The Press., 1896-11-05
RoYAL PAaEs.
Qualifications Necessary to Candidates For
 . Highly Valued Preferment.

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 . Highly Valued Preferment.
 ''The pretty page with the dimpled chin" " SO sweetly sung of by the poet, and who constituted one of the most picturesque figures of medieval times, still survives.
 Royal and imperial pages rango ill age from 12 to 16 years. They nre ap- pointed by the sovereign, enjoy pay pre- negatives and perquisites much as do the grown up attendants on royalty and are prescribed certain definite duties. Tbe duties are possibly TO more important than in the days of yore, when there was no postal service and the lovclorn princess was forced to rely upon the so- crecy and fidelity of her page for the conveyance of messages of her knight or trOubadOur. But tact and discretion ill performing them are probably more necessary now than ever, owing to the popular craving for information of this kind from the pages by persons who imagine that because they are young their tongues are likely to be loose. To tougher them against such at lempts and qualify them for this service the royal pages are subjected to very careful training. At the court of St. Petersburg, for instance, there is reg ular college of pages, where they are educated and maintained at the expense of the crown.
 Gentle birth is the first qualification for the post of royal page. At the courts of Vienna and Munich an ancestry of no less than 16 generations free from any plebeian strain on either fathers or mothers side is required in the candi- dates. In England and Russia nObi4ity Is not demanded. The pages of honoEin the court of Queen Victoria are gener- ally sons of distinguished officers of the army or of high dignitaries of the rcNal household.
 On state occasions they wear gorgeous uniforms of blue and silver, and many fair American who has been presented at one of the drawing rooms of Qpaen Victoria will recall to mind the appear. ance which they presented standing slightly behind. her majesty or behind the Princess of Wales when the latter o6ciates in the place of her illustrious mother-in-law. In fact, their duties are limited to attendance upon royalty at drawing rooms, state concerts, state balls and royal weddings. # l At the courts of Berlin and Vienna the pages figure at all state ceremonies, clad like those of England in blue and silver. At tho court banquets they stand behind the chairs of the royal and inn perial porsonages. These personages oD rising from the table sometimes address few kindly words to the boys and pre- sent them with sweetmeats. Indeed, the late Emperor Frederick was wont to amuse himself by cram ming their mouths full of bonbons until they could not speak and then plying them with questions demanding an immediate an swer or else cracking jokes that were sure to make them laugh.
 These pages were chosen for the occa- sion only from among the best looking boys of the school of cadets at Berlin and from the imperial Thoresianum col lege at Vienna, all the members of which are of noble birth. These schools resemble the American West Point, but the pupils enter at the age of IA and receive commissions as officers at much earlier age than ill this country. A
 At the court of St. Petersburg the corps of pages is sort of imperial school, where number of lads, sons of noblemen and state dignitaries, both civil and military, are educated at the czar s expense and under his supervision. On attaining their eighteenth year they usually obtain commissions as officqr of the regiment of chevalier guards. 4he < for girls, who on graduating receive the titular appointment of maid of honor to her majesty. Chicago Record.