Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-07-09

be troubled about the affair, ana then
however. had she left the gilGed chamber
/ than those present, comprising ambassa :
doris great officers of state, peers ana
peeresses of the realm prelates and
| Judges were requested by the officials 81
] the House OF Lords not to stir from their
seats or to approach the throne until the
| stones which had been dropped from the
1 crown had been collected. or course. he
/ object was to prcvens the gems from be-
/ ing injured by being trodden on. But II
| sounded for moment as ii tho officials
4 entertained apprehens.onS lest some I'M
i ptcunioiis peer or shady diplomat should
take advantage Of the clumsiness Of the
Duke Of Argyll to pocket a crown Jewel
! In flct. some OF the foreign ENJOYS got
| quite angry, and expressed as much re-
| sentiment as they did on that memorable
! occasion when owing to the 'gaucherie
| of a newly appointed court official, and
Of Ills only elementary knowledge OF the
/ French language, they were Informed
/ that on a certain day the Queen would
| receive At buckingham Palace the mem
| beis of the foreign diplomatic corps
MALES et femelles nthsGt Is TO say, males
| and femaies), the French rendering OF
! these two words being as a rule, used
only when talking of animals.
| Sometimes this walking Backward gives
rise 10 rather pretty and even pathetic
| devices on the pttt OF those who desire
| to avoid accidents such as happened to
/ the Duke Of Argyil. Thus, i can recall
/ Il
active service. was summoned with sew
/ cial brother officers 10 buckingham pail
ace in order 10 receive from the hands Of
| the sovereign herself tho order of the
| bath. He had lost his right leg In action
| so near To the hip joint that there was no
| means Of wearing an ARTIFICIAL limb, ana
! he WIS consequently dependent upon his
| crutcbes. When he efsefedthe royal pres
enee il was noticed nat he held, fastened
| apparently 10 the Rand rest OF either
! crutch. Il couple Of lovely bouquets A
! third of the distance up the long room
4 he stopped made the regulation bow rs
| best he could. and dropped one 81 the
| punches OF flowers 10 the floor. Then ne
\ made his way up to fhe Queet iered
\ her the other bouquet. which she rra-
| clousiy accepted. received his Order of the
| Bath which she herself fastened to his
! uniform wsth many kindly word ffor lie
| had been favori,e Of her hnsbandJ; and
then he proceeded to withdraw from her
| presence. II ever there was i ease IN
which the walking backward might have
| been excused IL was there, and the faces
| of the Queen and Of those around her
| betrayed signs of concern and anxiety
! lest some mishap sfonld overtake The
| colonel. He, however, backed away. dis
/ playing himself some hesitation and anx-
! iety until he reached that part of the
| room where he had pnrposely left the
! first bouquet on the ground, That gave
| HIM his hearings. He knew where he
| WAS then. and leaving the flowers there
4
| kindly nodding and waving her hand la
| hlm IN appreciation Of his somewhat ar
| dnous act of homage. That her majesty
| was moved thereby MAS shown by the
| fact that a few days inter he received
/ from the Queen g rather unusual present,
namely, handsome carriage ana a pair
OF horses, together with an expression of
the wish that the conveyance might in
some measure tend to alleviate the dis
comfort caused by the absence OF the
| limb which he had lost in her service on
the field of battle.
Sometimes when the court dignitaries
| happened 10 be fat or unkinaIy treated
| by nature with regard 10 figure and
! form, they present an exceedingly com
! zeal appearance when walking backward:
/ that Is To say, To those who not being
of royal blood. have the advantage OF the
rear view. and |, for one shall never for
| get The mirth-engendering spectacle Of
| fefad To my sight by certain noble lord
who shall be namross, and who formerly
occupied an important post in the queens
! household. Providence had been 50
! bountiful 10 him in the matter Of talent
! ami intellect that presumably, with the
i obiect of evening NJ things. IL had been
less liberal in physical matters and while
| his body was unnaturally long his legs
We're both aDnormaily short and TO say
! the least, deiiectod Imagine the figure
| of this stunted nohleman--f0r ne was
very short-arrayed in the hideous Wina-
sor uniform. with knee breeches and SILK
stockings, walking backward, and you
! nave something very mGch IN the nature
/ OF human crab
| Nothing. however, can he more stately
| and 3igniiied than the present Lori
| Chamberlain and Lord Steward the Earis
| Of Pembroke and Iathom, who are adept;
F.! IN the AIT OF walking backward Lord
I.athom is a handsome man. with n iors
white beard reaching almost TO his
/ waist. whose figure Vet retains all the
| elasticity and elegance of 4 man of thir-
| ~. He is very tali--not quite 50 tall
however, as the Lord Steward the Eari
i and noble bearing are unrivalied In the
House of Lords. as they were until three
years ago in the House of Commons
This Is not astonishing, since he is the
head Of the House of Herbert which Tor
centuries has been renowned for it's good
looks. and is. moreover the grandson of
the famous Russian beauty Catherine
Countess WoronZow. while his IA Tiers
chann of person and manner has been
novel 'Endymion," in which he figures
under the name of sydney Wilton.'' l.
may be of interest 70 add that the pres
emit Lord Pembroke is not without Amer
/ ican connections, his younger brother
Michael Herbert, popularity known in the
! diplomatic service by the nickname OF
| "Minga, being married 10 4 daughter of
/ Richard 7. Wilson. of New York whose
I hand he secured while British charge d
afiaircs at Washington.
There was a considerable amount OF
walking backward al the English court
previous 10 the accession to the throne OF
Queen Victoria. but nothing like SO much
as there is at present Indeed royalty
nowadays. in England, at any rate Is
, environed 3y a vast degree more of eti-
quette and homage than in days of yore.