Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-03-26

| After reviewing in succession all the nsh.
game, pastries, salads, and cheeses that
= the evening Is TO bring fortn, the party
! adjourns en- rnasse to the drawing-room
to chat and eat ices for perhaps hait az
/ hour. At the end Of some such interval,
| the dIning-room opens q second time ana
| the company returns in order TO its old
places TO attack the formal courses or
! dessert" The last sweet duly dismissed
host and hostess arise, and, arm in arm,
! lead a majestic general progress back TO
the drawingroom. Advancing 10 the
head of the apartment. they face about
! to receive the compliments OF their guests.
, Two by two, with bow and courtesy
! gravely returned in kind, these pass In
parade before their entertainers, each
guest Offering, with his obeisance. his
hand and the stereotyped sentiment. TAX
| for MAIDEN" (''Thanks for the food') To
| which, "Vel bekomme" C'Kindly wei
come" or Good may ii do you') comes
in scrupulous reply. This, with many
other ancient Norsk customs, is now be-
ginning its decadence, here in the capital.
and in some houses an attempt is made
to abolish it entirely. But your true
Norseman Of the elder breeding can Ill
abide his neighbours bread unless he may
decently thank for It.
In the matter of ceremony, no man here
comedies more than does King oscar. At
the loyal and elegant Swedish court af-
fairs run otherwise, but in Christiania,
the King carries himself very simply. do
ing all that a genial fancy can invent to
conciliate the blunt and turbulent Morse
men-often only TO meet in return such re-
Bluffs as might fall TO the lot OF the mon
arch who should seek 70 establish his
claims in a Kennebeck logging camp. But
hss.,a .ffs4 ID
him in good stead, and the smart of many
a humiliating situation must be greatly
lessened by his happy recognition of its
comic aspect.
At one of the last palace balls, the Mar.
aulse ok, the clever wife of foreign
diplomat, grew exceedingly fatigued
through the long hours Of standing in
the presence chamber. BY the time sup
per was served. her WEAKNESS had as
sumed the proportions Of grievance, and
even the honor OF being hidden TO sup
with a chosen few in the Kings own hall
could not revive her Tagging energies.
Chairs were provided in this room, how
ever and, seeking out a secluded spot be
hind the shelter Of a cluster Of petticoats.
Nine ak. thankfully sank down to rest.
Hardly had she entered into the enjoy
ment of her good fortune when the King,
all SnllleS ana dlaDlllty, dHpIOdcltu Auc
group Of which she made one, and en-
barked upon a general conversation. This,
of course, brought her to her feet again
and was not to be endured. SO she Slip
ped quietly away into another group and
another chair. Again the King, In NOV
Ing about among his guests, disturbed her |
repose. Finally. with the fifth recur- |
renee of the incident, the harassed lady |
threw ceremony TO the winds:
II wish" she exclaimed, that your
Majesty would not come again in my d.
rectionl Five times already I have run
away, and l am so tired of standing"
"Oh, but isn't IL all tiresome1 came
the startling reply And only fancy my
at this moment. You, Marquise
have been standing for four hours, and
you have my sympathy. But 7, for four
hours, have been straining my poor brain
10 remember personal circumstances con-
corning hundreds of people that l - but
once a year at most. and 20 say pretty |
things regarding them. / am tired, too
madame"
Who would not warm to so candid a
loyalty. And, indeed, the King needs
friends in Norway. Radicalism here is
grown to great dimensions has taken on
q virulent form. and too often expresses
Itself even In otherwise welibred people,
by unmannsry insults to the Kings very
person. For years many of the Radical
ladies Of Christlania have made IL point
Of honor to sweep past their sovereign |