The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-11-14

When General and Mrs Grant arrived they
passed first into large ante chamber In which
the Prince of Wales happened to be playing with
his two boys. The other guests had not arrived.
and the Prince may not have expected to be in
this hail when General Graat came in or he may
possibly have planned the accidental reception.
He forward at once, like any
other gentleman in his own house.
and gave his hand to General Grant,
who presented Mrs Grant ard mentioned my
name which the Prince had known before.
Then the Prince called up his sons, at that time
lads of ten twelve, and said he wished them
to know General Grant he was Extremely
genial and affable After this he disappeared
through side door. and an eouerry ushered the
party into long waiting room, where we re-
NAMED nearly half an hour
The dinner party large; | should think
there were thirty people present including sew
eral dukes and duchesses. and other noblltyi
the Brazilian minister and his wife were asked.
doubtless, out of compliment to the Emperor for
whom the dinner was given. After awhile
gentleman in waiting appeared and said the
Princess desired that the ladies should range
themselves on one side or the room ana the
men on the other so General and Mrs. Grant
took their places four or FIVE from the head of
the line After apparently ten minutes further
waiting in this position. all standing, for no
one had been seated or asked to sit since we en-
tered the great doors at the top of the line on the
right were thrown open, and the Empress OF Bra
iii came in on the arm of the Prince of Wales
Next came the Princess with the Emperor
They passed directly between the two lines to
the dining room. which was opposite the apart
ment from which they entered. The Empress
of Brazil, however, had known Mrs Grant in
America, when the ladies had each been the wife
OF great ruler. and she stopped short when she
came to Mrs. Grant and greeted her, but the
other royal and imperial personages including
the hostess, passed in without recognizing any
body Then number of dukes and lesser no
bles were told off to their partners, and followed
the Empress and the Prince. After every noble
person present was thus assigned, General Grant
was requested to go In with Mrs. Plerrepont,
and Mrs. Grant with the Brazilian minister,
whom the Emperor of Brazil looked upon as his
servant.
The British government had agreed with Mr.
Pierrepont that the eX-President of the United
States should have precedence of dukes, but the
Prince of Wales deliberately put him as near as
possible to the foot of the table There was
English person of noble rank who followed Gen.
Grant. He sat within three or four of the
Comptroller of the Household, who was at the
extreme foot; the Prince and Princess were at
the middle with the Emperor and Empress, The
Duke of Cambridge, the Duke and Duchess of
Manchester. the Earl and Countess of
Derby, the Earl of Dudley, were
all placed higher than General Grant
When the ladies left the table every one rose
of course, and the Empress and Princess passed
out, and Mrs. Grant was left to find her way
like any other person of usignificance. Then
the Prince of Wales changed his seat &C
cording to the English custom, and took that by
the side of the Emperor, which the Princess had
vacated In a moment or two he sent an equer-
ry or a footman, forget which, to ask General
Grant to sit by the other side of him in his new
place, and General Grant left his seat and
walked around the table and accepted this high
honor, just as any other private gentleman
might have done. The Prince then was very
gracious in his talk and manner.
After while the gentlemen rejoined the la
dies liz the order in which they had come in, the
dukes and earls taking care to assert their rights
of precedence In one of the draving-rooms
there was music; here the Princess and the EN-
press sat apart and listened talked. and the
Emperor remained near them. Neither General
nor Mrs Grant was invited to join this select
company. The Prince came out of 1t once or
twice and talked with some of his guests
among others with General Grant; but
he said no word to Mrs. Grant,
and neither the General nor Mrs. Grant was pre-
sented to the princely hostess The Prince pre-
sented General Grant to the Earl of Dudley, one
of the worst-bred men in any company in any
country: and his Lordship was worthy of his
reputation on this occasion, for he almost turned
on his heel. He did not offer his hand, but sim
ply acknowledged his Princes introduction with
a slight bow almost nod, said not one word,
and left the group 1t by far the most
marked impertinence General Grant had received
in sixteen years.
When the Empress had heard enough of the
arose
the company Everybody else made profound
salaams and the whole imperial and royal party
disappeared and did not return. Mrs Grant now
desired also to leave but the ladies in waiting
sured her that the Princess would return. They
appeared to appreciate the behavior of their mis-
tress and TO think it could not possibly be carried
further. Mrs. Grant, therefore, delayed four
five minutes longer. Then finding that her hosts
had no idea of continuing their hospitality, she
took General Grants arm and retired followed
L. 49, 49,
were moving toward the cloaking-rooms one of
the courtiers came up and said that the Princess
desired to bid Mrs. Grant goodnight Accord
ingly we delayed in the ante-room until the
Prince and Princess came out The royal hosts
smiled graciously, bowed and courtesied grace
fully, and wished their democratic guests good
night, and that was the end of General Grants
dinner with the Prince OF Wales.
General Grant of course, perceived the inten-
ton of all this etiquette, but was determined not
to resent or admit the slight He was receiving
great hospitality and kindness from the English
nation; he had been cordially treated by the gov
eminent and the high aristocracy, who could not
control the court. and he desired all to say
nothing on the subject of the conduct of the
Prince and Princess of Wales. His course re-
minded me of Froissarts story of the great Nor
man mobiles whose breeding was so famous that
a certain prince determined to test 1t.
He asked a large party to banquet,
and took care that the tables should be
ever, made no remark, but folded their cloaks
and sat on them on the ground. where they were
served After the repast they paid their part
ing compliments and went away, leaving their
cloaks behind them. Their host. however, sent
these 10 them on the road, but the Normans
piled that they were not in the habit of carrying
about with them the seats they used at enter
taiuments. 1t seemed to me that Gen
eral Grants silence fine
the answer Of the Normans. He rather
pitied the heir apparent, whose notions of hos
pitalty were so provincial. Indeed he looked on
the whole proceeding as he would on the antics
of some half-civized Asatic. who announces
that the Kahn of Tartary had dined. and now
the kings of the earth are at liberty to satisfy
themselves.
The Prince probably did not wish to be rude.
At this very dinner be desired the General to
keep night for public banquet at which he
wished him to be present, and SO far as mere
manner was concerned, he had been perfectly
affabie and genial 1t was the point of etiquette
he was determined TO maintain. General Grant
nd tho Prin dat mad