The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1895-01-31


and all occasions-at receptions ano
audiences, in church and in the gor-
geous throne room. The Stocking
money" must accompany every petit
ton, every public document; without
it 10 child may be registered as legiti-
mate; no marriage nor divorce papers
are granted. The queen travels in hey
kingdom, her train stops in every viii
lage, whose mayor is expected TO de-
post a tive-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 a ffty-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
n rapaciOus rogue than he chooses 20 be.
Ranavalona, as already minated, has
an idea that she stands as high in the
world as Queen Victoria, for instance,
and hat she must not allow the Ger
man empress to outrival her in the
matter of dress or jewelry. She has a
running account at Duchet's, in Paris,
and Worth and Redeem are also largely
patronized by the little negro oma
The upper story of her palace, which is
little better than an open garnet, serves
for the royal wardrobe. There, sub
jcct 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 lcgions of
hatsand umbrellas, corsets of all makes
and p%etticoats of all shades. The royal
stockings, with and without hygicnic
garters and drawn over the models
which dudes admire in the shop win
dow, fill several square meters of
space. There are trunks full Of TWEEN
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 garnet is re-
served for soaps, hair restorers, paints,
pomadcs 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 it's youthful
appearance, and being "A royal lady she
thinks she owes it to her station tc buy
in royal quantities. So she orders a
gross or a 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
valona'delights in wearing the national
dress, consisting of a white plaided
petticoat and n cotton scarf around
her shoulders, without underwear or
decorations of any kind or description.
She leaves her palace only on moon
light nights in a sedan chair Of ordi-
nary build to visit her numerous rela-
tivcs in the capital. Her attendants,
on such occasions, are but few in num-
Der; she employs no outrunners, no
snowy liveries. Nobody is allowed to
to pay her reverence or take the least
notice of her. Evc~ything'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.