A COURT BALL IN BERLIN.

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 9322, 24 January 1896, Page 2

A COURT BALL IN BERLIN.

AN AMERICAN LADY'S PICTURE OF THE BRILLIANT SPECTACLE. A court ball—with a polonaise led by the emperor and empress. Do you wonder that there is always a rush for tickets when the date of the annual subscription ball is announced? It is a time of suspense, for everything is conducted in the slow, thorough fashion so common with the Germans. Application has to be made weeks before, and then its fate is known only for a short time previous to the great event, ior " the powers that be " investigate the names presented most carefully, unless they are handed in by a member of the army —then they pass muster without a question. The size of the tickets corresponds with the immensity of the affair, for they are rivals of small handbills, but one would not care if they were regular posters, for he is so delighted to see his name on one. Having paid the princely sum of 3dol. 75cts., he can now mingle with royalty itself, if he goe3 clothed in a dress suit, or party dress, if the happy owner is of the gentler persuasion. •*

j One cannot help heartily approving oi jlaiis court ball, instituted as it was in the beginning of this century by Queen Louise and her husband, Frederick William the Third, hoping by this means to bring the people and royalty nearer to each other. Old Kaiser William revived the custom which had fallen into disuse in the time of Frederick William the Fourth, and used i to mingle freely with the people ; chatting now with Actor So and bo—next with a j young artist -then, with a prominent author —later, with an officer or a member of

some diolomatic corps. The present emperor does not imitate his grandfather'-* action--, but is much more reserved. He carries hi:;i self with a calm, dignified manner, not at nU haughty nor arrogant, but very compos'-d and elegant. At 9 o'clock the royal pair enter the ope £ house, the floor of which has been built o it from the royal boxes to the stage j st opposite. Music never ceases, for in either end of the immense room is stationed a splendid orchestra. A little commotio:!, and the turning of all head 3to the royal bo-;, announce the arrival of the distinguished ! couple and their court—a luxury which the nation $7,500 a day. The ball is opened by the polonaise or march, led by the kaiser and kaiserine, followed by princes and princesses, dukes and duchesses and many others wlso claim to have purple blood in place of the common red which courses through the veins of ordinary mortals. The emperor makes a most agreeable impression, and one can scarcely believe that he has uttered many of the pompous sayings that are credited to him, for his manner calls forth the admiration of even loyal Americans. He is about tiie average height, slight, but well proportioned ; has I a clear-cut face, full of character, and wears his hair parted on the side and brushed well off his forehead. He is extremely fond of the army, and usually I appears everywhere in uniform. This evening he wore the brilliant one of the Red Hussars, which consists of dark blue trousers with a strip of gold down the sides—high spurred boots reaching to the knee—and short red coat seamed in gold, with collar and straps also in gold. His left arm, which has been useless since birth, is supported by resting the hand on the hilt of his long sword. With the right he conduct* the empress through the serpent like maze of the stately march. It seemed, however, as if before doing so, he must have led her under a rosebush, and shaken from its branches the evenine; dew, for she simply sparkled with diamonds as pure and bright as drops of water with the sunlight on them. In her fair blonde hair glittered a priceless diadem. A necklace of two rows of diamonds encircled her throat. Pendent j ear-rings flashed defiance to the jewels ! which, as a band, adorned the top and front | of her corsage, while numerous rows of the | same precious stones played hide and seek j around her arms. The dainty shade of her j long, blue satin dress harmonised perfectly j with the emperor's gorgeous coat. She is not a radiantly lovely woman, but a gracious one without being patronising. Hor face bears the st?mp of goodness deeper than that of beauty, and one would say that she was lovable rather than lovelj*.

Many of the families present are entitled by birth to be presented at court and to mix freely in the royal families at all times, but they have not the immense fortunes necessary to maintain the splendour of their positions, and cannot afford to pay the taxes (for everything from an income of $225 a year is assessed), so they live quietly in their caslies in the country, coming to Berlin for a few weeks in the season to give their daughters a taste of city life.

Of course for these occasions all grandmother's old laces and the family diamonds are brought from their seclusion, so tho scene is indeed a brilliant one. The evening suits of the men are commas in this great play of human life, while the blue and gold trimmed uniforms are semicolons.

Occasionally, a Turk in his red fez, or a Jap much decorated serves as an interrogation point in the living drama, but the real pauses, the periods, are made when the eye espies some old war veteran who has on his breast as many medals as he has years. Thus, the scene ever varies until the midnight hour, when royalty withdraws and the ball comes to a close.