Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1889-09-13
At AN IMPERIAL PALACE.
How Russian Court Officials Pass the
Evening When Bombs Are
Not Thrown.
Scenes in the Winter at the Capital
Beauties in St. Petersburg in
Their Glory.

1nelf GI0fy.
In the morning the sergents of the impe-
rial 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 etiquet it liberates from all anterior
engagements with private persons; it lib
crates even from duties toward the dead.
for mourning does not dispense one from
the obligation to appear at d court cere-
mOny. and it must be laid aside when one
enters the palace. A woman is not allow
ed to present herself in black before the
sovereign unless she Is wearing mourning
for one of the sovereigns 5 relations. Dim
ner has to be taken hastily for the ball
opens at 8 clock, and You must be there
well before the hour in the salons where
You wait the arrival of the emperor.
Hundreds of carriages fall in line and de-
posit 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 a
part of the night standing in the snow.
gather around large fires lighted in CRATES.
which are placed there for the occasions.
1t is a picturesque bivouac. They look
like elfs assembled in the darkness on this
field of ice to guard the enchanted palace
where a magician is calling up the sweet
est visions in a mirage of spring.
The doors close behind the bundles of
fur and Immediately after they have en-
tered the vestibule they are metamor-
phosed by touch of the magician wand
The fairy spectacle begins. The heavy
cloaks fall from bare shoulders. and beau
tiful butterflies issue from these chry-
salides III the midst of the rare flowers
that cover the marble steps, and in the
mild AIR OF a June atmosphere A cortege
reminding one of the Arabian
Nights mounts the staircase; trains of
lace sweep over the porphyry steps; dia-
monds and gems shine in the glow of the
lusters; there is a brilliant array of many
colOred uniforms; sabers and spurs clank
over the floors. The guests file between
pickets of Chcvalicr guards. chosen from
among the handsOmest men in the
regiment giants in armor. who stand as
mOtionleSs as statues. The company as
sembles in the white-room. in the Sale du
1rOne. Here in the front rank are con-
siderable parsonage. the old portrait
ladies' so called because they wear in
their corsage in Il frame of brilliancs IA
miniature of the empress; severe guardians
of ancient etiquet, living chronicles of the
court, they teach the traditions to the
swarm of young women over whom they
keep watch. naimely, the maids of honor.
who may be recognized by the monogram
III diamond, of the reigning empress. which
they wear buckled with knot of blue rib
bon on the left shoulder The celebrated
beauties of Petersburg are all there. They
cross the room with picturesque indOlency
and pliancy in their walk and bearing.
There is something languid in their man
ner, as though their looks and words were
absently following a long dream that leads
them to the extreme limits of their inter
minable 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; aldsde-Camp of his majesty,
ministers, ambassadors, and' chamberians
with the golden key on their backs; and
all these worthy bOsoms are bedecked
with grand COrdOns and consolidated with
decorations which do not leave a square
inch of surface free on their breasts Then
come the young officers: most of them be-
long to the two crack regiments of the
ChevaIier 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 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 shoulders In this
crowd the pages of the empress move
about discreetIy and finally the servitors
of the palace, the runners. with their hats
with long plunes of the time of Catherine.
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
apartment'of the Winter palace open. I'M
diately there Is a deathly silence. \ voice
announces The emperor The tsar ad-
vances, followed by all the members of his
family each one in the rank assigned to
him by his degree of relationship. If YOU
wish to comprehend at a glance the social
secret of this empire. turn your back to
the door through which the sovereign Ell
terS. and look at this entrance byrehection
if | may so express myself-On the faces
of those present At the same moment all
these phySio@nOmies put on. as it We're. the
same uniform. the same solemn expression
at once grave and smiling The whole
vital force Of these men and women is con-
centrated In their eyes, which seek those
of the master We have never cOntem-
plated this spectacle without having been
reminded of the first appearance of the
rays of the sun on the crests of mountains
at the instant when it rises You have no
need to look behind you to know that the
sun has risen: yOu are informed of it by
this quivering light on the opposite sum
mits. In the same way. when YOU are a
little accustomed to the court. YOU have
only to look at the faces of the courtiers to
be able to see, without possibility of mis-
take. that the emperor is about to come. or
that the emperor has come. And his COM
ing Is in reality a rising of the sun-Of the
sun which brings favOrs and diSpenSes life
to all these persons
The first bars of the polonaise immedi-
ately re-echo through the rooms. 1t Is not
a dance, but a cadenced march. the tradi-
tlonal promenade which opens the ball.
The grand marshal and grand mistress take
venerable couple represent between them
| pretty nearly two complete centuries. The
| emperor gives his hand to one of the grand
ducheSses, the empress to one of the
| foreign ambassadors. and other couples
form their suite and proceed around the
! room. After this obligatory ceremony the
sovereign goes to chat with the diplomat
ic corps with his grand dignitaries. and
| the quadrllle and waltzes begin: but the
| ball does not really become animated until
the mazurka, that dashing military par
excellence national dance. The cavalier
marks the rhythm of the music by striking
the floor with the heel of his spurred boot;
! he raises his partner In his arms like a
| trembling bird dasheS across the room In
three bounds, deposits his prey at the other
| end. and falls on his knee before her
| Harper's Magazine.
/ 4 Hundred Years