The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1907-12-19
coy~7y COTTON rs COURT LIE
here.;L ROUND OF THE AVERAGE
PETTY CAPITAL.
Often Poverty Stricken; Pompous
However, and Ruled by High Dig
n;taries-Woes Of the Princesses
and Their Marriages.

Germany is ruled by one emperor,
four kings, six grand dukes, seven
princes and one simple count.
These sovereigns occupy very differ
ent degrees Of importance even IN
the eyes Of their own Immediate
subjects but in one degree Or an
other they all enjoy the d1gn,fles
and privileges of ktngship and all
have to face some of the responsible
ties Of state.
Every one of them has capital
and court OF his own. Some OF
the capitals are not very big cities,
but they are all very proud.
AS the revenues of many OF these
petty States are almost as micro
scopic as themselves, the brlltlancy
of their court life depends a good
deal On the fortune of the prince
regnant. A few Of them have little
more than their civil list, and there
Is a world of pathos IN the parl4g
and scraping that has to be done
to bring up the little princetngs,
who are all serene highnesses Or
some high sounding thing, in con-
formity with their rank.
The education of the girls is. in
particular, q matter of Importance.
The money spent on it is regarded
as a sort of family Investment. for
the poorest Of them is of regal rank
and many marry any royalty In G~r-
No Il al
ger's son down. A pretty, bright or
fortunate one among them may at
any time make the fortune OF her
family by great alliance.
The sons are of far less comm er-
cial value, but easier to provide for.
Those who are capable of picking
up the elements of an education can
always count on commissions in the
German army.
But whatever the cheeseparing,
however bitter the privations in the
family circle, nothing of it must be
seen in public. However simple the
tastes of the prince, he must never
relax from the pose Of rulership
when the eyes of his subjects are
1pon him.
He may have no money to enjoy
himself and no political power worth
speaking Of, but he had all his
family are begirt with an armor of
medieval etiquette, through which
| they cannot break to reach those be-
low them and through which not
even non regnant nobility can pierce
/ TO reach them.
Some Of the courts have grand dig
nita?ies chamberlainS, cQuerrles,
master Of the horse, grand hunts
man. There are all sorts Of titled
persons who are delighted to accept
such positions and serve without pay
TO- the sake Of the honor, the social
distinction, which they carry.
Then there are the ladies Of the
court. One or two ladies in waiting
are attached to the person Of the
rulers consort, perhaps four or five
maids Of honor as well.
The princesses as they reach ma
| tHritl pEd come out into thr @ociai
world have maids of hc"or too
-
/ itself does Lot furnish enough ladies
! to hold these posts ladies Of consid
/ erablerank in Prussia or the other
/ large States can always be found
! who arc charmed to serve for the
sah" Of the prestige derived from
any sort Of court Apo. ltmcnt.
! The true ruler Of the whole court
J tr ri NO wi 4 -
! princes wife, nor yet the Crane
Marshal. 1t is the Grand Mistress:
| of the court, who is usually q MAZE.
tic person of mature years and i'm
posing mien, who fairly iucarnatei
etiquette and radiates precedent aut
ceremony.
Thosewho regard princes as 81
highly placed that they ca act will
freedom forget the grand mistress
Of the court. About the only wa,
In which the average royalty can es
cape from the leading strings Is b,
taking trip to Paris in nlufti. A
for the women Of the reigning house
there is no escape.
Etiquette forbids them to go on
alone. 1t even forbids them to al
alone in their houdoirs, unless the
can manage it by stealth When
princess escapes from her governess
she finds maid Of honor dcggin
her footsteps every hour in the day
When she marries she exchange
the maid Of honor for lady Il
waiting. The only way to freez
out her feminine jailers il to tax
refuge in the company OF her hus
band.
Carmen Sylvia" in her mAmoir
gives hint of what life is IN
small German court. Speaking Q
her girlhood before she becam
Queen of Romania, she says:
The life in the palace at Wies
baden totally lacked gayety. Th
evenings above all were mourEf,
when my father got back from hun,
ing tired out and slept upon the sof
while his wife and daughters sat /
dead silence in orded not to awa'l
him.
Every one was waiting on ever
one else in the court and no exec,
ton was made for children w
stood SO much that it is a wonde
our legs were not pushed up int
our bodies by our weight, lik
telescopes. Sometimes we wei
bored and sometimes fatigued. Ths
was the onlyvariety."
Different persons read the sam
thing in a different manner: henc