DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.62134#0014
6 AN ART-STUDENT IN MUNICH.
knees to climb. But at last they were all seated, their poor
friends standing behind them. A man in black marshalled
them like little school-children; he saw that all sat properly,
and then began pulling off a black shoe and stocking from
the right foot of each. There, with drooped heads and
folded withered hands, they sat meekly expectant. A
group of twelve little girls, in lilac print frocks and silver
swallow-tailed caps, headed by an old woman in similar
lilac and silver costume, took its place to the right of the
old men in a little knot ; they were twelve orphans who are
clothed and educated by the Queen, and who receive a
present on this day.
The hall at the further end was by this time filled with
bright uniforms—blue, scarlet, white, and green. In front
were seen King Max and his brothers, also in their uni-
forms ; numbers of ladies and children; and choristers in
white robes, who flitted, cloud-like, into a small raised seat,
set apart for them in a dark corner behind the uniforms.
A bevy of priests in gold, violet, blue, and black robes,
with burning tapers and swinging censers, enter; prostrate
themselves before the King of Bavaria, and before the King
of Hosts, as typified to them on the altar •, they chant,
murmur, and prostrate themselves again and again. In-
cense fills the hall with its warm, odorous breath. They
present open books to the King and Princes. And now
the King, ungirding his sword, which is received by an
attendant gentleman, approaches the oldest “ apostle •” he
receives the golden ewer, as it is handed from one brother
to another •, he bends himself over the old foot; he drops a
few drops of water upon it; he receives a snowy napkin
from the Princes, and lays it daintily over the honom’ed
foot he again bows over the second, and so on, through
the whole twelve; a priest, with a cloth bound round his
loins, finishing the drying of the feet. A different scene
knees to climb. But at last they were all seated, their poor
friends standing behind them. A man in black marshalled
them like little school-children; he saw that all sat properly,
and then began pulling off a black shoe and stocking from
the right foot of each. There, with drooped heads and
folded withered hands, they sat meekly expectant. A
group of twelve little girls, in lilac print frocks and silver
swallow-tailed caps, headed by an old woman in similar
lilac and silver costume, took its place to the right of the
old men in a little knot ; they were twelve orphans who are
clothed and educated by the Queen, and who receive a
present on this day.
The hall at the further end was by this time filled with
bright uniforms—blue, scarlet, white, and green. In front
were seen King Max and his brothers, also in their uni-
forms ; numbers of ladies and children; and choristers in
white robes, who flitted, cloud-like, into a small raised seat,
set apart for them in a dark corner behind the uniforms.
A bevy of priests in gold, violet, blue, and black robes,
with burning tapers and swinging censers, enter; prostrate
themselves before the King of Bavaria, and before the King
of Hosts, as typified to them on the altar •, they chant,
murmur, and prostrate themselves again and again. In-
cense fills the hall with its warm, odorous breath. They
present open books to the King and Princes. And now
the King, ungirding his sword, which is received by an
attendant gentleman, approaches the oldest “ apostle •” he
receives the golden ewer, as it is handed from one brother
to another •, he bends himself over the old foot; he drops a
few drops of water upon it; he receives a snowy napkin
from the Princes, and lays it daintily over the honom’ed
foot he again bows over the second, and so on, through
the whole twelve; a priest, with a cloth bound round his
loins, finishing the drying of the feet. A different scene