The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-05-20
A JOKE ON EMPRESS EUGENIE.
How the Empress Was Deceived By
Bogus Embassy.

How the Empress Was Deceived by
Bogus Embassy.
From Correspondence of the NY. Tribune.
The most amusing box of this kind on
record is that played upon Empress Eu-
genie during the reign of Napoleon III.
and with his knowledge and connivance,
mission had arrived on the banks of
the Seine from Burmah about which
country little was known in France at
the time. Two days after its arrival the
Empress and the members of the court
were notified that a solemn reception of
the embassy by their majestles would he
he'd. Al the appointed hour the Emperor
and the Empress took their places upop
the dais in the throne room, surrounded
by all the principal members of their
household, every one in fun array. The
minister of foreign affairs, as we'll as tho
PREMIER was, however unaccountably
absent. When Napoleon gave orders for
the admission of the embassy the folding
doors at the further end of the hall were
thrown open, and number of white ROBBED
and Enthusiastically turbaned individuals.
some or them with long gray boards were
seen, VINO, as soon as they crossed the
threshold, threw themselves PROSTATE upon
the floor and began 90 crawl toward the
throne nat on their stOmachs, with tho
most extraordinary wriggles and contor-
tons The tax upon the gravity of the
gentlemen and ladies' present was so great
that 1t was only the frowns and angry
looks of the Empress as usual most con-
cerned that proper dignity and gravity
should prevail, which prevented them from
laughing outright.
When the mission had reached two
thirds of the way TO the throne its three
leaders abandoned the wriggIing move
ment and began turning somersaults. 1t
was evident that Eugene believed this 10
pc the proper method of showing respect
IN Burmah. For when even the ordina-
rliy impressive Emperor was unable to re-
frain from laughing she demonstrated with
him for his want of decorum in tones of
evaporation sufficiently loud to be heard
by all those who stood around the throne
AT that moment. however, the most aged
OF the ambassadors reached the foot OF
the throne in final somersault, which
landed him PROSTATE at the feet of the
Empress with such violence that his head
dress flew off, and with It, alas, his long
gray beard, revealing to the astonished
gaze of the Empress the familiar feat
ures of Marquis de Gallifet now gem
eral, but at that time a gay and DASH
ing cavalry captain. All present broke
into shouts Of laughter, especially when
the remaining members of the embassy
similarly removed their boards and tur-
bans and were recognized as members of
the imperial encourage. In fact, every
body enjoyed the joke hugely. with the ex-
ception of the person for whose benefit IL
had been devised. namely, Empress Eu-
genie. She burst into a flood OF tears de-
clared that she had been cruelty insuited
that the Emperor had organized the hoax
for the special purpose of rendering her
ridiculous in the eyes of the court and
swept out of the throne room, refusing to
quit her apartments for several days
When the authentic embassy from Bur-
nah was received at court a few days
later she indignantly refused TO be pres
ent. and IL was several weeks before she
consented TO forgive the Marquis de CALI
fet or any of the other personages who had
taken part in the practical joke.