Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-04-26
QUEENS DRAWING ROOM.
A SCHOOL FOR TRAINING LADIES
TO COURTESY PROPERLY.

A SCHOOL FOR TRAINING LADIES
TO COURTESY PROPERLY.
Appearing Before Royalty without Awk-
wartiness or Confusion-Mode,s of Court
Dignity-Lessons in Carriage and Grace
full Salutes.
Dread subject for the debutante before the
eyes of the queen Country girls have been
known to faint at the idea of the ordeal they
have to pass through when they so before the
row Of royalties in Buckingham palace. De-
pertinent, in fact forms the most important
feature at a drawing room, the regulation
dress being put oft Of the question OF
course, a debutante must be dressed properly
or there is no entrance for her. But she may
be weak or strong upon department. Some
foolhardy women do not takeany lessons at
all as TO the manner in which they shall ad-
vance and retreat before the queen. A
Budget representative thought 1t would be a
humane action to emphasize the unwisdom of
this course, and waited upon lady who
trains the girlish idea how to shine in these
stately ceremonies to have lesson She
writes:
VISIT TO THE TEACHER
trim maid opened the door when |
knocked and rang at the portals of the mis-
tress Of department. | was shown into a
drawing room rather luxuriously furnished.
Presently Mrs. R entered. She was q
pleasant faced lady, full of the subject on
which had called. She took me to an other
room, with polished floor and pier glasses
round the walls.
ssI arm afraid shall uyopt LOT of
before / am graceful enough to suit your
ideas"
Don't be afraid. You will learn as Quick
ly Us many country girls | have taught. OF
course can't say how many lessons you will
want until | see your style. Some ladie.
need only two or three Others are Obliged
to have half dozen.n
"Are all your pupils girlsl' l asked Mrs
R.
"Oh, no. have married ladies here occa
sionauy. The sister of the Earl OF A
took presentation lessons little while ago
and her husband said they enabled her u
carry herself much more gracefully wher
walking out"
Aren't the girls very nervous when they
first go to courtf'
Yes; those whose ignorance forbodes fail
ure," answered Mime R She had full
faith In her own powers of training, however
for she said: Several of my pupils have told
me they were more at home with the queen
than with me. The queen likes all young
girls and debutantes to look at her well in this
face. You must look at her thoroughly
without finching"
rs she particular about deportmentlm
'Keenly particular. She notices move
ment, and nothing annoys her SO terribly as
careless, negligent carriage. Her own de
pertinent has always been irreproachable
Don't you admire her as young queen i,
her picturesi She notices in a moment i
you have prepared for the drawing room
and If she sees you have she smiles benignly.
Next to the queen as a model of court car
riage stands the Duchess of Teck Mrs
R told me this in a soft, motherly way
Then she suddenly turned practical, and fixe,
her eyes keenly and critically and said: But
como, take your hat Off, and we will have ,
lesson Place this ON your head" She hand
ed me a disc of wood about the size of a te.
plate There put that on your head Thi
ribbon prevents its falling off. Now walk u,
to meT said madame. Keep your head up
Don't walk, she cried You mustn't ven
ture to walk Your feet must slide over tn,
floor. Hold your shoulders up. Keep YOU
chin high. Now, try again!''
PRACTTCING THE WALK AND BOW.
wouldn't be a maiden of the sunny south
We are told that the cause OF their erect bear
ing Is long practice with a water pitcher on
their heads. A platter Of wood convinced
me that the maidens of the sunny south de
serve all the erect carriage they can get
Have you ever tried to walk with your head
up with a bit Of wood balancing on the top OF
your skulli ] tried again You must moi
lift your toes" warningly said madame
Now walk with me-" l did so, and balanced
the piece Of wood with ease.
Snow, will be the queen pro tenn. Glide
up to me-" She retired to the end Of the
room "You must regulate your steps, and
count two between each step forward. Take
another step, and then courtesy"
! obeyed. 1t was very unsteady one
"Try again, and go down very slowly.
Slower, slower, slower" she said, stretching
out her hand, which kissed You mustn't
try to grab the queens hand You must
sweep your hand round son-and she made
q graceful curve in the air-''and be careful
your nose doesn't touch the queens hand
Any time can b. given TO the courtesy to the
queen. Then you must courtesy to each mem
Der ofthe royal family. The Empress Fred
erick may be next the queen. Make deer
courtesy to her, and a shorter one to each
Of the others according to their distance
from the queen. The regulation number oil
courtesiss Is six That is what train my
pupils for Having finished saluting each
member Of the royal family you back ou
swiftly-still with a gliding motion to allow
the other ladies to come up. This backing
out Is really succession of curtesies with
first the right foot and then the left foot for
ward. You kick your skirts away all the
time"
II see all my pupils in their full dress, "
said madame, ito give them the finishing
directions. | keep trains here four yards
long for practice Lessons are almost re-
quired II you go to the state ball Debutantes
are often invited. The only formality to be
remembered In the drawing room is the mode
Of carrying your ticket This must be car
ried In the left hand, with your right hand
glove between the fourth and little finger.
Ladies are also permitted to carry bandker-
chiefs, but it is not advisable. You give up
your ticket as the lord chamberlain announces
your name, and then you advance up the
room to the queen"
do you get many American pupilsI" ]
asked
YES, had several last year. They were
very agreeable young ladies, too. Some
English people think that American women
are too 60 ahead to be as decorous as good
taste demands But / cannot say that. |
think Americans, with all their curiosity and
their readiness to plunge into any converse
ton, are animated not so much by desire to
be forward In evidence as by a livelier intel.
hgence and animation than English have
had some English heiresses to teach, and oh
they are 50 stupid when they come fresh from
the country to make their first appearance in
society. Pail Mall Budget.
No Time tn Iose