Comma could be used before that or that's: why?

[Cerberus™]

Yes it is a bit old fashioned, still used in storytelling. If we need a full linguistic analysis, I think the proper term would be a causal clause of purpose.
You could say that "that" is an adverbial relative pronoun, and the whole a nominal relative clause, i.e. a clause in which the relative pronoun has "swallowed" its assumed antecedent, "so". Compare to "I hate whoever killed her": "whoever" stands for "him, who". As an alternative, you could assume "(in order) that all might go on fairly" to make the clause full.

The sentence in the quote is ugly, though, because the reader is led onto a false scent by "so" in the main clause: he will think at first that this "so" refers to the first that-clause available, while in fact it refers to the second; there ought to have been two "so"s in the main clause, one with a different function for each of the that-clauses following the main clause - but that would have been ugly too.

The ladies were engrossed with counting the kisses:
- (they were counting so) that that all might go on fairly,
- (they were engrossed so much) that they did not perceive the Emperor.

[Beeesneees]

Here's another translation:
When he had come down into the courtyard he walked quite softly, and the ladies were so busily engaged in counting the kisses, that all should be fair, that they did not notice the Emperor.

and another:
The maids-in-waiting were so busy counting kisses, to see that everything went fair and that he didn't get too many or too few, that they didn't notice the Emperor behind them.

This quote explains the story's confused heritage:
"... Andersen spoke virtually no English ("In English, he is the Deaf and Dumb Asylum," Dickens sneered to a friend), which led London society to view the writer as something of a simpleton. Also, his tales had been rendered into the English language by translators with limited literary skills, working from German texts, not the original Danish. Thus the versions of the tales that were best known to English readers (a problem that persists in some modern editions) were simpler, sweeter, less comic and ironic, than the ones that Andersen actually wrote."
-Terri Windling, Realms of Fantasy magazine, 2003.
_________________
Cheers m' dears!

[Cerberus™]

Are you saying that this usage of "that" was introduced by an unskilled translator? I think it is actually rather old:
OED on "that", conjunction:
"II. 3. a. Introducing a clause expressing purpose, end, aim, or desire: with simple subjunctive (arch.), or with may (pa. tense might), should, rarely shall.
Formerly also preceded by as (as B. 21b). See also may v.1 B. 8a. The meaning is now more fully expressed by in order that: see order n. 29. After will, wish, pray, beseech, and the like, the function of that seems to combine senses 1 and 3.

a900 tr. Bæda's Hist. ii. xi. [xiv.] §1 Þær se biscop oft+wæs, þæt he fulwade þæt folc in Swalwan streame. c1000 Ags. Gosp. Mark xiv. 38, ¼ebiddað þæt ¼e on costnunge ne gan. a1018 O.E. Chron. an. 1009, We ¼yt næfdon þa ¼eselða+þæt seo scipfyrd nytt wære ðisum earde. a1200 Moral Ode 313 Ac drihte crist he Šiue us strencþe, stonde þat we mote. 1303 R. Brunne Handl. Synne 3742 „yf þou Šaue euer cunsel or rede For yre, þat a man were dede. c1410 Love Bonavent. Mirr. (1908) 106 Besy that al thing were wele and couenably done. c1440 Jacob's Well 121 Turne þi face fro no pore man, þat god turne noŠt his face fro þe. 1683 Moxon Mech. Exerc., Printing x. 38 This cutting down+is made+that the Cramp-Irons+joggle not on either side off the Ribs. 1683 Trial Ld. Russell in Lady R.'s Lett. (1807) p. xlvi, We pray for the King that the challenge may be over-ruled. 1708 Lond. Gaz. No. 4454/3 This is to Advertise all Persons, that they do not lend her any Mony. a1774 Goldsm. Surv. Exp. Philos. (1776) I. 75 The bones of animals+calcined in such a manner as that all their oil should be exhausted. 1816 J. Wilson City of Plague i. ii. 67 Give me one look, That I may see his face so beautiful. 1874 A. J. Christie in Ess. Rel. & Lit. Ser. iii. 50 Christ+ had prayed that Peter's faith should not fail. "

[Alan]

So, why put a comma before 'that'?

Alan
_________________
English as a Second Language
You can read my ESL story Present Simple

[Beeesneees]

[Beeesneees]

[Alan]

Hi,

This has nothing to do with circles or analysis. All I want to know is why you think there should be a comma before the first 'that'.

Alan
_________________
English as a Foreign Language
You can read my EFL story Progressive Forms

[Beeesneees]

Hi.

This is going round in circles because I explained my views on that in post #9.
Of course, as you dismissed my views in post #12 then you are hardly likely to accept them now.
As I'm not going to change my views, there is nothing more I have to add.
_________________
Cheers m' dears!

[Alan]

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Hi,

For the record I didn't 'dismiss' what you wrote. I was merely trying to respond to the original poster's comment about the use of the comma. That can be seen by the comments made back in June 2006 concerning the use of the comma before 'that'.

Alan
_________________
English as a Second Language
You can read my ESL story Passive Voice

[Beeesneees]

I thought

[Cerberus™]

Yeah I think we may have been over-analysing, which might be partly my fault, because I sort of enjoy that.

[Anhminh1232002]

Hey everyone, let me ask one more question
what's about this sentence? I cited it from http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/22/world/asia/22iht-letter.html?src=ISMR_HP_LI_LST_FB

Ultimately, it is this sensitivity, this ability to accommodate context and local detail, that works best in development.

I think "that" can't stand behind the "comma".

[Alan]

Hi,

Do you mean - 'comma before that' ? The relative pronoun (that) in your sentence refers back to 'sensitively' and the commas either side of this ability to accommodate context and local detail are put there to show that this phrase is in parenthesis as an explanation of 'sensitivity'. In that way the defining relative 'that' in its use here isn't preceded by a comma.

Alan
_________________
English as a Foreign Language
You can read my EFL story Prepositions