The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1886-12-11

Her Mljesty's absence was planned,
The General was shown to his rooms,
which were the same, we were told,
that the Car had oHce occupied, as
well as the Duke of Edinburgh, imme-
diately after his marriage. csse and
had apartments higher up, where Sir
John Cowell at once visited me and
said with a little embarrassment that
MIR. Jesse and | were to dine with the
Household and not at Her Majesty S
table ; but that Immediately after din
ner we should be taken in and pre-
sented to the Queen. The Royal
Household is always served at seper-
ate table, and usually only one or two
of the ladies and gentlemen in waiting
are invited to join Her Majesty's party.
Foreign Ministers, the members of the
Government, even the Prime Minister,
when he is in attendance, all dine at
this table, unless specially invited by
Her Majesty. Jesse and l, however,
had been especially invited by the
Queen, and the invitation was now
modified, if not withdrawn.
As soon as Sir John had left the room
Jesse declared that he would not dine
with the Household. He had been in
vited by the Queen and if he could not
sit at her table he would return to
town. We descended to General
Grants apartments and found the
Duchess of Roxburgh, one of the ladies
in waiting, paying a visit to Mrs. Grant.
The Duchess was explaining the ar
engagements for dinner, and stated that
the Queen was unable to receive large
parties at table, as the number produced
giddiness. This explanation was evil
IDENTITY considered necessary, although
it was not offered as an excuse. The
Duchess also took pains to say that
the ladies and gentlemen in waiting
were all persons of distinction, and then
withdrew The Minister and Mrs. Pier
repent were now present, and Jesse at
once repeated that he preferred to re-
turn to town to dining with the ser
wants. There was a long discussion
after this, during which some of the
real servants we're in the room and
doubtless heard and repeated the Won
derful remarks of the democratic youth;
for shortly afterward another of Her
Majesty's ladies in waiting was an
nounced. This was the Marchioness
of Ely, who came on the same GRAND
as her predecessor, ostensibly to pay
her respects to Mrs. Grant, but in real
ity to explain that she herself was to
be of the party with which Jesse was to
dine, and to repeat the story of the
Queen dizziness and inability to re-
ceive large party at table. OF course
all this was only gracefully and casually
introduced, but when the information
was communicated the courtier retired.
Then the democrats resumed their
discussion. Jesse insisted on going
home at once; he said he had not
cared to come to Windsor at all, which
was true, and that he certainly would
not dine with any one but his hostess.
The General was, of course, unwilling
for the lad to leave, but he thought
that his son should dine at the same
table with himself. The Queen, how
ever, had not yet returned, and none
of the courtiers could decide the mat
matter. Finally General Grant desired
me to see the Master of the Household,
and to say that he had of course no
wish to suggest any change in the ar
rangements, or to ask any innovation
etiquette but that the invitation had
been misunderstood he had supposed
that his son was to dine at the same
table with himself, and since this was
not to be, he requested that the invita-
ton to Jesse should be Withdrawn. so
that he might return to town. Sir John
was extremely we'll bred and simply
said that he would convey the message
to Her Majesty Immediately upon her
return from her drive. | asked if he
wished to see General Grant, but he
replied that he would not trouble the
General.
Then we waited for an answer. |
suppose such message had never been
sent to Her Majesty before since her
coronation. If the Queen had been
ilI-tempered or lacking in taste or tact
there might have been an unpleasant
complication. 1t was possible that the
entire invitation might be withdrawn or,
a message might be sent that would
make it impossible for General Grant
to remain, and thus necessitate the re-
turn OF the whole party to London.
Even international feeling might be
aroused. But General Grant had been
assured that he should be treated as an
ex-sovereign On, and it seemed to him,
with his democratic notions, that he
was not treated as private gentleman.
Certainly no private gentleman hidden
with his son to the White House would
have expected that son to dine at diff
ferent table and in different room from
himself.
As for me, | was acting as General
Grants aide de camp, and could not
complain because was to dine with
the aide e-camp of Her Majesty. Still
| felt that | had been invited by lady
and on arriving at her house was re-
quested to sit at a different table from
that to which | had been asked This