Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-05-11
THE QUEENS DRAWING ROOM
a Debutante Tells All About Her Elk
perience at Buckingham Palace

London society is still talking about
the drawing room. It is all amending
source of interest to newspaper readers.
A debutante gives in an interview in the
Pail Mall Gazttte a decidedly interest
ing chat about her experiences:
Are you glad it's over?" I asked. 81
should just think / was Oh, it is an
ordeal!'
''Were you frightened?" Not at first,
only so tired of it all. Why, CiSsy and
| have been wondering and rehearsing
and preparing for weeks, haven't we,
Cis?"
But tell me about today" 'Wen
[ got up at and had some breakfast
about 8. l couldn't eat much, though. -
1.-The dressing was a long job, I sup
pose?' 'Oh, dreadful; and we had to
be in the Mall by u o'clock, or we
should not have been in time to see
the queen
''How do you meon?" ''Why, she gets
tired, pOr dear and deputies one of the
princeSSeS to take her place, and I
don't call that the real thing, you
know"
How long did it take you to dress?'
More than two hours nearer three,
think; but the man took quite an hour
doing my hair
How did you like your probation time
SO tha Mall? Did you hear any rude Or
iSagree1ble remarks?' ooh, a few,
certainly, but I think the elderly ladies,
who are some of them so very decol-
lete, you know, suffer more in this re-
, spect-or perhaps they like it, Other
wise there are such things as opera
cloaks and wraps. I had mine, and be-
meath the shelter Of that and hiding to
some extent behind my bouquet / stood
fire comfortably. The most disagreeable
incident was hor1id man who put his
head into the carriage window and
puffed his filthy tobacco smoke right in.
to our faces. Oh, you may shake your
mead, CHS, but it's positively true
'But what about the presentation
, itself?" I said. when you really saw
the queen how did you feel?"
ooh, WAS awfully nervous
| Here a dark, elf-possessed young
lady, who had just arrived struck in
with: Don't talk nonsense, dear !
! don't believe in nervousness. / call it
Notwithstanding else. One would
imagine you had never been in society
my dear child, to hear you talk. How
can girl who is accustomed to de-
cent society feel nervous? never did. y
"Oh, but you're quite an old stager
| This is your third season. Yes, but
l wasn't an old stageI at my first draw
ing room, my dear, ah5 the only thing
l felt nervous about was, as I told you
the business of judging my distance
Judging your distance!'' exclaimed
what do you mean" ''Why, she
frightened me out of my wits" chimet
in my debutante, ''by telling me thar
if was not careful to calculate my
distance I should probably fall RICH
on her majesty-who, you know, is
quite Il little thing, in height at any
rate-Or else courtesy so far from he
las to be out of reach altogether
And did you judge your distance
properly?'
Never thought any more about it
) all the bother of getting ready had pu
it out of my head, I suppose-till the
moment come. then it flashed acros
my mind, and 1 thought I was to,
near, and tried to back a little, and N!
knees felt as if they had given away
and how 1 got up or touched thu
: queens hand-it is little, fat, dimp
led hand-I don't know. I believe
made two awkward sort of charity gil
hobs, and, instead of giving the prope
t number of courteSieS to the other royal
: ties and backing out of their presence il
/ a graceful manner, I just ran away.
5 "Ch, but that's nonsense said tn
< sister. you wouldn't be allowed &c
7 and I feel that I've thoroughly dis
: graced myself. I fancied that ever,
t one was laughing at me-