AN IMPERIAL TROUSSEAU.

Evening Star, Issue 3478, 16 April 1874, Page 3

AN IMPERIAL TROUSSEAU.

{From a cyveagondent of the London Times.) Sx. Petersburg, January 21. Being about to attempt a high theme, 1 feel inclined to follow the example of the beat epic poets, and to begin by calling upon some god or goddess to help me through with my task. But newspaper writers, lam afraid, come an age too late for tutelary deities, and, invocation or no invocation, 1 must grasp my pen, rash man that I am ! and rush in where any male creatures should fear to tread. I sent you to-day, by telegraph, a few rapturous lines about Her Imperial Highness the Grand Duchess's trousseau, but I feel that the subject should nqt bp dismissed in a short and hurried way, % it is worthy of a whole Gazette, to. itself.' It is to the good nature '°f on 6 *be most agreeable of Court ladies alas !—I cannot spell her name—that I owe the glimpse 1 had, in company with Colonel Colville and Lieutenant Ramsay, of this garden of millinery. Piloted through a succession of never-ending saloons to the Winter Palace, we eame at last to the ante-chamber of the • -Salle Blanche. In this very large room, broad, low tables were ranged, spread with

the wonders of the wardrobe of the Imperial bride. Who shall describe them, and where shall one begin? Here is a table spread with dozens and dozens and dozens of pairs of the most dainty shoes in the world, from long white satin boots, slashed up the front, to small slippers, smart with bows and buckles, A pair of these last wan ornamented with a pretty sort of gold worked on silk, the peculiar manufacture of one Russian town Trays of pocket handkerchiefs, edged inches . deep with beautiful lace, aud worked with the Imperial monogram ; piles of petticoats, awfully and wonderfully tucked, and plaited’, and embroidered ; exquisitely-worked linen of marvellous woof, and cambric as fine as floating cobwebs, lay in orderly heaps on

either side. Blankets even were there, and some embroidered furniture for bed and table looked rare enough to be put under a glass case, and far too fine a'id fragile to be ever “ sent to the wash.” If one could have brought away the patterns of a row of fascinating little caps hung on stands, how acceptable they would have been to ladies who love to perch these taking shreds of lace and ribbon on the tops of their heads ! Gloves are gloves all the world over, at least to look at, but in hosiery there is some room for art and luxury. It seemed impious to look upon shining and delicately tinted silk stockings, marked with the initial letter of the most beautiful names in the world, under an Imperial crown, and one passed on to expend admiration and wonder on an endless array of lace at one thousand rubles an archine, and ribbons, quilted white satin baskets, and other mystenes By the next room, the great Salle Blanche, from the ceiling of which depend immense chandeliers of glittering glass, containing the real glories of the trousseau. Here were the dresses and the bonnets, and the cloaks and the furs. Fifty morning dresses of silk and satin and velvet hung on stands, and their rich tints side by

side were a rare study of color. How the t e *l ea T, erß not attempt to say, further than that their trimmings and puffings and plaitings seemed most daintily and cunningly devised The colors were exquisitely matched, though in one or two instances the gown seemed to lead rather than follow the fashion. If I may venture a criticism, a lady whose own toilet of perfect S,f ve her £ th « right to an opinion, thought some of the dresses rather heavy and old looking, with all their splendour, for a young girl. The gold and silver embroidered white and blue velvet gowns, with long trains for Gourt, are goodly to look upon, though they must be weighty to wear. The dress of blue velvet embroidered with cold braid is a sort of feminine uniform dt rigueur in the Winter Palace ? r 0 Imperial family on great occasions. The wedding dress was, of course, the centre- of interest, and wag of white satin, with pointed hanging sleeves, and covered with silver embroidery. It has °rF r . a * n ' i s a glorified specimen of the Kussian national marriage costume. It is a nch and glittering robe, worthy to clothe a .Princess and a bride, but it will be halfconcealed by a still more Imperial wedding garment of purple velvet, trimmed very deeply with ermine. This also has a trades skirt, and on her wedding day the Grand Duchess will, indeed, need the services of the four Chamberlains and the Ecuyer, who are to bear her train. Dressing-gowns of every description, from the bona fide robe to be put on, on getting out of bed, te that which is merely a costly gown in disguise, were there, and many more devices of female ornament that 1 can remember. For comfort out of doors there were tippets and jackets and cloaks of precious fur, and one sable cloak in particular worth its weight in gold, and perhaps much more. A cloak of white Astrachan, many Cashmere, shawls, and dainty opera cloaks,

t Worthy to be furled About the loveliest shoulders in the world, Littered the tables luxuriouslyßut I must come -back at last to the dresses, “ thin&s of ?K leaS \' “ ,U t fJhion prevent them being “joys for ever ” As Sl U ®sw mihG^ 81iad « ert «* skill wn the force of fancy could no further go ” there was not only a whole regiment of dresses in ss_ss, but a large number tn posse, m the shape of a rew of rolls in silk and velvet. Even as it is I have not mentioned the bonnets, a whole bevy of which were becomingly arranged on a table to themseves ; nor must we bear ourselves away without glancing at the pretentious row of great purple Russia leather travelling trunks, suggestive ©f immense, payments for extra luggage. A number o| persons had been invited to sea the trousseau, and I fear that if o<>e could have looked into the ladies’ hearts one would have detected some coveting of the Uiand Duchess sable cloak and others things which were hers. As a Briton, one felt a quiet satisfaction that all thos% splendid clothes were for H’ngbsh wearing.