The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1889-04-25
A Grand Court Ball at the Win
ter Palace in st. Peters
burg.

burg.
In the morning, the sergeants of
the imperial household have gone
through the town with their lists to
the houses Of the elect, who 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
liberates from all anterior engage
ments with private persons; it liber-
ates even from duties toward the
dead, for mourning does not dis
pense one from the obligation to
appear at court ceremony, and it
must be laid aside when one enters
the palace. A woman is not allowed
to present herself in black before
the sovereign, unless she is wearing
mourning for one of the sovereign'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 En-
peror. Hundreds of carriages fall
in line and deposit at the different
entrances of the Winter Palace
shapeless bundles of furs, and then
return 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 a
picturesque bivouac. They look like
elfs assembled in the darkness on
this field of ice to guard the enchan-
ted palace where magician is call
ing up the sweetest visions in a
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 beauti
full butterflies issue from these
chrysalides in the midst of the rare
flowers that cover the marble steps,
and in the mild air of 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 the glow of the lustres;
there is a brilliant array of many
colored uniforms; sabres and spurs.
clank over the floors The guests
defle between pickets of Chevalier
Guards, chosen from amongst the
handsomest men in the regiment
giants in armor, who stand as
motionless as statues. The company
assemblies in the White Room, in the
Sale du Trone.
Here in the front rank are con-
siderable personages, the old "por-
trait ladies', so called because they
wear in their corsage in frame of
briliants miniature of the Empress;
severe g1ardiansef anc;sss etiquette sess
living chronicles of the court, they
teach the traditions to the swarm of
young women over whom they keep
watch, namely, the maids of honor,
who may be recognized by the
monogram in diamonds of the reign
ing Empress, which they wear
buckled with knot of blue ribbon
on the left shoulder. The celebra-
ted 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 long
dream, that leads them to the ex-
IRENE limits of their interminable
father-land. Amongst the men who
press around them we remark first
of all some aged people and high
dignitaries, old servltors who have
grown white in the service Of the
court ever since the reign of
Nicholas; aides-de-camp of his Ma
jesty, ministers, ambassadors, and
chamberlains with the golden key on
their backs; and all these worthy
bosoms are bedecked with grand
cordons and consolidated with deco
rations which do not leave a square
inch of surface free on their breasts.
Then come the young officers;
most of them belong to the two
crack regiments of the Chevalier
Guards and the Horse Guards.
They carry in their hands a 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 Hussars of the Guard
look peculiarly elegant in their short
white dolmans embroidered with
gold and bordered with sable fur,
which hang loosely over their
cLorlderc In Tho crowd the na0ec