Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-05-26

remarked Elaine, land she says that it is
| not half as pretty ceremony as the debut
| OF young lady in this country, when all
| the accessories of wealth are in evidence
She thinks there is too much fuss and
| 1eathers about court presentations, and
f says mat IT gets absolutely grotesque be-
| MY! L supposed ii was as solemn as
funeral. and only little less grand than a
coronation" was Nora's somewhat hazy
MY friend, who saw the presentation of
! Miss Bayard, and who attended the Pa
| triarchs balls in New York. said that in
test"
Tell us all she said about it." demanded
| Mary eagerly. II can't see a presentation
myself, but I would like to hear about
| one."
A Royal Drawing Room.
II have her letter." was Elaine's reply
and l think it would be better to read her
description just as she wrote it, and she
left the room, returning with the let
ter Il will only read that portion that
| refers to the presentation. She does not
| say much about Miss Bayards gown but
| describes the function in general. L have
! been, for the second time to royal draw
| ing room. BY good luck 1 was a spectator
when Miss Bayard made her bow to the
|
| been there myself, and knew the anxiety
| that possessed her soul while she was
| backing out of the presence of royalty
with her spinal column aching, and the tail
| OF her gown-called a court train-in the
| hands of the ushers, who passed ii from
| one to another as she bowed down the line
| in mortal agony lest she step on an edge
of 1t and precipitate herself in the arms of
! some member of the receiving party. She
| looked quite the typical American girl, in
becoming gown of white MORE and cream
| lace, with diamonds, and her train, which
| was four yards on the floor, was fastened
at the shoulders. 1t was of heavy white
| satin, lined with MORE, and had ruching
| around the edge of the satin
" "A presentation to the queen is not such
| great thing, after all, Elaine. 1t can be
| bought, just as social honors In Washing
| ton are so often secured. You have only to
| make known your wants in that direction,
and for a Conscientious find that a
| consideration" is quite as potent here as
on American soil-you are introduced to
some member of the court circle, who is
| so fond of young girls, and. having none of
her own, is willing, for a consideration to
| take charge of introducing them to the
queen'-or the person who represents her:
| it Is quite often the case that Hamlet is
| left out of his play-and then she pro-
ceeds to investigate your financial condi-
| ton, and the Consideration Is made just as
| large as she thinks you will stand. You
are then coached in all the English isms,
and l think they have more fool ones-par-
don slang-than We have and that seems
useless.
The Crush IL Awful.
Presentation at court is a distinction
which every ambitious society woman de-
sires, yet it will not open the doors of
| society here any quicker than IL you came
| unheralded. You have got to have some
| thing to recommend you other than your
ability to be presented at the queens draw
| ing room to be taken up by the swell set
| The crush at these functions Is disgraceful
An inaugural ball is heavenly bliss COM
pared to the pushing, pulling all but swear
| ing, Jam OF women, in all the bravery of
court finery, who sometimes reach the
throne room with every inch of lace torn
from their gowns, and bend before her
| majesty thing of shreds If not of patches
A presentation gown is costly garment,
| and its veriest detail is prescribed by the
court chamberlain, who often decides at
the last moment that the bodice Is too high,
| the feathers in your hair not enough in
evidence, your veil too short, your train not
| Icing enough, and you have TO be remodeled
before you pass him-oh, 1t is a bothersome
business tell you.
You are coached in the proper way to
| back out OF the presence" by women who
| do nothing else, just as people in Washing
ton are coached to pass the civil service ex-
ANIMATION. Your gown may be of any color
you like, always light of course Young
girls quite often wear tulle; but it is alto
gether too fragile for the mob that one has
|
| drops well off the shoulders-ths is by COM
| nand of the queen, who sticks to her coro-
| nation styles, though she looks funny
enough, since she is nearly as broad as she
| is tall. The hair is done in loops that start
| at the top of the head, where they form a
foundation for the three feathers, which
| must stand straight up. SO as to be seen
| from the front; then they-the loops-are
caught on down the back OF the head to the
| neck, and the tulle veil Is fastened to them
with small teweled pins There Is NOT
much Of the veil left to bother with by the
| time you get to the throne room.
Weary Wait. -s..-
When you reach the palace the fun be-
| gins There is as much red tape about get
| ting in as there is about our War Depart
ment, and the crush Of carriages is some
| thing awful You go UP the grand stair
| case after you get to it, which is a work Of
time. and enter one Of the salons, to await
your turn, those who get there first hav-
| Ing first chance You pass from salon to
salon. in line. just as you do at the White
| Rouse, until you reach the picture gallery
which Is the last one before the throne
| room' ana there you are stopped to let
| 1own your gown, which to that time you
| nave been carrying over your arm-when II
was not twisted about some other woman's
| legs. You are approached by two ushers
| VINO shake you up and smooth you down
and spread out your train to its full width
and greatest length-and, let me tell you.
| that Is simply immense-then you pass in to
| the throne room. just as you pass from
| the red room into the blue In the White
House. your name being shouted out in
| truly Washingtonian style. and you are In
| the presence of England's queen-perhaps
" III not of the queen in person, it is one
| or her daughters, who represents her. and
| you courtesy and kiss the offered hand, try
| Ing not to stumble over your own feet and
wondering how they have managed to grow
| to such troublesome proportions, when YOU
| feel the twitch on that four yards long
| train which tells you that the first gentle
| man usher-a row of whom stand exactly
| opposite the royal party or receiving line
| has picked up the outspread dry goods. and
| 1t Is time for you to pass on to the next
| one; your bow made, the second usher
| takes the train from the hands of the
| first. and you know that number three
| of the receiving party is ready for your
| awkward bow, and so they hand YOU on
| down the line; II you forget to courtesy
| the twitch on your train as it is passed
| from one usher to the other will tell Won
| that a new person is before you who ex-
poets your obeisance.
You and the Ushers.
"'When the last one las been courtesied to
the last usher will fling your train over
| your arm, and with that incumbrance