The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-01-21
CORONATION SCENES.


t:neau in a Caustic Vein.
Miss Martineau thus described the coro-
nation of Queen Victoria:
From my high seat I commanded the
whole north transept, the area with the
throne and many portions Of The galleries,
and the balconies, which were called vault
ipgs. Except mere sprinkling of oddities,
every body was In full dress. In the whole
assemblage 1 counted six bonnets The
scarlet of the military officers mixed IN
well. and the groups of the clergy were dig
prevalence of court dresses had q curious
effect. l was perpetually taking groups of
gentlemen for Quakers. til L recollected
called goldsticks, looked we'll from above.
lightly fitting about in white breeches.
silk stockings, blue-faced frocks and white
sashes. The throne, an armchair with a
with cloth of gold, stood an elevation
of four steps, in the center of the area.
The first peerless took her seat i'm the north
transept opposite. at a quarter before
noon, and three of the bishops came next.
From that time the peers and their ladies
arrived faster and faster Each peeress was
conducted by two goldsticks, one of whom
anded her to her seat, and the other bore
ana arranged her train on her lap, and saw
that her coronet, footStool and book were
comfortably placed
II never saw anywhere so remarkable
contrast between youth and age as in those
noble ladies. None of the decent differences
of dress which, according to middle-class
customs, pertain TO contrasting periods of
life seems to be admissible on these grand
court occasions. Old hays, with their dyed
and false hair drawn to the top of the
head, to allow putting on the coronet, had
their necks and arms bare and glittering
with diamonds; and those necks and arms
were so brown and wrinkled as TO make
one sick, or were busted over with white
powder which was worse than what il dis
guised. / saw something of this from my
m mo
when the ceremonial was over, and the
peeresses were passing to their carriages,
or waiting for them The younger were
as lovely as the aged were haggard. One
beautiful creature. with transcendent COM
plexion and form, and coils upon coils of
light hair, was terribly embarrassed about
her coronet She had apparently forgot
that her hair must be disposed with view
to Ii. and the large braids on the back
would in no way permit the coronet to keep
on. She and her neighbor tugged vehe-
mently at the braids, and at last the thing
was done after manner, but so as to spoil
the wonderful effect of the simultaneous
self-coroneting of all the peeresses.
About the first giances OF the sun
slanted into the Abbey, and presently trav-
eled down to the peeresses. / had never
before seen the full effect of diamonds.
AS the light Travelled each peerless shone
like rainbow. 1ile brightness. yastness
and dreamy magnificence of the scene pro-
duced a strange effect of exhaustion and
slsepiness. About 9 clock | felt this
disagreeably that | determined to with
draw my senses from the scene In order
to reserve my strength for the ceremonial
to come. / had carried book, and
read and ate a sandwich leaning against
my friendly pillar till / felt refreshed.
The guns told me when the Queen set
forth, and there was unusual animation.
The gold sticks fitted about: there was
tuning i'm the orchestra, and the foreign
ambassadors and their suites arrived In
quick succession Prince Esterhazy. cross
| ing a bar OF sunshine. the most pro-
| digious rainbow of all He was covered
with diamonds and pearls. and as he
dangled his hat IL cast dazzling radiance
all around. While he was thus glittering
and cleaning people were saying. know