Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1896-11-27

| Qua iii,..,ioc- -. $50 to- .."
TIA Valued Trefrrren,.
1.-THE pretty rt~r N.n t., dim. 49,
chin. 80 swcCi.y sCpg - T.. g.rle't
AMI who coIs I'd & II L.r J. TT
pictul sque L,,"res OF = diDv"I times,
still Eurviv,h
Royal Erd ii'ooYinl pages range in
age from - 10 "a Wis Iney de lp-
pointed by the ever, .i;n. emily pay l:c-
rogatiy, ana y iq.i-l.,s much as 90 the
grown mp .ttcL' al ga :'}alty and are
prescribed O. rii,n Dti!iic duties. The
duties aiC lossii y 10 ~ re- important
than in the days e Voc. when tkClc
was no postal rvioa e.. 4 the lovelorn
princess N...s f. Il olCN upcn tAe Sc
crccy and fdr b Of h cr iCr the
conveyance OF messages g her knight
or troubadour. but tact AID discretion
in performing them are probably more
Necessary now tAdn ey I, owing to the
popular craving for IN rmat.on Of this
kind from tie pages ~ ptisous who
imagin that because ;Lcv are young
their lgUeS are likely TO- lC loose
To t1uGhcn flom against such at
temp and qualify Thorn fcr this service
the royal pages are sabl'ctod 10 very
careful training. ~ tho court Of St.
Petersburg, for instance there is reg
ular college Of pages, whore they are
educated and maintained at the expense
of the crown.
Gentle birth is the first qualification
for the post Of royal paSe. Al the courts
of Vienna and Munich al ancestry Of
no less than lG generations free from
any plc6eian strain on either fathers or
mothers side is required il the candi-
dates. In England and Russia nobility
is not demanded. The pages of honor in
the court of Queen Victoria are gener-
ally sons Of distinguished officers of the
army or of high dignitar4cs of the royal
household
On state occasions they wear gorgeous
uniforms oe blue and silver and many
fair American who has been presented
at one of the drawing rooms of Queen
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
officiates 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.
At the courts of Berlin and Vienna
the pages figure at all state ceremonies,
clad like thee Of England in blue and
silver. At the court banquets they stand
behind the chairs of the royal and ia-
perial personages. These personages on
rising from the table somclimgs address
9 icy spdly ycrls = The be-, 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 maze 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 Theresianum col.
iege at Vienna, all III members of
which are Of noble birth. These schools
resemble the American West Point, but
the pupils enter at the age of ii and
receive commissions as officers at a much
earlier age than IN this country.
At the court of st. Petersburg the
corps of pages is a sort of imperial
school, where a number Of lads, sons Of
noblemen and state dignitarics, both
civil and military, are educated at the
car S expense and under his supervision
On attaining their eighteenth year they
usually obtain commissions as officer Of
the regiment of chevalier guards. The
czarina maintains similar institution
for girls, who on graduating receive the
tltular appointment of maid of honor to
her majesty. Chicago Record.