, 1873-06-29

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ehnh never has such happy freedom
Tonight there was gain theatre in his honor
- is only in such an absolute Stato as Prussir
tnat gaia theatre cac be ordered, and it is only
N such military State that gala theatre car
be properly filed and dressed out. On such
an OCCASION as gala rorslelung the theatre be.
comes the private property OF His Naiosty, and
NO money can get = man or wollan into it. In
V1tations are se7s out, and the embassies and
legat1ons arc provided NTH q certaiL number OF
cards Tor their staff ard a few distinguished
strangers Of the rotinues OF each. Tie Rallery
is filed with soldiers aad officials of the lower
classes IN the households. Tho upper boxes
arc appropriated to high order Of theatrical
| persons and their families, and tho next tioz Is
occupied by more eleratod ocder in the bureau
| cratic hierarchy,
It was nearly half an hour behind the time
when the Lord Chamberlain, Won Husen, all in
gold, With somo cloth visible outside it on the
edges, advanced to the trout OF tha Imperial boz.
and gave three thnmps with his great cane
Which s like that Of q druEl-maj jor-on the floor,
! "hefeupon all tho company rose, and the band
that OF tile Guard Cuirasser Regiment, which
mas learnt the shaAs March struck up that
ne"-1angled composition, as NasBer ed Diui ad-
Sanceu' leading the Empress Augusta to the
front. and eat down plumrly on his chair leav-
ing Her Imperial Majesty to do the bowling and
arrange her nounces befora she took herseat on his
vas selected perhnps on account Of tho Colour
local, and which, following "Morgana" the
! other night, m,,st lead tie Shah to thiok we
| hare extraordinary notions Of the manners and
customs of the East. If he made much out Of
the piece--a b2llot d'actioD-he was more clever
than most Of those present, who could only see
that there Was t fine gentleman in quasi Orion-
tal robes, dwelling in temple afler the manner
OF the drawings IN Layard'a Nineueh, and sur
rounded By an immense number Of young
women N muslin and tights, who danced and
contorted themselves to the sound OF music.
There Was hugh sun OF gold leaf III the back Of
the temple to which Tho dissolute monarch,
c9sa?l combining pety vita pleasure, made an
urally enough went out and threw the
dancing-gir into an agony OF posits
pas, whereupon he offered another candle, which
Was also e3tinguished, aud dance ertase dior
Teur ensued- The Shah all this time used his
opeFa-glass with habitete, directing it from the
stage to the loges Of the female Gplomatists,
and now and thon turning to tho Empress to ad-
dress few words, which were translated, no
doubt With all needful reserves to her by the
Grand Vzier who stood behind hia chair. onlv
inferior IN radiancy to his master.
At the end of the first act, IS the curtain fell
tho Shah rose, and, instead Of Offering his arm
to he Empress, ho caught hold of her arm just
above the elbow and gave tho Imperial lady a
RRnts did not suit him, he cast OF hls tow-rope
aud forged on ahead, followed by Her Majesty, |
who hauled up alongside as he entered the i'm |
perial saloon, preceded By the masshals and mas
count, to hold q reception
Ihe Imperial valets in State uniform brought |
round ices, cakes, aherbets, and in hnn IN hour |
or 80 the Shah was led of by tho Empress and |
Chamberlains to his box, and bad to witness an
other phase Of the life ct the dissolute BABY
1onian, whom his ancestors yexed so horribly. |
Happily, the Shah is not classical scholar, or
he would hare beon shocked BY the introduction
OF satyrs in leopard skins-Pans and Fauns-in
fete Of fre-worshipers, and, perhaps, he is not
pn7 fytpo 10 hair - 1As
osophy, or he might be led to conclude from
the ballet that it is not good thing for 9yba-
r1te to put on armor and 80 out to fight for his |
country. IS the end may be that he has to
himself With all his wives, instead OF submit
ing, quietly to the conqueror. At the
and Of the second act the Imperial
people. retired to their salon, but this
Time there was no reception Willis the Shah
Fas away he complained that he nas too far
from tho stage and could not sea the young Ia
lies, so the occupants OF one Of the boxes near
t we're politely warned to leave, and His Majesty +
snd the Grown Prince, with 4 few ct the Court,
migrated to the new point Of observation, but
he Empress did not reappear, and went to tho
Palaco. Ihe last scene, which MAS very clever
md well devised, representing Eardanapal,ls
md his wives surrounded by flames md masaos
II the burning ruins OF the glory OF his capital,
ank to tho inferno Of the underground fiat,
mid crash Of music, ho seemed inclined to
ap his hands in delight or wonder, but TO
raincd and hustled out With the Grown Prince
. the curtnin fell. His Majesty has made some
little progress in the nrts OF European monarchs
t ia not etiquette for the Shahs of Persia TO
AXE the lenst notice OF any sa1utations or OK
ressions of homage respect. To the obeis-
noes OF the greatest they only make the &C.
nowlodgment Of look. That Is enough. Now
hc Shaw has been told that he ought to raise !
is hand to his forehead when people uncover in
10 streets. Sometimes he docs so-in a hasty, |
nlf-angry faahion-at times ha does not, and
'oks only. When tho Shaw looks, people I
ught to cast their eyes down. Here they stare !
u the moro. This must MI be very trying. /