The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-06-03
A Court Debut

THE British young woman who moves
in aristocratic circles looks for
ward to one great day-the day on
which she win be presented at court.
Neither the English girl nor the Amer
lean who aspires to make her bow at
court can be presented until the court
authorities are quite satisfied that she
ought to be allowed to make her bow
to the sovereign; then all is plain sail
ing. She receives certain instructions
regarding how she must dress, and so
forth, and after these preliminar1es
there comes a most exciting time. and
a great deal depends on papa. his bank
book and just what he is inclined to
part with
The cost OF a presentation may be
great or little The costume may cost
$4,000. but it really need not. AS a
matter of fact, quite a desirable gar
ment can be had for about $3.50. 1t
often happens that maids can do a deal
in the way of preparing the costume,
and Of course that lowers the cost. If
q dressmaker has to do everything the
expense is naturally higher.
But other things besides the dress
have to be Observation-Disclosures
silk stockings, satin shoes, particular
gloves. and a train is quite necessary.
The latter can be hired for the day.
There are houses that make this spe-
cial line, and the cost is SO or SIS per
day for the loan OF a nice" train. The
hatRdresser has to receive a fee too.
Very few young ladies are presented
without hairdressers becoming a trihe
richer.
By the time the carriage is at the
door to take the girl to the palace the
sum of $3.50 may have been expended,
OF. for that matter $500. 1t all de-
ponds on the wealth Of the parents.
In due course the girl is driven to the
palace, and on arrival there she is ush-
sred into a room by an official. This
official makes very certain that the
ladys dress is correct in every detail.
She must not be passed on toward the
throne room unless she is dressed ex-
actly according to strict rule.
In this room are a number of debu-
tantes. each more excited than the 9TH
er. and the young woman has to wait
her turn when the time comes for pa
rading before the king and queen.
Sometimes the waiting is very tedious.
and the walters are often so nervous
that the delay is mental torture.
After what seems a long time the de-
butante is called, and she duly follows
the gentleman usher just as she has
seen the others do. On the way to the
throne room she sees many people and
gorgeous figures, but then pays little
attention to anything. Her train is
carried over her arm. but at a certain
point it is let down. and before she
knows what is happening her name has
been called out and also the name of
the presenting lady-dowager or Ouch
oda or he Aa
and she has moved forward to where
many lights shine and many Jewels
CLINT.
Behold, she is before the king and
queen! Her duty is to courtesy to the
monarchs and bow to any prtncesses
who happen to be present-that is all.
When that has been done she has to
back out" a rather difficult task and
one she must have trained for at least
slightly, for she must not turn her
back on the royal party. The train of
the dress is the most difficult thing to
manipulate, and carefully must it be
handled If a fall is to be avoided. But
she reaches the exit door in due course
and is taken in hand by an attendant,
who quickly whips her train over the
shoulder.
Then she is free once more. The
presentation Is over. She can do as she
pleases. She can have refreshments if
she likes or may go straight home.
Most English debutantes do the latter.
The peculiar thing is this: Very few
English debutantes after being pre-
scented actually remember seeing the
king or queen-a blaze of light, figures
standing and seated, a mist before the
eyes. a panorama of scarlet, white and
blue-the presentation! But our self
possessed American girls are quite ca
pable Of giving a graphic and lucid de-
scription of all they see. 1t is said few
Americans will be able to bow before
Queen Mary at the gorgeous corona
ton courts so large is the list of Eng
lish girls anxious for the eclat of
coronation debut.