New-York tribune., 1896-08-30
HOME AND SOCIETY.
DIPLOMATS MISTAKE.

.u,srcr SPORTING DREss-THE FASHIONS IN
,,c-,oHS M1II.AIs TIE MAN-NEw SCENE
SETTINGS FOR THE OPERA
nav not believe tho story I'm going to tell
Ia a returned traveller the other day. as he
wv" cup OF tea on the veranda. but give you
I'D OF honor every syllable OF It is true His
,.ss ~, had been nveighng against the crudity Of
Nv American Legation M Il Is sometimes known
Wv -. NJ a few great capitals like Paris. London
, psrlin Il once knew an American Minister'S
nv she had said. who spent most OF the time at
.. her receptions IN apologizng 10 her guests for
o moving their language better. She smiled
ugh II all az complacently as though she were
t'O Sa. thing for which she should be praised II
"V" ", occurred TO her that II was bad manners 10
.h With TO invite men and women Of the world TO
u'e hosss sad then TO ask them 10 put up with the
w w language as means OF social intercourse
van get 10 expect anything at some Of the minor
sr,can Logat!Cns' continued the first speaker,
49,, mis- occurrence that have In mind was ex-
sord,nary that know you will find II hard TO be-
r.ye But. repeat it is as true as true can be-
:, bsnpened some years ago. just after new Ad
,,,s,ration had come in. We Will say that II hap
,ed IN Blue Blood Land for II / told you just
rbere II was you would know the American Min
.s,sr OF whom l speak. ! met him just as was
entering Blue Blood Land for the summer. The
King was not at that moment in his capital, down
I, the centre Of the country. and my friend the
Minister told me he was going TO make tour OF
,ta whole region while waiting to present his ere
dentals al court He wondered II ! knew the
language of Blue Blood Land. did know it. Would
7 ,rayel with him. then for a while? l could be Of
,ervice 10 him then, and later. perhaps. when he
was safely established at court. he might be of
service 70 me- / acquiesced in this arrangement,
pnd for several weeks We explored tho country. l
coming between him and hotel porters and other
dread instruments OF fate,
81 left him at last in the capital and proceeded
south After n month two l camo up in his di-
rection and called at the Legation. He had estab-
ushed himself on the third floor of huge palace
one of those little mountains Of stone and mortar
which you SEQ SO often in Blue Blood Land. lie
greeted me cordially. lie was on excellent terms
with the court now, he said. and If wanted to be
taken anywhere he was at my service. / began to
speculate as to whether l might not have game
Of billiards with the Crown Prince in a few days
whereupon the Minister smiled in a slckly way ana
feemed TO be turning faint. lie was still httlo
formal in his relations with the Crown Prince lie
told me. But. the following day, he would he
calling on ten twelve artists. Wouldn't care to
10? ] said | would and arrived at the Legation the
next day TO look with admiration, as entered upon
tho magnificent equpage which stood at the portal
PLAINLY said TO myself Mr. Y is doing this up IN
the way that he should. a good American proud
o. his Nation and resolved to make her respected.
81 went upstairs and found His Excelency ready
He gave me the list of addresses and we stepped
into the carriage he asked If would give the coach-
man the directions since he was still trife be-
hindhand in the Blue Blood tongue. We went on
and visited half dozen painters and had, VIII
confess a very pleasant time. We were driving
along the principal thoroughfare OF tho city on our
way from studio 10 another, when broached
the subject which had been filing my mind, namely.
His Excellency's horses. They were superb so
handsome so splendid in movement, so finely ca
narisoned that they had fascinated me from the
beginning You have a glorious pair Of horses |
yentu-ed at last. His Exccllency smiled and re-
Joined presently: oh. you are joking. Not Bit
7 nrotested They are really two of the finest ami
mails ever saw. Where did you get them" Where
did get themg queried His Excellency. Why,
what do YOU mean? They aren't mine. They are
yours. aren't they"
You can imagine my feelings. perhaps; but you
can't imagine His Excelency's, I'll warrant for he
looked more completely overwhelmed than any man
ever saw in the grip of disaster. on. my he
gasped Go home! Here What shall do? Oh
I'm ruined What did you do IT for? ana gooo
deal more only ! don't propose 20 use the KIND OF
language that His EXcellency used. We grove
home at a reasonable pace. His EXcenency wanted
10 gallon but didn't want to let the coachman
and footnan into our secret, whatever that secret
rright prove to be. As reached the palace saw
something going in the vestibule didn't Know
,,st what and | heard great sound ] didn't
know Just why But behold, II was IN" Duich
Ambass adress who lived on the second hoor ana
she had wanted her carriage for two hours. and she
talked Dutch at and French and tt mean the
language Of Blue Blood Land-and there was just
thunder and Mars to pay. His EXccuency escaped
uDstairs and | stood and explained 10 the Dutch
Anhassadress She scorned me. Then went up
stairs and found His Excclency in mt. And, upon
nv word you'll never believe 1t. bat its true. He
said II my fault.