Titled Domestics.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XXXXVII, Issue 11756, 6 October 1902, Page 7

Titled Domestics.

PRINCESSES AS SERVANTS AND PRINCES AS BLACKSMITHS.

The romantic .story-of Princess Helene Zulukidse, who is working as a bricklayer's assistant in Odessa, is by no means an uncommon one.

A correspondent who has studied the curious phases of life in Eastern and. Central Europe, reveals siome astonishing facts. v • ■. '

"The. fact that a Princesfc should be compelled to seek sudli.a livelihood," she writes, "is by no means so startling an occurrence as might be supposed. . "In many parts of the Continent the father's title is inherited by all his) children, and there a>re several villages in Austriai, Poland, and Russia in which all the peasants are legitimately descended from some princely anoe^or1. "They are legally described as 'princes' in all -official documents, and on leaving their homes many of these-peasant-princes find themselves sadly hampered by the burden of a high-sounding title.

"They cannot get aid of the titles, however, as they are purely personal ones, and not remarkable commodities, like so many in Italy and Portugal, and by the police regulations no employee can be engaged without showing his 'papers,' in which his rank, age, and occupation are stated.

"Needless to say, few people are willing to engage a workman of legally far higher rank than themselves, and an instance of this hardship came to my personal knowledge recently.

"The newly-married French wife of a wealthy Russian noble, was about'to engage a Russian maid at St. Petersburg," when on seeing 'the papers;,' she discover-' ed that the girl waa a princess and a-mem-/ber of a well known but ruined family. • "The girl had) been vainly seeking employmien* for months, but the lady declined to epgage her.

"On reaching her country seat, however, the lady discovered', to her amazement, that the housekeeper was! a countess, the Ken-wife a princess> while the farm bailiff, blacksmith, and. coachman were possessed of titles equally imposing"As their homes were situated in the vicinity of my friend's estate their real focial position as little farmers and; peasants was well known.

"Had they sought employment elsewhere, however, they would, in all probab? ility, like the Princess Zulukidse, have quickly sunk to the lowest grade qf society." '