SHE DID NOT RELISH HER GRAPES.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume VI, Issue 37, 13 September 1890, Page 3

SHE DID NOT RELISH HER GRAPES.

Many years ago there returned from a tour abroad a young American girl, who, by dint of a course of study in a Parisian boarding school of high degree, and of more or less residence among the British aristocracy, to say nothing of a grounding in good Boston cultivation before she was taken abroad, had become a thoroughly polished and accomplished young person. This young lady, who afterward becamedist in guished in Boston society, related an odd story of an experience at the Russian court while her father was visiting St. Petersburg. She had had the most remarkable attentions showered upon her at the Russian Capital. She was modest enough to attribute these honours to the fact that she was from the country remotest from Russia, and that Americans were at that time quite a curiosity at the court of the Czar. But her friends, quite rejecting this explanation, credited the preference that was accorded her to her beauty, vivacity and accomplishments. Whatever it may have been due to, it is certain that at a state dinner given by one of the Im perial grand dukes, the American young lady was jumped quite over the heads of all the noble dowagers ami miseel laneous duchesses and countesses of the court ami given a seat of honour at the (hand Duke's left hand. As she sat at dinner, the devoured of all devourers, ami as the end of the feast was near, a plate of grapes was brought. They did notappear to be anything remarkable, but the Ameri can gill, to whom grapes were no novelty, did them the honour of helping herself to a good big bunch. Then the plate went to the (hand Duke, who helped himself to four grapes * Ami then the fruit was passed on to a princess of high degree, who took three grapes. ( hie or two others helped themselves to two, and the mass of the company at the table had to be content with one grape apiece ! Of course the American girl had realised by this time that grapes were a prodigious rarity in St. Petersburg, and were produced at such a fabulous cost that even royalty con tenteditself with two or three. But in spite of their cost, she declared that she had never eaten a bunch of grapes which she enjoyed less than she did this one.