Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-12-14

Dom Pedro Segundo was as great a curiosity
among the rnonarchs OF the earth as his en-
pire was among the nations of America. For
half a century he ruled over the fourteen mil
lion inhabitants of Brazil without establishing
even the semblence of party devoted to him
self or his dynasty, and when his subjects told
him to go" the other day, he promptly went
without remonstrance or a murmur. He
cared nothing for the privilege of wearing
crown. and being good man, sincere friend
OF Brazil, and thorough philosopher, he has
cheerfully acquiesced in the desires of his
people to run their country in their own way.
What was the use of making fuss about it?
The emperor was tolerated and nothing
more. Foreigners would sometimes take off
their hats as the imperial coach rumbled
through the Rio streets and the weary-looking
ola lace appeared at the window, but the
Brazllians shrugged their shoulders at such
freshness. Ellie wac presta para NADIA
He don't amount to anytning-they would saw;
and just AS likely as not they would be holding
mis- commission or wearing his uniform.
AT THE THEATER.
Dom Pedro was a constant theater goer and
no event at the opera or theater seemed natural
without the familiar double row in the imperial
box. On the right of the front row the en-
Peror, next him the empress, then the princess
imperial, then her husband, CASTOR d Orleans,
Count dEu. These all were seated while be-
hlnd them stood the suite of the week, for the
court officials served in rotation a week at "a
time. The emperor usually entered the box
nrst. and hurried to his chair with nod to the
house. The empress always gave a little bow
as she took her seat He looked ALWAYS
careworn; she invariably amiabe, for she
was indeed good woman. The princess
| imperial and her husband when they entered
kissed the hands of both the old people before
taxing their own places. But never a sound or
sign from the audience that they much as
| saw the rulers of the empire of the southern
cross. The emperor would follow the lay or
the opera closely, at rare intervals nodding his
mead ID approyal; once in a long while address
ing word to the old empress by his side
When the funccao was over the whole party
hurried to their coaches and clattered off,
without sign of recognition from single
soul.
On days ofgrand gala" such as his birthday
and the day OF constitution, the emperor would
rig himself out IN uniform, and then the I'M
perlal party would occupy an immense special
box In the middle of the first tier, facing the
stage, with greatly increased suite around
them. On such occasions the house was really
brilliant scene, as it held all the beauty and
chivalry of Brazil i'll their Sunday clothes. At
a given moment the chief of police would rise
IN his own box, and, looking exceed
lngly uncomfortable, would shout out, viva
Dom Pedro Segundo;" then, after a moment
pause, Viva a Constitutio;" and again, Viva
Brazil" Sometimes half a dozen voices
would feebiy answer, Viva" generally there
was dead silence. No wonder that the I'M
fortunate official whose designated duty it was
to thus make a predestined fiasco, told the
writer that he felt like an idiot" when he
rose In his place. He certainly lookedl like one
THE IMPERIAL PURPLE
was rarely donned except when the emperor
would read the speech from the throne in per-
son at the opening closing of parliament
The purple" consisted, in fact of a gorgeously
laced green coat and waistcoat yellow satin
small clothes and fiesh-colored hose of silk. all
overshadowed by wonderful cloak OF brilliant
toucan feathers. One of the imperial legs was
little wrong, and this married the effect some
what; but had Dom Pepro stood at his full
height and held his head up, he would have
looked every inch the emperor. As it was, he
looked bored to death and rather disguised at
himself and everybody about him.
HIS LEvEEs.
All sorts and conditions of men met at the
emperor's levees, but he recei7ed all who came.
One OF the most regular attendants was big
buck negro, as black as SCOT who claimed to be
an African king and styled himself Oba III.
He was an ensign, or had been, in the Brazilian
army and lived an extremely hilarious life by
leyyln3 contributions on the many slaves in
RIO who were of African birth. Arrayed in
his Old UNIFORM, or IN an ample suit OF black
| broadcloth. with eyeglasses straddling his huge
flat nose, Oba III would elbow his way through
the crowd and make straight for his roval
brother OF Brazil. He was quite as tall as the
emperor, and stranger pair was never seen
than the coal-black negro grasping the hand of
the cotton-white BraZanca. Still the good old
emperor endured this staggering darkey for
year after year, and pretty nearly every week
in the year, until one day, under an overload
OF bad co5nac, his African majesty became too
familiar even for long-sulfering Dom Pedro,
| and he was thereafter denied entrance
HIS TRUSTED FRIEND.
1t was often said by those who we're in con-
tact with the emperor, that he had but one
true friend, the Viconde do Bone Retro. This
is doubtless unjust to others, if it is meant to
cast doubt on their fidelity to the emperor. but
no one denied that Dom Pedro trusted and
contidedin Jose Pereria" as he did in no one
else. Their friendship dated from their bow
hood and when the emperor wanted to get
| complete relief from care and freedom from
importantly he would slip quietly up
| to Bone Retro's modest little cottag.
| IN the beautiful forest of Fijuca and
| pass the day with his old friend and COM
| panlon. On such rare occasions we would
sometimes, on returning from our rides through
/ those lovely woods, meet the pair of old men
| strolling along one of the more secluded paths
the tall pale-faced ruler .'theeing'' and .:thou.
| ing the stumpy dark-skinned counsellor aud
| both ready with pleasant good evening, gen.
| tleman, as we rode by. Now and then the EN-.
peror would send word in advance to the Wis
| count and ask him to invite some few people
he liked to take lunch at the cottage, and he was
| Just as likely to name foreigners as natives On
| such occasions he himself would Set the ex.
| ample OF unconyentionality and no one not in
formed would suppose the pleasant, grave old
gentleman to be the ruler of great empire.
PETRoPoLIs.
| But the place Dom Pedro's soul most loved
was Petropolis, his summer home, among the
noble Organ mountains Here he was merel,
a Brazilian gentleman Of leisure-or tried hard
| to be. for the cares of state gave him little
| respite. 1t was his great delight to walk alon2
the broad streets Of that charming little city
| usually walking in the middle of the roadway
and stopping to chat with anybody or every.
body. He knew the names of all the old Ger.
man settlers and asked them of their welfare
he asked some joking questions of the ladies
| on the sidewalks or at their windows or would
| talk with some business man of the GOSSIP
! down in the court" as Rio is called. Hall
a dozen times in his promenade he woulo
| stop to caress some child or other and ask
| about its .'papae" and ''mamae," and again he
| would call to a foreign minister and walk alone
| chatting with him When the evening train
arrived from Rio the old gentleman was in
yariably at the station to see the new arrivals
and his greetings to the throng of idle
loungers on the Dlatform wara alwavS tba sap,a