Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-03-17

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Rather large sum of money $3.50 for two
hours wait in cold carriage, two hours
more crushed among a lot of jabbering
| women in palace ante-chamber, and one
minute of agony passed in groveling to a
| little fat old lady, who seems to be all
diamonds and WEAKNESS, and in making a
series of lowly reverences to q number OF
naughty women the Princesses-standing
with we'll elevated noses to the right OF
majesty.
Of course the country squlre's wife, the
successful merchants spouse, the lady OF the
Lord Mayor, the wives Of the sheriffs, the
visiting Americans, and even many ladies
who really have reason to expect footing
at court have only vague notions as TO
the way they should behave when pre-
sented," and so few highly.bred ladies Of
the aristocracy, whose incomes have dis
appeared. receive pupils in "deportment
before royalty"
Department Before Royalty.
A lady who embarks in this profession
makes herself acquainted with the very last
trifing alteration of presentation etiquette.
She masters difficulties OF precedence, and
she undertakes that even the most aboriginal
settlers lady shall not do anything to shock
royal ewes and nerves-if the pupil will
only carry her instructress' precepts into
literal practice. 1t is not large profession,
but it has its recognized leaders, and the
chef of these sought out for brief chat, a
day or so ago.
iNow, madam" I began, to the grace
fully-mannered, dignifed teacher, do many
ladies come to you to learn how to be pre-
sented?"
YES" she answered, "a large number,
for there are very lew ladies who like to
trust themselves to going through so inn
portant function as their presentation
without rehearsing it in every detail. OF
course, few very high-born ladies know
the whole court routine by kind of intui-
tion, and from having moved all their lives
in that circle; but even among members OF
the best families. you would be astonished
at the positively absurd Ignorance which
prevails.
Ladies often come to me and ask me if
can instruct them sufficiently in one lesson,
and always reply that 1 could tell them
everything which it is necessary for them to
remember in a single visit, but I cannot
possibly answer for the way In which they
will carry it out in less than three or four.
On an average, should say, my course
lasted over five lessons. Sometimes I 90 to
the ladies' own houses, but more often they
make up parties of six or seven, all of whom
are going either as chaperones or for pre-
sentation, or simply to the drawing room,"
and they come to me.
A Gentle, Gliding Motion.
"What is the first thing you teach them7"
"How to walk. Among my foreign pu-
pills this is especially essential, for as a fact,
yery few women indeed know how to move
in room, and keep them practising this
till deem it to be time to let them try the
gliding, gentle movement, when the feet are
never raised from the ground at all. The
reason that this is such an important point
in the teaching is that the fear of tresding
on the dresses of others is avoided, and the
motion lends itself we'll to the display of the
long train.
~ balance a small crown very lightly
upon the head, and make the ladies walk
and move about with it on. This teaches
Jewels and the plumes and veil do not seem
so oppressive and unusual"
"How do you show them the actual pre-
sentation ceremonial7'
"Well, you see" said Madam, pointing
to her set of rooms, II have arranged my
apartments as nearly as possible on the
model of the ante-room and presence cham
Der of the court; my assistants take the
parts oil the equerries and the Lord Cham
berlain, to whom my pupils are taught to
hand their cards in due form, and to hear
the names of both presenter and presentee
called; while l stand in the place Of Her
Majesty, and other assistants stand in the
place of the other members of the royal
family.
How to Receive q Royal Kiss.
When 1 am instructing peeress show
her how to receive the Queens kiss upon her
brow or cheek. and Cummoner 1 teach
how to take the Queen graciously extended
hand and bend her lips 20 il. But, oh, the
curtseyl There are ladies who do not seem
to have the slightest idea OF what curtsey
is. They bend into angles; they assume eI-
traordinarv attitudes; they bow and they
Jerk and they double themselves into every
shane but the right one, and they have to
be simply drilled into it untilth get some
thing like grace"
rs the bouquet a matter of dificulty?"
"lt Is part OF difficult matter, namely,
to teach the control by the lett hand of il,
the glove, the fan, and. to some extent, the
train, SO that the right hand shall be free.
A few years ago the lace handkerchief had
also to be held between the fingers, but now
that may be put away anywhere. fasteu
train to the lady's shoulder or waist and
put all these things into her hand, and make
her rehearse every step and movement ex-
actly as it happens at the drawing room."
show do you find the American debu-
tante?'
"Well, some are very ready and elegant
in their manners, but others are terribly
gauche, and they generally have some ex-
Iraordinary preconceived ideas of what they
think they ought to do, and 1t is very hard
to get these out of their minds. A visiting
American lady, not being subject of the
Queen, does not do homage, that is. kiss
the royal hand. Sne only curtsies. If she