The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-11-03
DADEAU AT A BALL.
HIS OBSERVATIONS ON THE POLITE
NESS OF ENGLISH "SCclETY."

The Great People I!avo Very Little
Grecc-A Typical 1ncident-An Amer
ican Lady's success-The Example Set
by tho oucen.
Mrs. Norton and Lord Houghton knew
most of the guests, and pointed out the rota-
bic ones and nearly every one was notable.
Yet there were crowds of people whom appar-
entity neither host nor hostess knew by sight,
anl doubtless many whom they hated or
despiseti For certain people have right to
be invited, as they have right to go to court.
1t is not society without them; aid the great
est magnatcs, when they open their houses,
want them filled with the world Perhaps
that is why so little courtesy is shown the
guests after they arrive.
Tho duchess, | learned, was in q rage that
night, for her mother had recently died, and
she had leca unwilling to lay aside her
mourning, but the duke had some business re-
lations in Egypt with the khctlivc-lslniail
Pasha, the wicked onc-;nd it was important
to his grace to he civil to the African potcL-
tate, so he forced the duchess to open her
house for tic ball, and she could hardly he
courteous to her principal guests, far less the
inferior ones.
found this out for myself, for later in the
evening, when royalty had left, Mrs. Motley
saw the duchess apparently disenGaged, and
took me up to her. After my name and posi-
tion had been mentioned l made some little
conpari3on of English balls with American,
complimentary to my hostess, but although
there was 10 ono else claiming, her attention,
she turned deliberately away from both Mrs.
Motley and myself il the midst of my sem
tencc and left US to ourselves. Then Mrs.
Motley explained that the grief of her grace
had been disturbed, and that we were the
sufferers. hold myself at liberty to relate
this incident because it is typical.
The great people had very little grace.
They saluted each other il the coolest and
most indifferent way; Offering hand, it is
true. but with 10 show of cordiality, and
without bow or the slightest inclination of
tho head, hardly recognition in tho glance.
The most intimate friends said slow dc do, v
and How dc do" back again, and passed on.
The superior always makes the advance, for
tho inferior must not presume. There is no
moro equality i'll society than Mt court, and
those who wish to mako themselves acceptable
must be careful to wait for their bcttcrs tC
notice them; otherwise tho rchuif is certain.
We have no rank, and tie English can not
apply to us the rules which they enforce sc
vigorously among themselves. a disposition
is also increasing to recognize the fact that
distinctions may exist in other countries
different from those so highiy priced i'll
England, and, above ell, Americans have
lately become the fashion. Still, remember
a country woman who had q great success.
She stayed ct scores of country houses and
was as generally received as anybody in
England. Sic told me it was all very well
till it came to dinner, and then she always
had to 60 in with the doctor.
have seen the great English people Slubbed
very hard by those still higher than themselves
il the social scale. The queen sets the example,
and is Gisgracefully rude to any subject whom
She wishes to punish for q fancied Elisdo-
meanor. She hardly recognized her former
favorita, tho Baroness Burlett-Coutts, when
she came to court, because that lady married
to please herself instead of her sovereign In
the same spirit stupid dukes look down Oh the
greatest authors and soldiers and the most
famous politicians as people whom their notice
raises, ard on whom their disfavor iIilictS a
positive harm. The curious part of il is that
the ether people CONCUR il the opinion.
Baleau's Letter