The courier. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1894-1903, 1897-01-02

Philadelphia Times
II is a school for
young ladies of high birth. whose par
ents desire that they shall become
maids of honor at the imperial court.
The English queen has only six or
eight maids Of honor, and / believe the
royal attendants of that description
are even fewer In number at courts
where there Is q queen regnant, queen
regent or queen consort Of first-class
rank. or course. by queens" l also
mean "empresses." All the reigning
consorts who have the imperial title
are also queens. Empress Elizabeth
of Austria is also queen Of Hungary;
Empress Alexandria of Russia Is queen
of Poland: Empress Augusta Victoria
Of Germany is also queen OF Prussia
and Queen Victoria is also empress OF
India.
In Russia there are several institu-
lions which retain an oriental flavor,
and the fact that the czarina Is always
surrounded by an imposing bevy OF
unmarried women is q case in point.
At least fifty young women, all the
daughters Of great mobiles, pay her per-
aonal service. They are In two ranks.
cipher" and portrait" distinctions
which I will presently explain Can
didates for the position 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 Is
often done day or two after the birth
OF the aspiring young ladies. At the
age of 16 they enter the official school
of the maids OF honor and there they
are taught everything pertaining to the
court, as wei. as everything that goes
to make q wcli-educated young gentle
woman. The girls must acquire the
art of legible writing and be able to
correspond fluently. not only in Rus
sian, but in English, German. French
and Italian. They must be able to take
dictation in all those languages rapid
". They are also expected TO become
familiar not only with the routine ETH
quette of their own and foreign courts.
but they must learn rules of prece-
dcnce, delicate distinctions of rank and
other intricacies of court life, almost
impossible 10 explain to those who
have not been born in the atmosphere
Of the purple. Future maids of honor
are also resdired 20 be not only clever
at embroidery but capable, IL neces-
sary, Of ordinary domestic stitching.
While in attendance there are always
possibilities Of q ready needle being
required for the empress or a grand
how to order a dinner and how to d.
rect cooks in the way OF preparing
dishes favored by imperial personages.
They must have a capacity Of being
able to read aloud for hours if neces-
sary, without undue fatigue; of being
able to stand for indefinite periods; OF
being able to receive snubbings. scold-
ings, even abuse with patient COM
posure. and finally they must inculca.e
within them the fact that an empress
or grand duchess is parsonage al
most divine In attribute.
All tueSe accompaniment acquired
or apparently acquired, 1t remains with
a maid Of honor lastly to be of such
favor in her features, her general APP
,earance and her dress that she enforces
attraction from the empress or from
oAe OF the other half-doxen grand duch-
esses Of Russia. who are permitted to
have the second pick of the maids of
honor, after the czarina has finished
her own appointments. Before, how
ever. such appointments can be rati-