with himself when he saw a girl reading in a hammock. She directs ed him graciously, and he went on. But they met again the same evening, for she was the .frinicess Auguste Victoria. The Prince was amazed and pleased. The vision of the graceful girl in the hammock had remained with him, and when he saw the young lady in the house of her father, a Princess of beauty and royal carriage, there were no longer a»ny doubts as to the lady who should ultimately sit on the German throne. More than one royal romance has occurred in the family of the Hapsburgs. The best of all, perhaps, is that of the Archduke Johami, brother of the Empress Francis I. One day he was travelling incognito, when he arrived in a village where he desired to take a coach for Vienna. He looked around to hire a carriage, and this having been obtained, he sought a driver. At length a lad was brought to him. "Your name ?" queried the Archduke. "Johann, sir," answered the lad. The Archduke was "cute." He had seen at a glance that this was no boy before him, but a girl disguised. " What do you call yourself when you are at home helping your -mother in the kitchen : ' he asked, smiling. " Anna Plochl," she answered, " and what is your name P" "Johann, too ; I am an archduke." " I suppose you will say that you are the Emperor himself next P" she laughed back at him. Then she drove his carriage into Vienna. Here, behold, the ~eople saluted, and she made inquiries, thus finding out the real facts. But she thought

little of the matter until a month later the Archduke strode into her father's cottage just at the dinner hour, and asked permission to join the family gathering. The girl began apologies, but the archduke laughed them aside and insisted on being called plain "Johann." The visit was repeated again and again, and at last the villagers began to talk — unkindly. Anna at last asked' the archduke to come no more, because of the gossip. That settled it. He asked her to marry him, and despite the objections of the Emperor, the two were married. Later, the girl, once daughter of a jobmaster, was created baroness and countess, and at last forgiven by the emperor. The second son of Prince Oscar 11. fell in love with a Miss Ebba Munck while at Bournemouth. She was one of the ladies-in-waiting to the Swedish crown princess, and King Oscar wished his son to make an alliance with one of the royal houses of Europe. The difficulty seemed to be met only by drastic steps on the part of the lovers ; but Queen Sophie's heart was won, and she it was who obtained the king's consent. She was very ill, and a dangerous operation was the only chance of saying her life. "If I undergo it and it is successful, will you allow Oscar and Ebba to be married ?' she asked the long, and, of course, the king promised . A year later the queen was quite well again. The lovers were in her room when the king approached. At the floor he stood and listened. Miss Munck was singing to the queen, and he waited until it was orer. Then he advanced, held out one hand to his son and gave the other to Miss Munck, and so his pledge was fulfilled, and the couple came into their happiness.

There is every reason to applaud the devotion and self-sacrifice of the present volunteers, but it cannot possibly be maintained that in our volunteer system we have an efficient provision for defence. — Patea " Press."

The value of a cheaper cable service in stimulating trade between Great Britain and the dominions overseas is self-evident. Politically it may be said that a prompt and free intercommunication of ideas is the life-blood of Imperial kinship. — Christchurch " Press."

Now that the slight controversy regarding the Dreadnought is over, and the terms of New Zealand's representation at the Conference are settled, we trust that there will be an earnest and persistent attempt to keep the Defence question clear of party considerations. — Dunedin '• Star."

Those people who, while able to pay medical men, resort to the hospitals, are far too numerous. The same remark applies to persons who join friendly societies for the sole purpose of getting cheap drugs and medical attention ; and some very drastic legislation is needed to remove a reproach from the community and a burden from the hospitals. — Palmerston "Times."

It is easy to understand, now, the refusal of the Premier to go Home unless Parliament adjourned. It is clear that, even when he is present, he is totally unable to control his colleagues, and that if he was absent they might play ducks and drakes with the Government party. — Cambridge " Independent."

There is an excellent custom in the House of Commons which makes, a new member a silent member for his first session, and certainly it might well be observed in a ten day emergency session. — Palmerston " Times." • • •

The man who makes a fool of himself because he doesn't know any better has a license from Nature to do so, but the man or woman who is foolish enough to pay 10s 6d for Pebble Spectacles, when they can procure the same for Ss 9d at Miller's Fancy Repository, Victoria-street, places themselves beyond the pale or human sympathy. — Advt.