The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-06-29

WORLD.

Although 1 am an American, a Re
,ublican and all that sort of thing,
mist own l dearly love ceremony, adore
title and was prepared for wild en-
,bnsissm at court function. crossed
,be Atlantic all in culver of excite
4 rent to know whether 1 should re-
: Give card or not, because on that
& would depend our tearing off to Paris
s n get a court dress.
& oh. the joy and the excitement on
onaning a big envelope without a stamp
& with a purple denmark in one corner
hearihg the mysterious words Lord
cbamberlain's Ofice!" There was moth
ing grand whatever about the card
inst great big, plain invitation:
q "The Lord Chamberlain is command
& ID bv Their Majesties to invite Miss
q TO a Court to be held at Bucking-
ham Palace on Friday, June 9. 1902, at
4 10 o'clock, p. m.
Full Dress. Ladies with Feathers
and Trains
Hugging The much-prized card to my
heart | skipped about the room prac-
Using that bow, or courtesy, or bob,
or whatever they like to call 1t, that
had been rehearsing for weeks in my
own mind, so as to be ready for the
great event.
dress. which I dare say would have
been Just as well made in England,
only somehow it sounds smarter to
cross the Channel for it. The, four
Yards of wonderful train Of glistening,
sheeny silvery stuff was made and
ready, the three white plumes, the
long tulle veil and white gloves were
all on my bed waiting, and 1 was just
wild with excitement. / wanted to
get dressed at breakfast time, but as
the court did not begin until 10 p. m,
4 the family decided that was rather too
early, although / really did have my
head done soon after lunch as the
/ bairdresser came then to perform upon
IT, He had SO many engagements for
\ court heads, he had to do it then or
. not at all lie did 1t up in some Won
derful manner, frizzed it, and curled
j il. the greater part of the coiffure be-
ing, however, low on my neck, as that
he declared, was more becoming with
the tulle veil. When he had done, he
placed the three white feathers con-
SplCuOQSlY III front, anu lNISl6u
tulle in and out of the curls. A long
strand of tulle, which was finally to
hang down my back. he folded up and
pinned in a bob on the top of my head
so that it might not inconvenience me
during the many hours that interviewed
before / went to Buckingham Palace.
They say that seven thousand people
are still waiting for invitations If they
only knew how lovely it all was they
would be more anxious even than they
now are, for it was a veritable dream
Of splendor, gorgeousness and magnid-
cence, such as my youthful mind had
never conceived possible.
We left home early, and when we
arrived at st. James Park about $3.50
a line of carriages was already before
US but as the doors were not opened
till we had to wait our turn. Grad
ually that procession of carriages
moved on; we did not draw up in front
of the Buckingham Palace, which l
know so we'll from the road, but drove
right into a courtyard at the back,
regular quadrangle, round the four
sides of which a brilliant row of gas
Jets were shining. The royal folk
wisely live in these more secluded por-
tons of the palace, and their private
rooms overlook the gardens, which are
lovely and contain a lake, instead OF
looking on to the public part of st.
James Park.
There was a great wide stairway
with red carpet, beyond which was the
cloakroom, and once having struggled
through that my chaperon Strengthened
me out and shook my train, telling me
l looked Just sweet" a very consoling
remark in my fiutter of excitement.
She then gave me my train back over
my arm, and we were ready. -Four
yards of course train was pretty heavy,
l found, for, although 1t was shining
silver outside, it was lined with white
satin (debutantes) dresses are always
white). and there was an interlining
to make it stand out as / passed before
the King and Queen. Then 1 had a
bouquet, too, which seemed to grow
very heavy before the evening was over
and T. envied those ladies who had
come without such floral adjuncts.
Continuing our journey up the stair
case we gave up our cards of invita-
ton at the top, and passed into
room at the left-my chaperon (not be-
ing my mother) going into the big ball
room at once
The great state ballroom at Bucking-
ham Palace is a magnificent chamber;
It is an immensely long saloon, PROP
ably about $50 feet, which looks out on
said that the kitchens were underneath
and that this wing was only added IN
1900, when more space was found nee
essary.
Our friend told us that all the rooms
had been redecorated. They were GER
tainly perfectly beautiful-such lovely
orocaded walls and wonderful curtains,
lots of pictures, many of which they
said were priceless; and one thing
StplIcLr x.ix the
magnificent glass chandeliers and can
delabra. We never have such things
IN America; but they were simply
gorgeous with incandescent lights shin
ing behind their prismatic colors. The
palace was simply banked with flowers
and the air scented with their perfume.
There were lots of gorgeous servants
everywhere with red liveries emblaz-
oned with gold. Most of them wore
White stockings and black shoes with
buckles. There were endless oftlclals
from the Lord Chamberlain's office IN
dark blue uniforms with gold emprolo-
cry. There were some of the most de-
Hghtful old men possible, VINO, tney
SAID, were Beefeaters, and had come
from the Tower of London in all thelI
magnihcence to assist at the court dt
Buckingham Palace. Numbers or men
We're there in black velvet or clotn,
Win steel buttons. little whlte ldSe
nils. silk stockings and sword, prop
ably the most becoming costume
modern man ever wore; and there were
many wonderful uniforms with breasts
anlaze with orders and medals. These
gentlemen were specially favored ana
allowed to go with their women toik,
Out OF course they We're not presehteu.
man is only presented to the hlnE az
d leyee, and when at court ana their
ladies' pass the royal presence, the men