The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-06-10
THE MORNING NEWS: MONDAY, JUNE 10, 1889.

on which she bows slightly and continues
TO stand or sit, generally the former; then
she begins the conversation. The initiative
in this is always left 10 her majesty. 1t is
not etiquette 10 open subject with her,
only t. reply to her remarks.
The queen terminates the interview by
another slight inclination, and usually ly
a gracious smile TIE visitor retireS, back
ing and bowling till he reaches the door, for
no one must turn his or her back on our
sovereign lady.
One of the trials to which tie court
ladies are subject is caused by the pa isiOn
her majesty has for walking and driving in
the eoldest weather. Few of them are as
hardy and as indifferent to ease as their
royal mistress, and to be dragged cut for
an airing when bitter nor'easer is driv-
ing a sho yer of snow across the hills at Bal
moral, or to p ce the grounds at Osborne
under a drenching rainfall, is not the most
agreeable mode of taking exercise.
To the philosopher or republic IN the
array of court functionaries holders of OBJ
solete otficeIs, may seem somewhat ridicu-
lous, if not pitiable, and not far removed
from the diguitarieS who wait on the poten-
tates of pantomime or burlesque. and even
we, shacked as we are by the irons of time
stiffened routine, can scarce help smile as
we glance at the list of the royal household
and read the titles of some of the appoint
ments. The bargemaster" and the
keeper Of the swans possibly may have
their uses, but to the uneiucated ear the
item "pages of the back stair" has an ugly
sound; one IN hardly imagine these youths
with clean hands.
The master of ceremonies may be neces-
sitY, but when he is apparently topped by
marshal of the ceremonies, the mind
fails to take in the magnitude of the office,
nor are ones ideas rendered clearer when
we find that the master is q general, a
baronet, and X. G. B., while the mar
shall (which sounds so much bigger is Only
an Hon. Mr.. -. Then comes the "hered-
itary grand almouer," who is a high class
peer; the 'master OF the buckhounds;n the
hereditary grand falconer" IA duke aud,
most mysterious of them ALL the groom
of the robeSr' What are his dutieS9 Is he to
rub down" her majesty's gownsl If so,
let us pray he may not follow suit with the
curry comb.
INFLUENCE OF THE COURT ON SOCIAL LIFE.
The influence of the court on English So
cial life is at present almost nal. But before
the prince consort's dea tn the queon looked
sharply into the character and standing OF
| those presented to her, and was successful
in keeping the circle around her a ire
| proachable as mere mortal society can well
! be. Indeed, few Londoncrs doubt that had
| our sovereign lady kept her place at the
head Of social affairs we should probably
have been spared some of the scandals in
high life, reports of which have from time
to time rendered the daily papers more
curious than edifying. The Iair, geltle
Princess Of Wales was too young aud mex
| perienced when the retirement of her royal
mother -in-law obliged her to take up the
social scepter to exercise much authority.
She could only teach by example and this
she has done we'll. In truth the court is
much more influenced by the country than
the country by the cou t. The tendency OF
tho royal personages ia decidedly in favor
of dropping the more medIe val Items of
their following and restricting themselves
| to the less cumbersome style of the great
mobiles. There is even whispet that the
time honored Office of master of the buck
hounds, with his satellite huntsmen and
whppers in, is to be abolished before many
| months are over.
/ From the court TO the nobility is scarce
a step, though in no other European country
is the life of the mobiles so independent OF
royalty. They like to show respect to the
sovereign, as does every class of her maj
esty's subjects, but they do not care for the
ceremonials of court which can add littl,
or nothing co their inherited or acquired
| rank and splendor.