Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1907-07-17
PRESENTED AT COURT
Experience of an American at
an English Royal Levee.
a RAPID TRANSIT FUNCTION.
He Was In and Through aas Out Be-
fore He Really Realized What Had
Hsppened--The Way His Difficulty
About a Costume Was Overcome.

forc ne Really Realized What Had
Hsppened-The Way His Difficulty
About a Costume Was Overcome.
A six foot American who had sc.
cured "command' TO one OF the Eng
lsh royal levees. recently found HIM
self In a pretty predIcament
On his notification paper was tho
hint that levee dress was indispensa-
bie. In the guileless innocence OF his
democratic soul the American took this
Ia mean that frock coat and shiny
shoes would be called for.
He was In the act OF looking over his
best outfit OF that nature when n 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.
RULED sleeves. black sword and other
items.
CONSERVATION ensued IL continued
To ensue when owing to his height and
girth no borrowable suit was discov-
cred and no tailor could DC 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 levee was over tho Amerl-
can confessed that he hardly knew
what had happened. When lie 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, ana he fourN
himself In lane OF tin plated life
guardsmen.
Again the scene changed. says Town
and Country, and there was a lane OF
royal footmen and next n large room
filled TO overlooking with admlrals.
generals, diplomats. peers. chamber
lains. soldiers and sailors OF all de-
grees of commissioned rank and
great host OF men att!red like himself
In levee dress. One by one they were
singled out and ushered into the royal
presence in the adjoining room. where
stood the king surrounded by his suit.
The work OF presentation was so
rapid that the American found himself
out and In another room before he
knew what had happened. His over
coat was ON his back in the same
rapid. mysterious fashion. AMI the
next thing he knew he was outside in
the courtyard. But he was actually
presented" and is now forever Hor
fahig. or eligible for presentation at
any court In the world. provided he be-
HAYES himself
All this was preliminary TO the pres.
eutation or the mans wife and daugh-
ter at the drawing room. Men are pre-
scented ST the kings levecs. and the
women undergo the same ordeal at the
courts or drawing rooms. which are
by far the more imposing functions. 1t
is probably no exaggeration 10 say that
every time Il drawing room Is held
100000 is spent by the people who 90
10 court.
None but very old habitue OF the
cortland then she Is never below the
rank OF countess-would dream OF
appearing at court i'm costume that
she had worn there before. The item
of flowers alone is one OF vast impor-
lance. II It were not for the drawing
rooms the large florists could not exist.
Every woman who Is presented goes
armed with bouquet. whose value il
at least a pound, and some Of them are
worth ten times that sum. Then there
are the bookmakers and the hosiers and
the miIlincrs 10 consider. 10 say nothing
OF the people who lend carriages.
Suppose there are at low estimate
GOO people on the presentation list. OF
these every mothers daughter has her
self photographed in her court cos
\
are notorious for their stin prices
ST. James park on thc night OF
drawing room is filed with London
ers who wander up and down the dou-
bic line OF carriages stalled In the mall,
peering into the windows and critics.
ing the costumes of the matrons ami
their debutante daughters. 1t is
legitimate privilege OF the populace To
consider those waiting for presentation
as objects OF interest and there the
latter have 10 sit, some OF them over
I'M hour. subjected TO the gaze OF Lon
don's ems. You see half n dozen
shopgirls fiattening their noses against
the window OF motor brougham and
carrying on rapid fire conversation
about the dress Of m!lady and her
uauSHtCE lnSluc.
"Ain't she beootiful, Mary Ann?" or
"Wot do you think Of this I'M? oil don't
like 'er gown ut ALL
All this has TO he borne with Spar
tan fortitude so long us there is 10
rowdyism; but. strange 10 say. there
never is.
y good many PEOPLE starve them
selves for months SO that they ana
their offspring may have the money TO
enable them TO so To court. There are
many half pay colonelS who live in
the country whose one object is 10
come up for n drawing room.
Generally they have influential and
wealthy friends who make il easy for
them IN the matter of lodging In town
and lend them their horses. carriages
and footmen; otherwise IL would be i'm
possible for them TO go. There seems
to be tradition that IL mans daugh-
ter has not been presented at court
her way 10 a successful marriage will
not be so smooth. That OF course Is n
fallacy, but the tradition never dies.
and so people stint themselves and en-
dure endless sacrifices that they may
put the hall mark ON themselves and
their offspring.
FALLING OFF A BICYCLE.