Christmas under three flags : $b Being memories of holiday festivities in the White House with "Old Hickory," in the palace of H. R. H. Prince of Prussia, afterwards Emperor William I., and at the Alamo with the Alcalde's daughter — John Shaqi
Christmas under three flags : $b Being memories of holiday festivities in the White House with "Old Hickory," in the palace of H. R. H. Prince of Prussia, afterwards Emperor William I., and at the Alamo with the Alcalde's daughterWilcox, Mary Emily Donelson
History
Christmas under three flags : $b Being memories of holiday festivities in the White House with "Old Hickory," in the palace of H. R. H. Prince of Prussia, afterwards Emperor William I., and at the Alamo with the Alcalde's daughter
Wilcox, Mary Emily Donelson
Christmas stories
An invisible choir chanted to piano accompaniment during the first part
of the program some sacred anthems; during the first two scenes of the
second part, the “Prussian Battle Hymn,” and during the last scene,
“God Save the Queen,” adding greatly to the scenic effect. After the
curtain fell there was an interval of lively, friendly conversation,
everybody commenting on the Panoramic Prelude and pronouncing it
excellent, unique, inimitable. We were told that the Crown Princess,
consulting with her governess, had herself selected the scenes, which
were copies of well-known pictures in the Berlin Art Gallery, and
managed their arrangement, declining the proffered services of some
professional decorators. It was edifying to note the ill-concealed
delight of the royal parents at the success of their daughter’s
undertaking, every feature and action bespeaking that parental pride
which, in prince or peasant, nabob or pauper, is more becoming than any
human adornment.
About half-past four o’clock a heavy portiere quietly opening displayed
in an adjoining room a large, brilliantly-lighted, artistically-trimmed
tree, its top almost reaching the ceiling, its outspreading branches
nearly filling the room. A murmur of delight was heard, and surely no
Hesperian garden or enchanted forest ever showed a braver specimen. The
King and Queen and royal personages led the way, and, merrily trooping
in, almost too eager for a nearer view to mind our P’s and Q’s, we
flitted to and fro around the tree. The decorations, consisting of
golden fruit, paper flowers and wreathes, stuffed birds and animals,
with bon-bons, confections and ornaments, spangled, tinseled, frosted,
of every conceivable hue and design, were crowned by a glittering
star. Here beneath a tuft of foliage would be a bright-plumaged bird
with outstretched wings, just beyond a squinting owl so life-like
we shrank from its expected screech; perched on this bough would
be a frog or lizard; on that one a squirrel, and above would crouch
a glossy leopard. Beneath the tree on soft green moss were piled
the presents--presents for guests, friends, attendants, young and
old; generally for the girls, work-baskets, needle-cases and toilet
dainties; for the boys, knives, pocket-books, fishing and hunting
implements. My present was a small dressing-case, my sister’s a silk
reticule, my brother’s a hunter’s horn.
The Crown Princess was, of course, generously remembered, and seemed
much pleased with our offering, an Indian basket curiously wrought
with shells, bird feathers and sweet grasses and containing a pair of
moccasins and a watch-case, all made by Indians of Northern New York.
Neither her presents to members of the royal household nor theirs to
her were displayed.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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