The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1877-03-16
OPEN1NG OF PswLIAMENT

Mr.. L. j. Jennings writes a VI

uCGA A1OOAAC4s
Mr.. L. j. Jennings writes q very
interesting letter to the World Gu
the opening of Parliament. Refer
ring TO the appearance of the crowd
of ladies present, he says:
On this occasion the ladies over
flowed The House. Early as it still
was the floor was covered with
them large blocks of the benches
were still occupied and the galleries
were crowded. These ladies were
In their evening toilets, the peresees
wearing coronets OF diamonds
most of them being fairly ablsze
with diamonds on head and neck.
If the daylight was not very favor
able to the shoulders orc )mplexion
of these noble danes, the gorgeous
ness of their costumes or the glitter
of their precious sto1es served to
divert attention from the defects of
nature or the ravages of time. The
dresses were, ia many instances, su-
perb, covered with lace or gold, aud
cut with that eve to liberal display
" hich is now deemed Indispensable
to any woman of fashion. tits per-
haps not quite fair TO mention
names, but when Lady Dudley en-
tered, friend of mine whispered,
''She has absolutely nothing on but
diamonds And it did look very
like il, until her husband went away
and presently returned with an err
mine cloak, which she put over her
shoulders. There were many others
however, of whom it might almost
be said that they had more clothing
off than on. This is delicate sub
iect, but lie not my fault; did no,
make the fashions. An 2ssemblage
of ladies such as that which was
gathered in the House of Lords to-
day is startling sight to look up
on. l wonder what ladies would
say II actresses in q theater or eng
ers at the opera were to dress, or
undress, in the same style2 How
they can consent to send their
daughters out into Society" almost
destitute of raimeut is even more
mysterious than the readiness with
which they permit an astonished
world to gaze upon their own abun-
/ dant charms. If the fashionable
miIliner goes much further IL the
present direction, we may expect to
ace the stock in her rooms and win
dows limited TO an elegant assert
ment" of fig leaves.
Speaking of the Queens entrance,
he says:
In few moments there slowly
entered a long and, TO my eyes, q
stately neutrality-suspicious. and
heralds in the magnificent costumes
of their craft, bright with gold and
scarlet, dresses most quaint and pic
turesque, but impossible to describe
Then followed great officers of
state-the Duke of Richmond, the
Duke of Norfolk Carl Marshal
and many more, all bowling low to
the throne as they passed, and tow.
ard the House. Then came lad
in very long dress, dark in color
but with lace plentifully scattered
oyer it, and with ribbons, and or
ders and diamonds innumerabie up
on it. This was the Queen. She
, advanced in dead silence. took W
her position in the chair, and sa
perfectly still while one could have
counted ten. Her face, if trutl
must be spoken, has become yer,
red. ] mean no dlsrespect when
compare it to the face of a some
what elderly cook who has beer
hard at work over the kitchen fire
But the diamonds upon her he {
and neck fairly daZzled the eye
even in daylight, aud no wonder
for she wore the far-famed Kohl
? moor as brooch, a crown of dia
a monds on her head, and necklace
and other adornments of matches
beauty and priceless value. VIII
! could venture to estimate the valu
of the jewels worn by the Quee
! this afternoon They made brigh
white light on her dark dress, an
took off almost all appearance of he
being In mourning. Every tim
t she moved rays of prismstic hue
] seemed to dart from her in all di
. rectioRs.