The Bossier banner., 1894-07-19
AN EMPEROR'S HUMILITY.
Ceremony of Feet Washing as Conducted
10y Francis Joseph.


10y Francis Joseph.
An interesting ceremonial is that con.
Quoted by the emperor of Austria on
Holy Thursday, in the ceremonial hall
OF the palace, and thus described by
correspondent: At ten o'clock the doors
are closed to invited guests. Then
enter, one after another, groups of high
furctionaries, among them the chaplain
of the court, in splendid vestments,
whose duty it is to read the appropriate
passages from the Scriptures during the
ceremony. Altar boys, bearing lighted
candles, stand on either side of the
reading desk arranged at one end of the
hall. Colonels and captains, high and
mighty by right on lesser occasions, are
made to stand back and in line on this,
for to-day only those of higher grade
are to do duty.
Then hobble in the twelve old men.
Such another group of the lean and
slippered" it would be hard to find.
They have been chosen in part from
among the almshouse folk according to
their age as well as worthiness. The
oldest to-day was 101 years of age, and
all looked pathetically worthy. Two
attendants aided each old man to his
place at the table, and had personal
care of him throughout. The aged men
were dressed in the garb of Spanish pill
grims-black robe, leather girdle, black
hose and sandals, soft felt fiat hats, the
brim widest in front and behind these
also black, and broad white plated col
lars.
Next enter the twelve archdukes
chosen to assist in the ceremony.
Lastly we see enter a quiet, gray
haired man in the sixties. He wears
the uniform of general. He is simple
and modest in his bearing and action.
1t is Francis Joseph, emperor of Aus
tria, king of Bohemia, and Apostolic
King of Hungary.
Since the days when Christ washed
the feet of the disciples, the popes have
sometimes initiated the Master. This
is the one instance in which an en-
peror has observed the custom. He
enters and takes his position on the
platform at the upper end of the table.
Directly enter the twelve men of his
and gold, each bearing tray on which
are various dishes of food. They halt
and turn about, each man facing one
of the twelve, but remain at the foot of
the raised dais The emperor takes
the dishes from each tray and places
them before the guests at the table.
The guards retire with empty trays.
Then the twelve archdukes advance,
mount the platform and stand in line
close to the table, an archduke facing
each old man. They remain there but
a moment before up steps the body
guard with empty trays, each one halt
ing behind an archduke, who then re-
moves the dishes from the table to the
tray when off marches the guard in
swift military step to the ante-cham-
ber The archdukes then step back to
their places. Shortly in comes the
guard with trays bearing the second
course. Again the emperor with his
own hands places the food before his
venerable guests, again the archdulles
appear, standing for a moment as if
about to serve; again steps up the
guard, off goes the second course, and
so it goes through four courses.
Meanwhile the twelve old people only
look at the incoming and swiftly vanish
ing goodies during the time the cere-
mony passes. But it is comforting to
know that as reward for what must
from the nature of the case be a most
tantalizing ordeal all these appetizing
dishes that we see so pompously brought
in only to disappear are really sent to
the almshouse after the ceremonial.
The next event is the appearance of a
tray on which are vase and bowl,
all of gold, borne by a dignitary, an
other following with a salver of nap
kins of finest damask. The chaplain at
this moment begins intoning: Verify,
l say unto you, the master is not
greater than the servant" etc. Others
pour water over the feet of the old
men, the large golden bowl placed un-
derneath to receive the water, and the
emperor, kneeling, wipes with napkin
the feet of each Of the twelve in turn.
This ceremony ended, the brother of
the emperor brings a tray containing
twelve purses of white leather, sus-
pended on gilt chains, each containing
| thirty-two pieces of silver. The en-
| peror places one of them about the neck
| of each old man, and this closes the
| ceremony of the 'Fusswaschung. N.
| Y. World.