The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-11-06
RUSSIAN MAIDS OF HONOR.
Chosen at Birth They Are Carefully Edu-
Gated to Attend the Empress.

Chosen at Birth They Are Carefully Edu-
Gated to Attend the Empress.
There is one academy at Moscow which
is unique in its way. 1t is school for
young ladies OF high birth whose parents
desire that they shall b ecome maids of
honor at the imperial court. The Eng
lish queen has only six or eight maids OF
honor, and believe that royal attend
ants of that description are even fewer
in number at courts where there is a
queen regnant, queen regent or queen
consort of first class rank. OF course by
"queans" l also mean "empresses. All
the rsigning oonsorts who have the i'm
perial title are also queens. Empress
Eliza beth of Austria is also Queen of
Hungary; Empress Alexandra of Russia
is Queen of Poland; Empress Augusta
Victoria of Germany is also Queen of
Prussia and Queen Victoria is also EN-
press uf India.
In Russia there are several institutions
which retain an oriental flavor, and the
fact that the czarina is always surround
ed by an imposing bevy of unmarried
women is a case in point. At least fifty
young women, all the daughters of great
mobiles. pay her personal service. They
are in two ranks, "oypher" and "por-
trait" distinctions which will present.
ly explain. Candidates for the posi- ton
of maids Of honor to the empress have
their names registered by court
official, whose title might be translated
as "overseer of the maids" This Ia
often done day or two after the birth of
the aspiring young ladies. At the age
of ten they enter the official school of
the maids of honor, and there are
taught everything pertaining to the
court as we'll as everything that goes to
make well educated young gentlewom-
an. The girls must acquire the art of
legible writing and be able to correspond
fluently not only in Russian, but in
English, German, French, and Italian.
They must he able to take dictRtion in
all those languages rapidly. They are
also expected to become familiar, not on
ly with the routine etiquette of their
own and foreign courts. but they must
learn rules of precedence, delicate dis
tinctions Of rank, and other intricacies
of court life, almost impossible to ex-
plain to those who have not been born in
the atmosphere of the purple. Future
maids of honor are also required tn be
not only clever at EN- broidsry, but ca
pable, If necessary, of ordinary domestic
stitching. While inettendance there are
always possibilities Of ready needle be-
ing required for the empress or grand
duchess. They are expected to know
how to order dinner, and how to direc t
cooks In the way of preparing dishes
favored by imperial personagss. They
read aloud for hours if necessary, with
out undue fatigue, of being able to
stand for indefinite periods, of being
able to receive snubbings, sooldings,
even abuse with patient composure, and
finally they must inoulcate within them
the fact that an empress or grand duchess
is parsonage almost divine in attribute
All these accomplishments acquired,
or apparently acquired, 1t remains with
a maid Of honor lastly to be of such
favor in her features, In her general ap-
pearancs and her dress. that she enforoes
attI action from the empress or from one
or the other of the half dozen duchesses
of Russia who are permitted to have the
second pick of the maids of honor, after
the ozarina has finished her own appoint
ments. Before, however, such appoint
inspects the candidates Indeed, at va
rious periods, the czar makes a point Of
Visiting the school, and generally
CLOCKS over" the girls.
The czarina's maids of honor eDjo q
barbaric splendor of costume that far ex-
ceeds anything to be seen at any other
European court. white satin robe
stretches from chin to toes, the buttons
up the front being set with precious
stones. Over this ID thrown sort of
red velvst CLOAK, embroidered with
gold and having long. pendant sleeves.
On their heads rests the kakoohnik. or
national cap, of crimson velvet, thickly
stuaded with jewel. from the summit
of which hangs white tulle that
spreads half way the voluminous
train. This gore rray is donned ON
all state occasions uHlil the wearer passes
from the "cypher'' 10 the portrait
| stage of promotion. The juniors wear
for some years on their left shoulders the
monogram of their mistress worked in
pale blue silk; but after period of SER
vice they su bstituto for this the portrait
of the empress framed in brilliants, and
exchange their crimson and gold for n
less radiant cap Of green and silver.
While receiving their education they
wear plain wooden frocks, with frilled
silk aprons; but these dresses are so con-
TT ived that the upper part of the bodicss
ard the long sleeves can be removed at
will. Whenever the czar visits the school
all the girls appear decollete. Chicago
Times h erald.
TDEhCIlDEC