The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-12-20

Lippe and Lippe. In all there are twenty
one-petty. independent ruling soyereigns OF
the federal states OF the German Empire.
and to each the Kaiser sends a christmas
present by special courier, and from eacn
one the Kaiser receives Christmas grit py
special courier. 1t taxes imperial ingenuity
10 the utmost every year 10 select sultaoie
presents for all the rulers of German States,
but every recipient invariably has the feel
ing that the Kaiser has studied his own pc
culiar tastes and desires with minute atten-
ton.
There are many others who have to be
thought of by the Kaiser. There Is MS
brother. Prince Henry Of Prussia. and MS
children. The Kaiser has four married sis.
ters, and never fails to send each one or
them n Christmas present; in most cases
their husbands and children receive presents
as well The only exception Is made in the
case Of the husband of Princess Charlotte,
the Kaisers eldest sister, who is married 10
Prince Bernard OF Saxe-Meiningen, with
whom the Kaiser is on unfriendly terms.
s1.25 FOR EVERY BEGGAR.
There are also foreign monarchs who
must not be forgotten; otherwise interna-
tional complications might eIIsue. The Car
invariably receives a Christmas present
from the Kaiser. and always sends one
in return. The Emperor Francis Joseph OF
Austria finds a present from the Kaiser
on his breakfast table every Christmas
morning. and King Edward. as well as
other members of the English royal family,
are never forgotten. King Charles of Rou-
mania. who belongs to another branch Of
the Hohenzollern family, is on the Kaisers
list. to which President Roosevelt has now
been added.
The choice of all these presents before
Christmas, their dispatch exactly at the
right time. so that they shall reach the
re inst ON HhriG TINS linz
afterward the letters OF thanks and &C
acknowledgement, make Christmas an un-
usually busy time for the Kaiser. who.
however, seems to take real delight In ii.
In remembering the need of courtesies
to imperial relatives and the crowned heads
OF Europe the Kaiser never forgets his own
servants and the soldiers of his army. In
the imperial palace there is separate
Christmas tree for the servants, all of
whom receive valuable Christmas gifts
from their imperial master. The Kaiser
sent out from the imperial cabinet. for
Christmas celebrations to be held In bar
racks on Christmas eve. and for extra good
Christmas dinners to be served to the men
on Christmas day. Wherever possible the
men are granted leave of absence to spend
Christmas at home, though there are many
thousands who cannot AFFORD to travel home
even IL they have permission.
On Christmas day the Kaiser goes out
walking with his sons and every soldier in
uniform whom the Kaiser meets in the
standing by the wayside receives silver
coin worth $1.25. For the Kaiser Christmas
is really time of charity, good will toward
men, rejoicing and merriment, and so long
as his influence is predominant in Germany
the character of Christmas celebrations
Will remain the same. His children are
twenty-one and the youngest daughter is
nearly twelve, but at Christmas they are
all little children again. delighted to gather
round the family Christmas tree.
THE CARS CHRISTMAS.
Christmas is observed at the Russian
court similarly, but with slight differences.
The Car and his family are devout ortho-
dox Greeks and they omit none of the
orthodox Greek religious observances con-
nected with the festival OF the birth of
Christ. In Russia, where time is reckoned
according to the old style, Christmas falls
thirteen days later than with us, and the
celebration is more on Christmas day than
Christmas Eve. On Christmas Eve there is
divine service, at which various rites are
gone through. symbolical of the events OF
the eve of Christmas 1908 years ago. when
the wise men OF the East sought the stable
in Bethlehem with their gifts of gold,
frankincense and myrrh.
The Car, the CZarina and their eldest
daughter, who now is eight years DID, at
tend this service. which completes the cere-
monies OF Christmas eve. The imperial
children have been taught to believe in
Santa Claus, and before going to bed on
Christmas eve they hang their stockings
on their bedsteads, to be filled by the be-
neficent saint during the night. Later the
Car and Czarina creep quietly through
their children's bedrooms and fill up the
stockings with the good things that will
cause the recipients so much pleasure in
the morning.
On Christmas day the Car transacts no
state business, and is invisible to his min
listers, for he devotes the day entirely to
his family. Unauthorized intruders into
the imperial apartments at the Winter Pal
ace in St. Petersburg on Christmas morn
ing might find the despotic ruler of Russia
crawling round the room on all tours, car
rying one or more daughters on his back.
His daughters treat him as horse and
belabor his august majesty with their little