The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-03-12
IA MARauiSE DE FONTENOy.
y lt0t,ESSOR HUGO NJ L y S r /, II
- BERGS ridiculous controversy

~ R0EESSOR HUGO MI y Sill! r.
- bEhi ridiculous controversy
L Win Professor Alphonso Smith on
me subject OF presentation III
court which has been a source or so
, H,i, ca, trouble and annoyance 10 the
, me ambassador, and OF amuso-
ihent 10 court society and TO the gem
cral public At Berlin. tending to Bring
the very useful system OF exchange or
proiesSorships as an institution into
ridicule. has led TO inquiries from read
ed "Defiler Cour' or ''Schlelypen 1,o,ir ;"
! rom Whici. Professor Muns,crherg
seems 70 have succeeded in barring
Mrs. smith, as an American. oring to
the TACT that his own wife and daul.ht-
eFs We're excluded thcrcfroin rs Ger
inans not possessing tho necessary So
cial nna!liicationS demanded Of Ger
mans b!' th"iE court authorities
Tie Defilcr Cour, from tho French
Word dehler' has been thus styled
eNer since the, days Of Frederick the
Grfat, ana Is the Berlin counterpart OF
me so-cailcd Courts held BY Queen
Alexandra ana Queen Mary At Buck.
l,n,snar Palace, and OF the Drawing
Rooms Of the late Queen Victoria.
They are held once a year. fol. the
purpose OF presenting debutantes ana
prideS OF tile aristocracy. and foreign
Hrs Of distinction. official and otherwise
IheS pass one by one before the throne
COURTESY profoundly 10 each OF their
nalcsties. while the Grand ChambeT-
1 IAN !, or Or the Grand Mistress OF the
names. and then they leave the i'm
perial presence By a Side exit. The
long court Train Of "schleppe," may be
OF an entirely different material and
e. pleases, the only stipulation made
hcins that the richness and splendor
% the fabric must be beyond question
An indispensable feature OF the cos
tune is the so-called 'Barbe" a sort
OF tiny lace veil suspended on each
SIDE OF the co!ffure about two inches
lea d ,hos The liza lace Of courses must be
SPANISH point, Alentso nnerS or P Point
Ansieterre The Emperor and En-
press stand beneath the grand es-
cutcheoncd golden canopy. and In front
Of the two chairs OF state that repre-
sent the throne. At the right and left
are GROUPED me various royal and inn
pcflal personaScs present, while at the
root OF The daiS stands the Grand Mast
er Of the Ceremonies or the Grand
Mistress of the Robes, for The pur-
pose OF mentioning to their MA iesties
them AT the back of tho royal and
lmEeLlal parry arc arranged the Palace
Guard, In their Quaint, old-fashioned,
am: and extremely picturesque uniforms.
Inc band plays throughout the entire
affair. - = -
It's name, implying card play. a iii hMGngha
as fact cards are rarely playcd al
court now. at any rate coremoniaIly.
In former times they constituted q
very important feature of court enter-
tainments. and the Spiel Cour.'' or ..I,e
Jeu de Leurs Majestes" was the func-
ton to which those whom the Anointed
OF the Lord desired to honor were most
frequently hidden. In earlier days. as
soon as the guests had made their boWs
to the sovereign. and to the princes and
prlncesses of the blood card tables
were set out, and gambling commenceG'
those TO whom their maiesties wished
TO accord special distinction and hono,
receiving royal commands. through Inc
Chamberlain in Waiting, to take their
places at the card tables OF the King
Or Queen. as the case might be.
It was these royal games Of cards ~
me court Of Versailles which contri-
bntcd In no small measure to the down
iall OF the old French monarchy. and
70 the outbreak Of the great Revoln-
tlon in Paris, more than hundred
years ago. The IL fated Queen Marie
Antoincttc Of France was passionatoly
fond of gambling. IT was her craze
for high play that led her to admit.
not only TO her count. but also to nor
card table. parvenus OF doubtful rep,,-
tation, and of questionable antcccdents
such as Cagliostro. tho sol distant count
81. German, and others Of his class.