The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-01-08

or their father for them, claimed the prece-
dence at all court ceremonies which their mother
would nave enjoyed; and as their fatner was
dean. this would have placed them at the head
OF the diplomatic corps. Now, in England. the
diplomatic women precede the men, and at
drawing-rooms into the royal presence in q
body, before the highest English ladies. even
the duchesses. Thus, If the pretensfons OF the
Turkish dsmoiselles had been admitted, they
would have been the very first in the land In
point OF precedence; but the wives OF the other
ambassadors and ENJOYS disputed the claim L
heard one minister say to his wife: IF those girls
attempt to go before you, order you TO push
them back: but doubt il che obeysd him. FL
nally her Majesty issued her decree; the NILS.
Musurus had rank at all by virtue OF their
fathers diplomatic station; they must go to
court under the chaperouage of some marSled
lady of the diplomatic corps; as part OF ner
suite. The Queen was very fond OF them; they
had almost grown MP at her court; but they
could not 90 before embassadresses She
asked them to Windsor Immediately. and kept
them all night and gave them her picture, but
line.
10 Belgium, when the King invited General
Grant to dinner he asked the American minister
and his family an well as the ex-minister with
his wife. The actual minister widower,
and his daughters had to follow the ex-minister's
wife, which was certainly stretching the rule
very far.
But the Gordian knot is cut the other way at
the White House. Not only court etiquette is
overruled, but the regulations of European So
. ciety, which, In private. prohibit a young lady
from taking SO prominent a place. The English
noblemen who have lost their WINES and wish to
bring out their daugh ters issue cards in their
name Of the host never appears in the in
yylsation, to an evening party IN LONDON Moon
Smith but In the speak Of 1t is Lord
Brown JONES'" never Miss Smith. or Lady Mary
Jones. The American fashion. as ali know,
is different In our society young ladies may
90 even to dinner without a chaperone-a thing
unheard Of in Europe and the name OF the
married daughter sometimes appears her
fathers card of invitation to q BALL The White
House recognizes the American idea and a
young unmarried lady has the highest official
position next to the wife of the President
The extension of official rank to women is SO
entirely different from the aristocratic custom
that IL must have a democratic reason. At first
it seems more pretentious even than courtly
etiquette; but this is not Aristocrats look
down on Office because it Is temporary; rank,
In their idea, is worth regarding that is
not inherited. But Americans consider the
honors that are earned better than those that
descend, and. therefore. they share them with
their wives; which is mt least gallant. I suspect
that our ladies who SO much affect the glish
style would greatly dislike the etiquette which
gives wives no part in the precedence of their
husbands. In fact. Office itself often has no
precedence in England. Ministers of state and :.
the highest parsonage in the army must some
times follow obscure and ignorant people who
have happened to come into peerages. IL the
men. as well as the women, who think aristo-
cratic ways 80 admirable and aristocratic po-
eition so desirable knew all the details, they
m light prefer their democracy.
Give as, therefore, the etiquette of the White
House New Years day-frock coats and
bonnets and all The combination of these
with the uniforms and the epaulettes is signlf-
cant. 1t has grown out of our institutions. and
is like Washington society itself, the legitimate
result Of repubicanism. The long ~ procession
on the outside that reached from the vestioule
nearly to the State Department. and marched
in decorously and steadily for hours, was just
ms much apart of the occasion as the earlier
cortege that had the entrees. The last were just
as much entitled to their places as those who had
preceded them; they had their invitations in the
same form az Senators ard Judges of the SUI
preme Court-in the newspapers; and they were
received with just much cordiality by the
President and his wife and the ladies in the line
Indeed. could not but think, as looked at the
outer crowd. that the President of the future
was more likely to be waiting there, Iall nknown
than among those who were taking their turn of
precedence in the East Room, walking with for
eign ministers and discussing the etiauettes of
courts. ADAM BADEAU.