The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-05-24
Alphonse Courlander in the Philadelphia
Ledger.

Alphonse Courlander in the Philadelphia
Ledger.
"HE old monastery of st. Peters, In
cettinje, with its golden Madonna
i on blue background over the por-
tico. is within few minutes walk Of
the royal palace, where the men of King
Nicholas of Montenegro stand all day with
cartridge belts showing their teeth, bay
oneted rifles hung across their backs,
great revolvers in their sashes and swords
at their waists.
Thither came the King and Queen and
two princesses, not on foot but in motor
cars, to attend a solemn mass "for the
soul of our cousin and ally of Greece, who
fell at the hand of EN- assassin at Sa-
loniki'
The ancient monastery, with its little
church, stands gray against the Scared
background of the mountain, whose sum-
nit is crowned by the pavilion inclosing
the memorial to Danilo / of Montenegro.
On the right, forest of fir and pine and
elm; on the left, a hillock where the Gu
rious gather-a populace on crutches, a
loyal crowd, with their arms in sings
and heads still bound with bloodstaned
bandages. The sun, and over all the blue
sky of a glorious spring, and the bell OF
the chapel tollng from its square tower
of gray stone.
Presently, one by one, the powers be-
gin to arrive. Wonderful powers whose
business it is to impress Montenegro with
solid stone embassies and legations,
motor cars and amazing uniforms. The
color scheme is battling. His excellency
of Austria, who strolls about every day
in an ordinary lounge suit cut by first
class Viennese tailor, strides today in a
Lohengrn uniform of white, with white
splashes of color all over him; two at
taches equally white, with helmets buried
under a cascade of bright green feathers.
stride with him. His excellency of Ger
many, no less magnificent in braid and
glittering helmet, Bismarckian and very
impressive.
The crippled crowd are visibly awed-
the procession becomes the apotheoss of
the powers. Their excellencies of Bull
garia and Servia and Greece walk side
by side-goid and blue and glitter OF
medals splendid Russian. attaches in long
gray cloaks with shoulder straps Of red
and blue pass up the steps, conscious of
their paternal interest in this country of
the MANNED, and finally, his excelency of
Great Britain. his diplomatic uniform a
smother of gold lace, and the top of his
cooked hat tufted with white feathers,
finishes the pageant.
Then the motor cars leave the palace.
The Kings men have strolled on in ad-
vance, and stand by the chapel door-it
only takes a minute or so to walk it-and
in less than that time the King rides up
in his car with the Queen. His face is
gray and stern and set. 1t is the face OF
a man whose under lip is thrust out In a
sullen defiance of fate.
Two of his bodyguards assist him from
| the car He seems to rise with difficulty
for the years are telling on him, but
| once he is afoot he draws himself uI
valiantly in his cloak of pale blue, reach
ing to the top of his shining military
boots, and. looking neither to the righ
nor to the left. strides up the steps to tn,
chapel. The Queen follows a little be
hind as is the custom of women here
| a solemn faced woman, with a lace man
tilla over her gray hair
Inside the little chapel the ikons ant
sanity pictures in gilt and silver are Sc
like frescoes along the whitewashet
walls. 1t is dim. and absurdly small-n,
more than 80 people can stand there il
comfort. The bearded. fat checked
metropolitan wears his wonderful gildet
crown that looks like gold for all it
brilliance, and his robes are of white an.
gold. Someone is chanting the mass &C
cording to the Greek orthodox church.
The King and the Queen and all tn,
group of ambassadors and ministers, hole