The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-03-27
IN THE GERMAN CAPITAL.
Miss Mollie Jockey, Of Helena, De-
scribss Some Of Its Many
Features.
Royalty and It's Brilliantly ALTERED
Attendants at the Grand
Opera.
h Concert Season Now At Its Height
and Pronounced to DO an Ex-
ceilont One.

~ ~
berlin. Feb. 1s.-This last week has seen
two gala nights at the Royal Orera House.
One was the annual subscription ball,
which was opened by the kaiser and kaiserin,
Rnd the other q presentation OF DonizettIs
opera. 1.-THE Daughter Of the Regiment"
at which the emperor. empress, princes,
princesses aud ladies and gentlemen OF the
court occupied the boxes INT first balcony.
The dresses Of the ladies were like that Of
the empress, white trimmed with red,
decollete and sleeveless. The front row Of
the balcony was filled by these ladies in
waiting, all sitting bolt upright, looking
like so many prim little sticks. Behind
them sat the officers in their brilliant uni
forms. looking like as many more big
sticks. Then came another row of ladies
the parquet and other balconies were also
required to como in full dress, 60 with the
boxes filled by royalty. the beautiful dresses
and diamonds Of the women, the gorgeous
uniforms of the men, and the goodly
sprinklipg of Americans in the house, tho
scene was never TO be forgotten. The
opera was we'll given. of course. but 1t 10
needless to say that the kaiser and kaiserin
we're the chief attraction of the evening.
One would think that seeing the emperor
and empress would become an old story
after a while. but the people are ever eager
to catch a glimpse of them and will stand
hours on the pavement to be rewarded at
last by the bows and salutations of the
royal pair. Every evening they drive from
the palace to the ThierRarten. Bsrlin's larR-
est park. and. when the weather is fine.
walk there for an hour. The six little
princes may also often be seen. the two
older bows with their tutor and the younger
ones with their governesses. and even her
four-months-o old royal hiRhness, the Prin-
cess Augusta Victoria Louisa, graciously
allows herself now and then to be viewed
through tho window OF q royal carriage.
A few evenings before Christmas there
assembled In a large hall q number Of poor
of the street belonging to a Volkskinder-
garten. Each child carried a branch OF
evergreen and. as they stood waiting. $50
little tongues, in spite of the appraised
hands and warning looks Of the teachers.
were wagging as fast as possible. Among
all this jabberinR could be distinguished
clothes" "ilots Of cakes" and a tree"
Soon there was q sudden silence in the
adjoining room. A man in royal livery
opened the door, and a middle aged lady
and q young girl entered and advanced to
the seats provided for them in the center of
tho room. This was the empress friedrich,
and daughter Of Queen vl0t Sas
garcia. Alas for childish dreams
of royalty, coronets n ermine robes. The
kaiserin wore q plain black dress and wrap.
Her hair was parted in the middle and
brought down smoothly under her black
bonnet. TO which was attached a long crepe
veil. The princess was dressed in dark
green and wore a little green toQue trimmed
with pink. After the children had sung q
hymn and inspected the tree and baskets of
cakes from afar of. the empress and her
daughter came to the front and ave to
each child a paper of cookies and candies.
The kaiselin smiled and seemed to enjoy
the scene, but Princess MarRareta appeared
to be exceedingly bored. She was probably
thinking, however. Of her marriage With
the prince of Hesse (Which took place the
of January and was a very grand affair
indeed) and go had little interest in poor
children and cakes.
Fortunately the severely cold weather of
a few weeks ago did not last long. but the
suffering among the poorer GLASSES was ter
rible for the time being. All over the city
large halls we're warmed and lighted for
the use Of the poor. and during the worst
weather hot soup INC bread were given
On all sides is heard the cry of
hard times" and one can 20 but a short
distance to obtain bargains" in some
bankrupt stock.
The concert season is now at its height,
and to say that it has been excellent so
far ia but meagre praise. As the names Of
and Rosenthal are among those of
the worlds greatest p;anists, 60 they heard
the list of artists who have charmed the
ears of music-loving Berlin in the last few
Among singers Marcslla Sem
brich, Lilli Lehman, Germina Bellecioni,
and Alice Barbe are worthy of special men
When q Berlin audience has a favor
tie what an grafton he or she receives, but
nothing can be colder, calmer. or more se-
verely critical than this self-same audience
whom a new performer appears. They are
Unsuitable also IN tho matter of
encoree. After the programme is over the
people crowd down TO the front, insist
on encore after encore, until the art
lock the piano. Even this did not succeed
sang, for she came out with her opera coat
around her. ready to enter her carriage,
bowed again and again. and finally tore
her bouquet of roses to pieces and scat
tered it among the people.
Apropos of floral tributes. nothing de-
lights a perfor met SO much as an immense
wreath of laurel tied with broad, briuht,
colo'ed ribbons-the brighter the ribbon
and larger the wreath, the better. Pretty?
Well. Eo, according to American ideas.
MoLLlE JOCKEY.
POpTIIST CONFERENCE.