The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1907-05-31
Experience of an American at
an English Royal Levee.
A RAPID TRANSIT FUNCTION.
He Was In and Through and Out Be-
fore He Really Realized What Had
Happened-The Way His Difficulty
About Costume Was Overcome.

hint that levee dress was indispensa-
BILE. In the guileless Innocence Of his
democratic soul the American took this
10 mean that frock coat and shiny
shoes would he called for.
He was I'm the act OF looking over his
best outfit Of that natuIe when more
experienced friend called and caught
him in the act. The friend made haste
to inform the misguided Yankee that
levee dress involved silk stockings
runled sleeves, black sword and other
items
CONSERVATION ensued. IL continued
10 ensue when owing to his height and
gIrth no bOrrowable suit was dlscov-
cred and no tailor could be found who
would make one before the next after
noon. At last stage levee dress was
rented from His Majesty's theater,
where II had done duty I'm THE Last
of the DandieS."
After the levce was over the Ameri-
can confessed that he hardly knew
what had happened When he reached
The palace he was first surrounded by
the yeomen OF the guard, who started
him upstairs with great dispatch. In
the course of his progress upstairs the
yeomen disappeared, and he found
himself in lane OF tin plated life
guardsmen.
Again the scene changed, says Town
and Country aud there was lane OF
royal footmen and next a large room
filed To overflowing with admirals,
generals. diplomats, peers. chamber
lains, soldiers and sailors or all de
grccs OF commissioned rank and a
great host OF men attired like himself
I'm leyee dress. one by one they were
singled out and ushered into the royal
presence I'm the adjoining room. where
stood the king surrounded by his suit.
The work of presentation was no
rapid that the American found himself
out and in another room before he
knew what had happened. His over.
coat was on his back I'm the same
rapid. mysterious fashion, and the
next thing he knew he was outside In
the courtyard. But he was actually
presented and Is now forever Hof
fahig. or eligible for presentation at
any court In the world. provided he be
haveS himself
All this was preliminary 10 the pres
cntation OF the mans wife ana dauRh-
ter at the drawing room. Men are pre-
sented at the kings levees. and tho
women undergo the same ordeal at the
Ia lob
by far the more imposing functions. 1t
IS probably no cxHggeration To say that
every time n drawing room is held
IlOo.OOo is spent 10y the people who 60
10 court
None but II very old habitue OF the
court and then she Is never below the
rank of countess would dream of
appearing at court in costume that
she had worn there before. The item
of flowers alone is one of vast impor-
tance. If IL were not for the drawing
rooms the large florists could not exist.
Every woman who is presented goes
armed with bouquet whose value is
at least II pound, and some Of them are
worth ten times that sum. Then there
are the boolimakcrS and the hosiers and
the millinerS 10 consider to say nothing
of the people who lend carriages.
Suppose there are at II low estimate
900 people ON the presentation list. OF
these every mothers daughter has her
self photographed in her court cos
tune. and London court photographers
are notorious for their stiif prices
st. James park on the night Of "A
drawing room il filled with London
ers who wander up and down the dou-
hle line Of carriages stalled In the malt,
peering into the windows and criticis.
ing the costumes OF the matrons and
their debutante daughters IL Is a
legitimate privilege Of the populace 10
consider those waiting for presentation
as objects OF interest and there the
latter have 10 sit, some of them over
an hour. subjected 10 the gaze OF Lon
don'S citizens. You see half a dozen
shopgirls fattcniug their noses against
the window of a motor brougham and
carrying on Il rapid fire conversation
about the dress Of milady ana her
daughter inside.
Amt she beootiful. Mary Ann" or
"Wot do YOU think OF this un? Ol don't
ike 'er gown at all"
All this has To- he borne with Spar
tan forttude SO long as there is no
rowdyism; but. strange To say, there
never s
A good many people starve them
selves for months SO that they and
their offspring may have the money TO
enable them to 60 TO court. There are
many half pay colonels who live in
the country whose one object il TO
come up for a drawing room.
Generally they have influential and
wealthy friends who make u easy fA
them In the matter Of lodging in town
and lend them their horses. carriages
and footmen; otherwise IL would he i'm
possible for them To 60. There seems
20 be n tradition that IL mans daugh.
ter has not been presented nj court
her way 10 n successful marriage will