The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1885-09-11
EREsENTED AT CSlUlsT.
A Wonsn'S story Of Presentation ~
Royal DRAWING Room,

Royal Drawing Room.
Do you think you can 60 to
drawing room" without learningh how
to make a proper reverence? No, in
deed. You must go to a coy little
house in slle West End, where a very
elegant and quaint little old French
lady will show you all you have to do
for guinea a lesson, and then on the
afternoon before the great day you go
to see the lady who Is to present you
to get the important tickets, and to
receive explicit instructions astoyour
line of conduct, for, as the lady belongs
to the diplomatic circle, she will be in
the room with her royal highness, and
you must enter alone. At her house
you meet some gentlemen, and one
tells you that when he was presented
was the only moment in his life that he
has known what fear was, and that he
was in agony lest he should trip over
his sword. and you think OF your
three or four yards of train, and you
ar. sure that it will be much worse
than q sword. And another tells YOU
that the youngladies usually arcwhite
and trembling with fear. and that often
they make y terrible tiaSco; they tell
you OF one poor unfortunate, who. in
stead OF kissing the queens hand when
II was extended to her. shook il vigOr-
ously, then realizing what she had
done. lost her head completely, and,
forgetting ell the great line OF person.
ages, turned her back and incontinent-
~ tiei
BY the time you leave vourinstruct-
resS' house. you are trembling III every
limb. and YOU spend all the rest OF tho
evening waSn.S eourteSies 70 ,hecha,rs
and sofas. AMI tesvently hoping that
yoa MAY nor disgrace your country
Oh the morrow.
Your landlords daughter devotes
herself TO you for the next day. and
makes tn. most helpful and oblis,ny
OF little 6reS>iug-uaald>. and at hast
ycu sire ready, all pearls, lace and
shining silk, 1t is quite lonsdriveto
the park. but suddenly you see the
Horse Guards and then you know YOU
have arrived, and inside the gates
you find hundreds and hundreds
OF people waiting to SEQ the car.
riages pass and standing on tiptoe to
catch y glimpse OF you. AL the way
up the long drive the Horse Guards. in
their long plumes and brilliant scarlet,
are stationed 81, right and left, and in
side the palace gates is Il long row OF
horsemen standing close together, and
you alisht to the sound OF martial
music. When you haveleft yourwrap
in Il room he:iy the entrance l.Gl, 60 up
q very grand stairway. pas, men with
spears call "Beef-eaters,H dressed inred
and yellow; you hand one Of yqus
tickets to the qucen's page, and are
ushered with IL great many ladies into
huge room, all red and gold, and
there you sit for quite q long time ga..
Ing at the lovely views Of the park
through the wide windows, and study
ing the dresses.
As you pass the door to the prcsence
chamber you drop your train from
your arm, and the two chambcrlains
--ar whatever they are called-a1iaklN
and deity straighten il to its full
length as you walk slowly forward, at
the door of the throne room some one
takes your second card; and then you
hear the lord chamberlain pronounce
ing your name i'll Il very loud voice,
aud now YOU arc howing TO tho
princess, you wish the ladies behind
you would not come quite so last, for
you feel hurried and are conscious you
frs not making Yauprsvarcncoth eWay
you were taught; you courtesy to the
ladies next theprineess; but how many
there are. or what they look like, you
llavsn t theieast idea you see the prince
uitedistinctly, and you walk sideways
and make q series of little diminish=
Ing bows to tho row Of dukes or rrir-
ces or whatever they may be, but of
them you retain not tho faintest I'M
preston. Suddenly you feel your
train hustled on to your arm, for in
your confusion you have forgotten to
hold your arm out properly, and the
great deed is done! It has lasted il. ali
about fifteen seconds; you haven't
seen anything very distinctly, and you
retain only one idea, that her royal
higghhsss was dressed in light yellow!
hut you have been presented ut court,
Ind surely ought to he satisfied. Tho
next day your name appears in the
Court Circular.-Christian Union,