Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1890-01-09
IT TICKLED THE czAR


An American Girls Defiance of the NJ.
tress of Court Etiquette at Rns.i,,
Court Bah.
The following is a narrative Of an H.;
dent which occurred in st. petersI.r-.
some years ago The American lady 49,
cerned is the daughter Of pro6li,..-.
public benefactor, has for many years Ezsr
a social leader in Washington, is the wiF5
Of a leading Republican statesman ar5
would be recognized instantly if her par,a
might be mentioned
A grand reception was in progress i
the palace Of a high Russian dignitsr,.
Members of the Cabinet, Generals of H.
army, grand dukes. the nobility of III
Empire and the diplomatic corps wars
present. Ii was notable affair.
-Four young ladies-three Russian ana
one American-had gathered in a Ii+tia
nook screened in palms, and were discnss.
ing IN French the dowdy appearance II
high court lady. Some eavesdropper carobt
their remarks and bore them to the eriti.
cized lady.
She in turn Indignantly reported tba
conversation to a noble duchess. who beI5
the peculiar Office of mistress Of 81
quette. She retired TO a private room
and had the four eulprits summoned IS,
fore her. They appeared, the Russian girIs
in fear and trembling, the American calm
and self-possessed
Young ladies'. said she. .'vou have
been commenting diseourteously upon tia
personal appearance of Lady. You b8ya
committed grave breach of etiquette
and 1t is my duty as court mistress 81
etiquette to punish You. Olga your Sim.
per-
The trembling Olga took off her slipper
and meekly received a sound punishment
Of the sort confined in America exclusively
to the nursery.
Katia. it is your turn. Give me your
slipper" said the ineXorabe duenna. d.
the weeping Olga arose from her castip5l-
ton katia took her Cruel with audible
lamentations, and Tania followed the suf-
fering Katia
All the while the American gir
watched and waited. The indignitias
thrust upon her companions reused the
Hail Columbia in her Her eyes flashed
and her little fists clInched with excite
ment.
1T is your turn now said the mistre,,
Of etiquette to the fair American. y0ur
slipper, please.
Columbia blood was up There was
fighting stock back of her for generations.
She moved her slipper and drew near. but
she held the slipper by the toe. Atproper
range she swung the missile and struck
the old lady in the mouth a fearful clip
Then She sailed in.
Lace, feathers and furbelows flew.
Finger-nails fetched blood Grey hair
and the St. Petersburg fashions Of 1863
filled the air The screams of the thor
oughly frightened mistress Of etiquette
brought a crowd. The door was bat
tered down The three Russian Girls
were screaming in their respective cor
ners.
The old lady was hors de combat, ami
tery-eyed goddess Of liberty stood in the
center of the room waving a tuft of grey
hair in one hand and jeweIed hair dag
ger, with which she had been trying TO
stab the Russian, I'M the other
The mistress of etiquette fairly screamed
with lmpotent rage showered maledictms
IN broken French, German and Russian
upon her conqueror and demanded that
the most condign punishment be meted ont
to her.
The matter was carried to the Gar He
made a pretense of punishing the young
lady by issuing some order against her APP
pearing at any bali for a certain period
but the old liberator was immensely
tickled
He showered the most embarrassing
presents upon the American beautiful
slippers Of every kind and description,
silver slippers and gold slippers, and
finally wound mp by sending her a hair
dagger set with diamonds New York
Journal.