The Coconino weekly sun., 1895-01-31
RANAvALoNA, QUEEN OF MADAGASCAR

and all occasions-at receptions ana
 audiences, in church and in the gor-
 geous throne room. The stocking
 money" must accompany every peti-
 tion, every public document; without
 it no child may be registered as legiti-
 mate; no marriage nor divorce papers
 are granted. The queen travels in her
 kingdom, her train stops in every vil-
 lage, whose mayor is expected to de- posit five-franc piece after the speech of welcome. If he failed to do so, he would spend the rest of his life drag ging behind him fifty-pound iron ball and chain. The Hesina alone would suffice to keep the queen not in stock ings only, but in all other kinds of wearing apparel, if her tastes were not so extravagant and her husband less of Q rapacious rogue than he chooses 70 be.
 Ranavalona,a as already intimated, has an idea that she stands as high in the world as Queen Victoria, for instance, and that she must not allow the Ger man empress to outrival her in the matter of dress or jewclry. She has q running account at Duchet's, in Paris, and Worth and Redfern are also largely patronized by the little negro woman. The upper story of her palace, which is little better than an open garret, serves for the royal wardrobe. There, sub ject to the eXigencies of rain and dust, the pleasures of rats and mice, worms and moths, hundreds of state robes and demi-toilets are hung up on ordi- nary nails, together with legions of hats and umbrellas, corsets of all makes and petticoats of all shades. The royal stockings, with and without hygienic garters and drawn over the models which dudes admire in the shop win dows, fill several square meters of space. There are trunks full of twen- ty-four button gloves, mostly mauve color, and whole regiments of shoes, boots and slippers from two to three inches shorter and narrower than her majesty's tootsies.
 A special section of the garret Is re- served for soaps, hair restorers, paints. pomades and patent medicines. Her majesty, you must know, buys every thing advertised that promises to inn prove the female figure divine or add to its charms or prolong its youthful appearance. and being royal lady she thinks she owes it to her station to buy in royal quantities. So she orders gross or q dozen of everything that comes along, simply for the pleasure of doing so, and not with any intention of utilizing the queer things billed her.
 When not on official parade Rama valonadelights in wearing the national dress, consisting of a white plaided petticoat and cotton scarf around her shoulders, without underwear or decorations of any kind or description. She leaves her palace only on moon- light nights in sedan chair of ordi- nary build to visit her numerous rela- tives in the capital. Her attendants, on such occasions, arc but few in num- Der; she employs no outrunners, no showy liveries. Nobody is allowed to to pay her reverence or take the least notice of her. Everything 'Ranavalona does or is allowed to do by her husband and prime minister, she does thorough ly; her incognito, when she chooses to assume it, is as dark as her state ap- pearance is dazzling and luminous Cor. Philadelphia Times.