Madison times. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1884-1???, 1884-10-18
QUEEN vICPORIA'S HOUSEHOLD.
Retinue or One Thousand Servants
Their Duties and Salaries.

lain, who is peer OF the realm draws e.
600 ayear, always plays a large part at COR
onations; royal marriages, christenings
and funerals.
Actually, up to within recent date, the
principal parsonage in the household of
Queen Victoria was Scotch gillie, who
brought to London his kilt and his bare
legs, which always formed a prominent
feature in any public appearance of the
Queen There is not known, at least in
modern history, a parallel to the precise,
position which John Brown held in the
Queens household. His title was per
sonal Attendant" and he literally fulfill
ed il, going out with Her Majesty on
whatever errand she might appear,
whether driving in state to open a session
of Parliament, hurrying in a pony-car-
riage un der the wet skies of Balmoral
or walking or riding amid the beauties
of the Italian lakes.
In all, there are in the Queens house
hold just under thousand persons, each
with his appointed post and sufficient
salary, for the maintenance of whom the
Nation sets apart the sum of E3S5,0OO
The Lord Chamberlain is assisted by
the Vice Chamberlain, who draws sal
AIRY Of 1924. This, like the Lord Cham
berlainship, is a political office, and is
held by member of the House of Com
mons. The Keeper of Her Majesty's Pri-
Wy Purse has s2,OO0 year, which. con-
s:derihg that the privy purse is not filled
With more than 100000, is not labori-
Gus one, all Her Majesty's needs being
provided for under other heads in the
grants for the various departments of
the household. This 100000 a year is
understood to be transferred pretty
much in a lump sum to those savings"
for which Queen Victoria rightly or
wrongly receives credit from the popular
mind.
In this same department ranks the
Mistress of the Robes, who receives five
hundred pounds year; Groom Of the
Robes, WHO has eight hundred pounds
and Ladies of the Bed Chamber, ofwhom
there are eight, at salary of five hun
dred pounds year each. These ladies
rarely rank under Duchess, and always
belong to the highest families.
An arrangement is made by which
Ladies OF the Bed Chamber are in at
tendance for fortnight at time. They
settle the turns among themselves, and
usually get three hundred pounds a y ear
The Maids ofHonoy, of whom there ar;
likewise eight receive salary of thres
hundred pounds year each, and ar,
in attendaIec IN couples for month a
tiDl.
Formerly both Maids of Honor anC
Bedchanbet Wom,.m were under stric
discipline, anu really did some work fo
their wages. The Countess of Suffolk il
her correspondence lifts the veil, and al
lows us to peep at Majesty served by it
Bed chamber Women: "TheBedchambe
Women came in to waiting before TIN
Queens prayers" writes the Duchess
which was before she Was dressed
*** When the Queen washed he
hands, the Page of the Back-stair
brought and t n the side-table the ba
sin and ever. Then the Bedchambe
Woman set it before the Queen an
knelt on the other side of the table, owe
against the Queen, the Bedchamber Lad
only looking on. The Bedchamber w,
man poured the water out of the eve
upon the Queens hand. The Bedchan
ber Woman pulled on the Queens GLOW,
when she could not do it herself III
Page of the Back-stairs was called in {
put ON the Queens shoes. When th
Queen dined in public the Page Teache
the glass to the Bedchamber Woms
and she to the Lady in Waiting. II
Bedchamber Woman brought the choc
late and gave itwithout kneeling."
Services of this kind are not confins
to women. There are Lords in Waitir
who do about as much as Ladies in Wal
ing. These receive the oddly preci
sum of f702 year. OF lower rank a
the Grooms in Waiting, who recei'
E33512.6 per annum apiece. There a
four Gentlemen Ushers of the Pri,
Chamber, at s200 per annum; four Dai
Walters, at e150, and four Grooms of Il
Privy Chamber, at the modest recol
pense of e73 per aunum. But thou
the income is small, these offices are es
erly competed for, and are held by vi,
Admirals, Colonel and other distinguis
ed personages.
There are five Pages of the Back sta
not lofty description, but the sala
is fair, reaching e400 per annum. Th,
gentlemen really have work to do. Tn
waitat the royal dinner table, and one
always in attendance at the door of
Majesty's apartment from in the mo
ing until she retires for the night.
There are six Pages OF the Presen