The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1894-04-18
A DREADED GUEST.
European Courts Again to Be In
vaded By the Shah Of Persia

EIITLNLNDEAl
vaded by the Shah of Persia
- cu.sn., on Former visits SO Shocked
Royal society That fr Held ITS hAnos
In In Unaffected Horror and
CONSERVATION
..Tbe shah is coming againi Good
ro-a deliver us,' Such is the fervent
1i,snv Of the courts Of Europe For i
= announced that during the present
var Nasr-ed-Din, the king Of kings,
win descend from the peacock throne
and make tour Of the chief capitals
Of Europe as the guest Of the soVer-
eicus thereof To say that the news
causes CONSERVATION IS to put the case
too mildly. It is q reign Of terror.
The coming of the shah viii have much
,,olitical significance. Of that accord
mo 70 the Philadelphia Times, there IS
no doubt. And merely on that score II
Is perhaps well that he Is to come Al
fairs are ia a bad way in Persia
There is widespread discomfort with
the sbab's rule. based chiefly on the al
legation that he IS subservient TO Euro-
uean influences OF this discomfort
priests are the chief promoters In
deed. the whole priesthood Of the en-
pira IS hostile TO the shah, and its hos
fnitv is scarcely disguised
Certain il Is at any rate, that the
Russian government Is in close sym
pathv and active alliance with the
Persian priests in their opposition to
theshah. And the chief object OF Nssr-
ed-Din's approaching visit TO Europe
Is. first. to see what aid and comfort
he can get from England, Germany and
Austria for the maintenance Of his
throne; and. second. failing that, TO
make the best terms he can with Rus
sia. On these grounds alone there
would be no objection 20 his coming.
for England has set out to build rail
road through Palestine and Syria TO
India. or % the Persian gulf at the
least. and il is therefore highly desir-
able toget on the closest possible terms
OF friendship with the shah And that
end could far better be effected By hav-
ing him come to England than by send
ing any number of ambassadors TO him
at Teheran- The trouble is, however.
that he comes not merely as an impor-
tauf political parsonage, but as most
offensive individual parsonage as well,
and 1t is in this latter capacity that he
has literally stricken with disTaay and
horror the courts Of Europe, where his
last visitation is only too well remem-
bercd
His first visit to Europe was made in
1873 and his second in 1S7e. He came
again in 1859, and it was then observed
that his manners had not in the least
improved. He still insisted, for exam
pie. on throwing under the table his
plates aud other dishes as fast as he
got through with their contents. Per
haps that is the approved Persian
table etiquette But ia a sumptuously
furnished European palace, with china
rs fragile as eggshells and worth its
weight in gold, it is, 10 say the least,
rather trying. At his first dinner as
the guest of Queen Victoria, in lss9, il
Is said, he thus destroyed a thousand
dollars worth OF rare china At al
subsequent meals a number Of walters
were kept standing close behind him
10 snatch up his plates the moment he
ueomed done with them, or at least to
take them from his hand before he
could throw them under the table
Lvcn despite these precautions he
broke several things and hit some OF
The other guests Oa the feet aud shins
with the dishes.
-, -.,..-g.,,- 81. - .. .-r,s.l
at the table next to one Of the most
stately and dignified royal princesses Of
Europe. He was helped to some aspar-
arus, cooked IN a peculiarly delicious
manner Picking up stalk in his fin
gers. he sucked the end Of il with evil
dent delight Then turning to his fair
neighbor he exclaimed: "Bs, ba, How
good it is" and thrust the sam stalk
into her mouth for her also to taste.
Nor was his conversation less en-
larrassing than his table manners.
Talking with a nobleman OF great dis
tinction, he suddenly asked:
rs that your wife over there?"
Yes, your majesty"
But she IS old and ugly. Why don't
you get rid Of her and take new one.
one Of these young and pretty women
As he spoke in a tone perfectly audi
BE to the lady under discussion. and
Indeed 10 most Of the company in the
room, the sensation produced may best
be left 10 the imagination Nor was
the scene less embarrassing when the
shah one evening approached one Of
the royal prineesses and began 10 pat
and pinch her plump shoulders. saving:
"Ah, You are the kind Of woman
like! You are not all bones. viii get
rid Of one of my wives and take you in
her place
The shah Is, however. as a matter OF
fact, particularly amiable and kind
hearted man. For this he has been
noted since his boyhood. II Is a mat
ter Of authentic record that the shah
on a certain occasion was about TO set
forth on tour through his dominions.
attended by all his court and a vast
retinue, all of whom were actually on
the road, when he found his pet cat
fast asleep on the identical fur mantle
which he wished TO wear, whereupon
he sat him down 70 wait until pus
should Of its own accord wake up and
leave its couch; and that not coming
70 pass for some time. the court and
retinue were dismissed for the day and
the start postponed until the morrow.
when, be it observed, the shah's at
tendants took good care that no cat