The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1881-04-07


second charges OF the court" variods other
personages, and, finally, all those having the
right to appear at court" The detailed pro
gramme of the form of proceedings, issued by
the grand master of ceremonies, covered five
columns of the official newspaper. Every
one was in full dress-the men In military OF
civil uniform, and the ladies In the Russian
court dress.
This costume is very peculiar and striking
in effect; the front of the dress is of cloth Of
gold, the back and train of red or blue vel
vet, and on the head is worn a sort of blue
diadem (kokesbuik) of the same color as thu
dress, and studded with precious stones. Ii
the chapel the child was brought in on {
handsome embroidered pillow, borne by biz
godmother, the Princess Kourakin. On eithel
side walked the godfathers, Princess Suwa
rolf and Count Kotzebue. 1.-THE service wa
chanted in the usual form, but by the almos
unrivalled voices of the Emperor's choir ther
the child was christened by immersion BY
the priest; he struggled and howled will
fine spirit, and was then taken out, wrapped
up in some rich clothes and handed to the
Emperor, who walked three times round The
altar with the child in his arms. The exact
significance Of this did not learn, but it was
q pretty family scene to see the little fellow
still shouting and kicking, every one present
laughing at it, the Emperor smiling benign.
antly after the manner of grandfathers on such
occasions"
A COURT DINNER.
Lieut.. Greene tells about q dinner given on
the first anniversary of the fall of Plevna
by the Grand Duke Nicholas which he at
tended, The Emperor and the members Of the
imperial family then in town were present, as
well as about two hundred officers who were
at Pleyna. The dinner was purely q Russian
ore made to suit the Russian palate, and
certainly unacceptable TO any 9th First
came all kinds of appetizers on a sideboard,
with various kinds of WHISTLES and brandies
and cordials, cheese, sardines, cayiare, ETC.
Among the items on the menu were cabbage
soup to be mixed at pleasure with sauce of
sour cream gigantic sturgeon of over nine
ty pounds weight and about five feet long,
first cut into pieces and then carefully put to-
gether again, so that the lines OF division were
only visible when the guests helped them
selves; and the piece de resistance was
sucking pig stuffed with the kashka, or buck
wheat cruel, which is the staple food of the
peasants. The health of the Emperor was
drank with the simple announcement ga
zdarova gosurdara Imperatora, hourrah" Ito
the health of our lord, the Emperor, hurrah y
the hurrah being taken up vociferously, and
long continued by all present, and every one
standing. The health of the czarewitch and
of the Grand Duke Nicholas were also drank
but of no one else; and there was no speech,
making, except by the Emperor, who said a
few words as he proposed each of the latter
toasts. At a previous dinner of the sam
kind, at which the Emperor was not present
(being in the Crimes), there was good
deal Of speech-making accompanying the
toasts.
THE EMPERoR's BODY GUARD
The two regiments of the Emperor's body
guard are described as the most aristocratic
organization of any kind In Russia. Ap-
pointments of comets in them are made only
with the consent of the regiment and with
the personal knowledge and approval of the
Emperor in each case The officers are all
gentlemen of the guard" and are present at
all court ceremonies. Each is quartered in
desirable part Of the town, their barracks,
stables, ETC., occupying an entire square about
1.000x400 feet Each numbers about 40 Off
GERS and 800 men, the latter being selected
and over six feet in height. Onehas oil black
and the other all bay horses. Each officer has
from thee to six private saddle horses in
value from $1,000 to $4,000. The cost of
these regiments to the crown is enormous
about equal to division Of 10000 infantry,
yet they have been called into active service
only twice in the present century; in the
wars against Napoleon and in the Polish in
surrection of 1863. Every officer, however,
who could obtain leave, saw service IN the last
war as an aid-de-camp or a volunteer in some
other regiment. The officers have mag
nifcent quarters, with fine club.houses,
where supper is spread for them each
night at midnight, in readiness as they come
from the theatre. There are so many regi-
mental clubs that there are but two others in
town, the club of nobility and the Yacht Club,
neither of which is equal to those of the crack
regiments.