The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-09-18

snake Is the customary form of saluta-
tion In the United States. and they wish
to manifest particular graciousness TO the
sons and daughters OF Uncle Sam.
Reserved I'm Manner.
They are far more reserved in accord
Ing their hand to their own countrymen.
as Americans who have attended state
functions abroad can testify. and so
great is the honor which the anointed
of the Lord imagine to be conferred
thereby, that extraordinary Importance is
given by the newspapers, not only on
the continent of Europe. but even in
England, to the announcement that al
this or that public function the soyer-
eign had honOTed a select few OF the
principal dignitaries present by shaking
hands with them. Indeed, this 10 Ameri-
can people, commonplace set, is described
In the continental press as rare and
enviable mark of distinction. as II IL
were. in fact. superior 10 the grant Of
any decoration or order Of knighthood.
The importance which royal personages
manifest In giving their hand. and which
they seem 10 attach 10 the honor which
they consider iu"y confer there, is attrfb-
utable in a great measure 10 the fact
that their touch was even down 10 the
middle Of the last century believed 10
have been endowed with those miracu-
lous powers OF healing the sick. which
We read OF in the Bible as having be-
longed to the Founder Of Christianity.
and 10 His apostolic contemporaries.
Charles X. who assembled the throne OF
France In l825. was the last monarch 20
claim these powers in that country On
the day OF his coronation In the ancient
cathedral at Rheims. hs paid a state
visit 20 the hospital OF St. Marcoul.
where he extended his royal hand 10 l26
patients suffering from scrofula and other
kindred maladies. Every year af.erward,
until hts abdicauon In 1890, ne went
through similar performance on the
day OF ST Louis An aged relative OF
mine. now dead. but connected in his
youth as A page Of honor with the
French court, was present at the eere-
mOny on 81. Louis day in 1879. and used
TO be fond OF relating TO me this quaint
survival OF medieval times
IL seems that after high mass had been
celebrated. King Charles. attended by the
members Of his court. all arrayed in full
uniform. descended from the chapel into
the courtyard OF the Tuileries, and there
passed between long rows Of sick people.
principally persons suffering from scrof-
ula, and whose names, addresses. and all
ments had been previously investigated
and recorded by the royal physicians.
Those who were in a condition 20 do so
knelt, the others repOsing on stretcheTs.
on the forehead OF each the King. with
his Ungloved hand made the sign OF the
cross, exclaiming: 1t is the King who
touches thee. May God in His mercy
heal thee" Strangely enough. the cures
recorded on these occasions by the Of
ficials and public seem 10 have been al
most as numerous and quite as miracu-
lous as those automatically reported in
connection with far more recent pilgrim
ages.
Kings Power Divine"
In Spain and Portugal the touch OF the
monarch's hand is still credited TO this
day BY the masses OF the people with
possessing the power Of healing sickness,
and nothing Is more strange at Lisbon,
where all the members OF parliament and
most OF the municipality are republican.
than to watch the appalling looking
crowd OF cripples and victims OF every
species OF human III througiug the steps
leading Up 10 the main entrance OF the
church where the sovereign is Worship
ing, awaiting his departure, In tie hope
that when passing out he may lay his
royal hand upon them and thereby heal
them. In Great Britain the latest i'm
stance on record Of the imposition Of the
sovereign's hands occurred toward the
close of the reign Of good Queen Anne.
who touched little Samuel Johnson for
/ the so-called Kings evil" at St James
Palace. a particularly appropriate place
for the purpose. since in olden days It
was q hospital for lepers before becom-
ing royal abode
Strictly speaking, there are but three
monarches in Europe who can claim
anything OF a sacred character in con-
necuon with their rank, namely. the rul-
ers Of Great Britain, Of Russia, and Of
Hungary. They alone. on occasion Of tho
| ceremony Of their coronation. are anoint-
ed with the consecrated oils; and while
Emperor Nicholas, when crowned al Mos
cow, was at the same time invested with
the highest ecclesiastical attributes as
Summus Episcopus Of the Orthodox rite.
and consecrated as such King George.
on the occasion Of his coronation next
year will, after anointment be invested
in Westminster Abbey with the dalmatio
| of a deacon. the stole OF a priest, and
the rochet OF a bishop, before receiving
the spurs OF knighthood. the royal sword
and scepter. the sovereign mantle, the
! orb. and finally the crown.
Yet the origin of Emperor Nicholas i'm
perial dignity is based upon the election
of his ancestor Michael Romanoff 10 the
imperial throne, In the seventeenth cen
fury. by hts fellow Boyars, while King
George is indebted for his crown TO an
act of Parliament. known as the Act Of
Settlement, which became law two CEN
turtles ago. Emperor William owes HIS
imperial dignity TO the election h his
felIow-rulers of Germany IN 1870. and his
Prussian crown to the fact that his an
cestor. Elector Frederick III Of Branden-
burg, proclaimed and crowned himself
King OF Prussia at Koenigsberg 20
years ago. The Kaiser has never been
crowned, and other mOnarchs who have
dispensed with this ancient rite are
Queen Wilhelmina of Holland and the
now reigning kings of Spain. Italy. Bel
GUM, Portugal, Sweden, Saxony, Monte
negro, and Wurtemberg.
Copyright. 1910. by the Brentwood Company
Golf Defined.
From the Louisville Times.