Wichita eagle., 1889-05-17
AN IMPERIAL RECEPTION.

The Vlcomte Eugene Melchoir de Vogue,
describing Russian high life in Harper's
Magazine, writes among other things: In
the morning, the Sergeants Of the imperial
household have gone through the town
with their lists to the houses of the elect
VINO have been convoked for that evening.
An invitation to the court is an order given
On the very day of the fete. According to
received etiquette, it hberates from all an
terror engagements with private persons;
it Hberates even from duties toward the
dead, for mourning does lot dispense one
from the obligation to appear at court
ceremony, and it must be laid aside when
one enters the palace. A woman is not al
lowed to present herself in black before the
sovereign, unless she is wearing mourning
for one of the soverelgn's relatives. Dinner
has been taken hastily, for the ball opens
at nine o'clock, and you must be there well
before the hour in the salons, where you
wait for the arrival Of the Emperor. Hun
dreds of carriages fall in line and deposit at
the different entrances OF the Winter Pal
ace shapeless bundles of furs, and then re-
turn to take their position on the square.
The coachmen, who pass part of the night
standing in the snow, gather around large
fires lighted in CRATES, which are placed
| there for these occasions. 1t is pictur-
esque bivouac They looklike elfs assembled
in the darkness on this field of ice to guard
the enchanted palace where magician is
calling up the sweetest visions N mirage
OF spring.
The doors close behind the bundles of fur
and Immediately after they have entered
the vestibule they are metamorphosed by
touch of the magician's wand The fairy
spectacle begins. The heavy cloaks fall
from bare shoulders, and beautiful butter
flies issue from these chrysahdes in the
midst of the rare flowers that cover the
mar BILE steps, and in the mild June atmos-
phere. A cortege reminding one Of the
Arabian Nights mounts the stair-cases;
trains of lace sweep over the porphyry
steps; diamonds and gems shine in thu
glow of the lusters; there is brilliant ar
ray of many-colored uniforms; sabers and
spurs clank over the floors. The guests
defile between pickets of Chevalier Guards,
chosen from amongst the handsomest men
in the regiment-giants in armor, who
stand as motionless as statues. The COM
pany assemblies in the White Room, in the
Sale de Trone.
Here in the front rank are considerable
personages, the old portrait ladies'" SO
called because they wear in their corsagein
frame of brilliants miniature of the EN-
press; severe guardians Of ancient Ell.
quette, living chronicles of the court, they
leach the traditions to the swarm Of young
women over whom they keep watch name
ly, the maids of honor, who may be recog
nized by the monogram in diamonds of the
reigning Empress, which they wear buckled
with knot Of blue RIBBON on the left Shout
der. The celebrated beauties Of Petersburg
are all there. They cross the room with a
picturesque indolency and pliancy in their
walk and bearing. There is something
languid IN their manner, as though their
looks and words were absently following
q long dream that leads them to the eX-
treme limits Of their interminable father
land. Amongst the men who press around
them we remark first of all some aged pee
pie and high dignitaries, old servitors who
have grown white in the service OF the
court ever since the reign of Nicholas;
aids-de-camp of his Majesty Ministers, Am
bassadors and Chamberlains with tho
golden key on their backs; and all these
worthy bOsoms are bedecked with grand
cordops and consolidated with decorations
which do not leave a square inch of sur
face free on their breasts. Then come the
two crack regiments of the Chevalier
GUARDS and the Horse Guards. They carry
in their hands heavy helmet surmounted
with a silver eagle with open wings. Here
beside them are lancers IN red jackets,
Grodno Hussars in green, Cossacks draped
In their long tunics belted with cartridge
cases in nielle silver. The Hu3sars Of the
Guard look peculiarly elegant in their short
white dolmans embroidered with gold and
bordered with sable fur, which hang loose
ly over their shoulders. In this crowd the
pages of the Empress moved about dis
oreetly, and finally the servitOrs of the
palace, the runners, with their hats with
long plumes of the time of Catharine,
and negroes dressed in rich Oriental cos
tune. The gloomy note Of the black
dress-coat is banished from this brilliant
symphony of color. One single swallow
tail may be seen-that of the honorable
Minister of the United States.
Nine o'clock The doors of the private
apartments of the Winter Palace open. I'm
mediately there is a deadly silence. A voice
announces: THE Emperor" The Tsar
advances, followed by all the members of
his family, each one in the rank assigned
to him by his degree of relationship. II yo1
wish to comprehend at a glance the social
secret of this empire, turn your back TO the
door through which the sovereign enters
and look at this entrance by refiection-lf /
may so express mysef-on the faces Of
those present. At the same moment
all these physiognomies put on, as it were,
the same uniform, the same solemn express
sion, at once grave and smiling. The whole
vital force Of these men and women is con-
centrated in their eyes, which seek those OF
tie master. We have never contemplated
this spectacle without having been re-
minded of the first appearance OF the rays
ofthe sun on the crests of mountains at the
instant when it rises. You have no need
to look behind you to knoe, that the sun has
risen; YOU are Informed of It by this culver
ing light on the opposite submits. In the
same way. when you are little accustomed
to the court. YOU have only 70 look at the
faces of the couruers TO be able TO see,
without possibility of mistake, that the En-
peror is about 70 come, that the Emperor is
coming, or that the Emperor has come.
And his coming is in reality a rising of the
sun which brings favor and dispepses life
TO all these persons.
The first bars of the polonaise immediate
" re-echo through the rooms. 1t is not
dance, but a cadenced march, the tradi-
tional promenade which opens the ball.
The Grand Marshal and the Grand Mistress
take the head of the PROCESSION. Generally
this venerable couple represent between
them pretty nearly two complete centuries
The Emperor gives his hand to one of the
Grand Duchesses, the Empress to ore of
the foreign ambas sailors and other couples
form in their suite and proceed around the
room. After this obligatory ceremony the
sovereign goes to chat with the diplomatic