The Portland daily press., 1897-01-02

the bend gear Of the population WAS
something appalling. and from time I'M
memorial the hatters have in conse
ouenoe thereof been compelled to keep
open their shops ON New Year day. But
Emperor William has abandoned this
form of rough horse play, since he en-
countered an old gentleman VINO, with
the view of getting even with the young
men who had destroyed his top mats IN
previous years, had equipped himself
with sort of leather skull cap, studded
with nails, points upward. The conse-
uuence was that when the imperial nst
came down with crushing force on the
inviting looking hat, it encountered the
nails, which laoerated his hand In SO
serious manner as to necessitate the at
tendance of a surgeon.
AT Vienna there is no so-called "Stllr
cour," as at Berlin, but the emperor, and
the arohduohess, represen ting the en-
press, hold what is known as "cerole.
Each class of visitors who call to pre-
sent their good wishes for the new year
is assigned to particular apartment. the
diplomatic corps being relegated to one,
the judiciary to another, the navy to a
third. and SO on. The emperor, escorted
by the grand fficisls of his household.
enters each apartment In turn with the
archduohess, and Immediately on his De-
ing announced by the grand master OF
ceremonies, all the ladies take up their
oid Of tho and
the men on the other. The emperor,
with one of his cham berlains, then
passes slowly along the side Of the room
where the men are stationed, and says
few words to each, while the archduohess
escorted by the mistress of the robes to
the empress, does the Same on the other
side. On reaching the further end, the
emperor returns along the front rank OF
the ladies, while the archduchess passes
in front of the men. AS a rule, there is
no state banquet at Vienna on New Year
day, the emperor generally finishing up
the festival at the palace Of one of his
numerous kinsmen. In former times he
was won't to dine on the lst Of January
with his brother, Archduke Charles
Louis; but the latter died last spring.
THE DAY IN ROME.
At Rome the 1st of January assumes
additional Importance from the fact that
il is the day On which King Humbert
and Queen Marguerite present annual
gifts TO their relatives and to the MEM
bers of their household; and inasmuch as
they are both of them very generous,
and seem to know by intuition just
what will give most pleasure to the re-
cipients, the festival at the court of the
Quirinal is characterized by an appear
ance of infinitely greater enjoyment and
happiness than obtains either at Vienna
or at Berlin. The king and queen stand
on the dais under the canopy in front OF
their chair of state in the throne room
to receive with due formality the vari-
Gus parliamentary, military, judicial and
administrative delegations commissioned
to lay at the feet OF their majesties the
good wishes OF the various bodies which
they represent. But as soon as this is
over the king begins to stroll about the
various apartments, and n good deal of
freedom and abandon prevails until the
supper hour is announced. The royal
party then march in procession to small
supper room, and, with the ambassadors
and their wives, take their places at
ta bles adorned with that magnificent
golden plate for which the house of Savoy
is so famous, while the remainder of the
guests rush pell nell and in very I'M
dignified fashion to the Bullets, which
are literally taken by storm and quickly
devastated, as far as everything in the
nature of food or drink is concern ed.
AT THE SPANISH COURT.
New Year day is made happy and
merry festival in thes gloomy old Royal
Palace at Madrid. The queen regent
takes care that all, down to the humblest
of the servants, get share in the So
called "Aguinaldos, or New Year boun-
ties, to enable them to have the.I rejoio-
ings and feastings. 1t Ia on New Year
eve, however, that the young king and
his sisters receive their presents beneath
huge Christmas tree, the tables loaded
with gifts being arranged by the queens
own hands while each one of the gentle
men and ladies in waiting and the palace
dignitaries present are remem bered with
some costly token Of the regents appre-
citation of their services. New Year day
itself begins With high mass, celebrated
with all the pomp and solemnity charac-
tsristic of the Catholic Church. AS soon
as that is over goodly portion Of the
day is devoted to the reception of m IN
terminable procession of dignitnries, am
bassadors and representatives of the great
administrative and political elements of
the kingdom, who arrive from all parts Of
Spain in order to offer to the Ii title king
and his estimable mother their good
wishes. This little king, who wears the
uniform of the Royal School of cadets,
with the order of the Golden Fleece
around his neck, gets very tired of the
ceremony long before it is all over, and
in past years his mother used to expert
encs the greatest difficulty in preventing
him from relieving what appeared to
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