Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-09-22

~ (S% stay in Constantine
pie to buy a roll of
silk beautifully EN-
pronered and gold-threaded, suitable for
morning wrappers, said. NO; no, that won't
do at all; you must remember that my wife
always has half a dozen boys dangling at
her skirts
nave seen some of the imperial children
rushing from the tea table in the nursery
as their mother was on the point of attend
ing some full-dress function, and maui hel.
over with greasy little paws and when her
majesty visits her little ones in their cribs.
at the conclusion Of n court festiyity.
bringing them sweetmeats, they usually
scramble out Of bed, all trying to sit on her
knees at once.
These nightly visits cost sometimes from
5000 to 10000 marks" said one of the royal
wardrobe women to me, but, of course.
what is pie to the purveyor, is bread, at
least. for her majesty's body attendants"
The meaning of this remark will explain it.
self later on.
Once In a great while the newspapers
contain notices announcing that her ma
lesty mas called at one or another great es-
enlistment and has ordered certain pur-
ehases to be made. These visits are of the
otratagem order, entered upon and heralded
TO enliven trade. Perhaps in some instances
an unusually large personal bill has some
Thing to do with the act of condescension.
Peculiar shopping Methods.
/ ON not repeating, reasserting the
ally rumors about Victoria Augustus
enormous diapers bills. set afloat from
time to time. There are no such bills
threatening her peace, as We will see
What follows does not apply to the en-
press alone, but to all the princesses of the
imperial and royal house, who are subject
to the same etiquette governing their re-
lations with trade and tradespeople. The
royal women Of Germany and Prussia have
running accounts with certain big houses,
which are regulated according to cast-iron
rules ut the end of each quarter by their
court marshal 1t may be that in a par
uculariy busy season, including weddings
and visits to foreign countries, the debt
side OF one or another princess swells to
unusual proportions. and that, as a L after
of policy, the royal debtor concludes ii
would be a gracious act to give the dealer
the be 1efit of a tremendous advertisement
that costs her nothing-but as to shopping
In a store, visited under these conditions,
that Is entirely out OF The Question. Her
majesty or the princessas will buy dress
materials on such occasions, bur only such
that have been subuiitted' and actually
spoken for beforehand.
The mode of proceedings for replenlshns
the royal wardrobe is as follows: When a
0edler IN dry SCOuS, III wraps OF linens,
ceives a consignment of new goods that are
of such order of perfection to warrant
an offer in the "all highest quarters" as
the officiJl jargon has 1t, he notifies his
royal customer, including description of
models and sometimes samples. Any mer-
chant of good standing may do so. no
matter IL he be a purveyor to the court
or not There are many doing business
With her majesty, for instance, who have
n .er been privileged to announce that
fact to the world. If the recipient of the
duplication Cfor the offer must be in the
form of SUCH likes the proposition, she
sends the chief mistress of the wardrobe,
a lady-ir-waiting, to the store to examine
the stuff in the piece and IL possible en-
costume. II the draper deals in dress ma
terial only the buyer will require him to
drape stand with the stuff. If he sells
"facons'' he is ordered to dress up his cos
tuners lay figure modelled in every detail
after the anatomy of the original.
Must BE Exclusive.
The empress messenger has, In most
cases, only general instructions, but, of
course, knows her mistress taste and pc
culiarities to the dotlet on the /. To win
the good will of such an emissary the sale
Is half affected. This is signified by
an order given to send the stuffs, or mod
els. to the palace at stated hour and day.
The command to do so is always given
in writing. blank card. issued by the
the lady who does the shopping. A mer-
chant, having secured this illuminated and
sealed pasteboard, repairs with it at once
10 the castle, where. before this prospective
owners secretary, he makes affidavit
to the origin of the goods. as to the length
of time he has 1t in hand, and Furthermore,
swears that 1t has never been offered to
any other party, especially to none of the
other princesses. or ladies of the court.
If the article Is intended for a state robe
the dealer must likewise be able to swear
that no other sovereign lady owns a gown
of this same material. or is liable to wear
II previous to its introduction at the Ger
man court. The circumstantialities of the
dealers examinations before her majesty's
secretary are as ludicrous they are
thorough: the Baron Won der Recke, who
is charged with this duty, takes the matter
very seriously and usually calls in a lady
in-waitinS to assist him in the minor de-
tails.
Il would rather forego selling a yard Of
stuff to her majesty or the princesses for
a year than foist upon either goods that
are not entirely original" said one Of Ber-
Inns great diapers to me. The late Empress
Augusta, noted for her intelligence and fair
ness in other things, once dismissed a
princess visiting at her court because at
some festivity. her grace wore a wrap of
the same pattern and material as the ma
jesty herself
A Council ON Dresses.
The stuff or "facon' having found IA
its originality having been sworn to, the
royal approval must be obtained. At the
stipulated time the goods are sent to her
majestys boudoir, with prices attached.
There is a lay figure. as in the Diapers
shop, and the same evolutions are gone
through in the palace as there. More fire.
quently. however, at the kaiserins court
one of the wardrobe women, who resam-
bles her ma jesty in every feature of figure
is called In. Before trying on dress wrap
or drapery she dons a muslin cover that
entirely hides ner ordinary attire. The en-
press is very particular in that regard.
She wants to satisfy herself with her own
eyes that the cover Is fresh from the laun-
dry. IL not new.
The stuffs being finally selected and the
price agreed upon. the chief mistress of the
court and that of the robe and the head
tailoress hold a council of state under the
presidency of her majesty. Dresses are
never bought ready made for wear. but only
as models or facons to be returned, when
the costume fashioned after them has been
worn and discarded by the purchaser. The
conference is to decide about alterations In
the original design. about suitable color
and, above all. about the &C.
to the toilet. Often, when all
that has been settled. her majesty insists
rpon one of her intimates going to London,
Paris. Rome or Vienna to find out II nothing