Rock Island Argus., 1911-07-08
age Devoted to WOrnan's Best Interests
A Court Debut

THE British young woman who moves
In arfstocratfc circles looks for
ward to one great day-ths day on
which she VIII be presented At court
Neither the English girl nor the Amer
lean who asptree to make her bow At
court can be presented until the court
authorities are quite satisfied that she
ought 10 be allowed to make her bow
to the sovereign; then all Is plain sail
ing. She receives certain Instructions
regarding how she must drese, and 50
forth. and after these prsfirnfnArfes
there comes a most exciting time. and
q great deal depends ON papa his bank
book and just what he Is inclined to
part with
The cost of q presentation may be
great or little. The costume may cost
$1,000 but IT really need not As q
matter OF fact. quite a desirable gar
ment can be had for about $3.50. 1t
often happens that maids can do q deal
IN the way of preparing the costume,
and of course that lowers the cost II
q dressmaker has to DO everything the
expense is naturally higher.
But other things besides the dress
have to be procured-undercloth
silk stockings satin shoes. particular
gloves. and a train II quite necessary.
There are houses that make this q spe-
cial line. and the cost is $40 or S15 per
day for the loan of nice" train. The
hairdresser has to receive a fee too.
Very few young ladies are presented
without hairdressers becoming q tride
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.
or. for that matter $1,000. II all de-
pends on the wealth OF the parents.
In due course the girl is driven to the |
palace. and on arrival there she Is ush-
cred into a room by an official This
Official makes very certain that the |
ladys dress is correct in every detail I,
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 70 wait |
her turn when the time comes for pa |
radtng 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 |
throne room she sees many people and |
gorgeous figures. but then pays little |
attention to anything. EaA train is |
carried over her arm, but at certain |
point IL 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 duch- |
ess or countess. as the case may be |
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 pr1ncesses !
who happen 70 be present-that is all |
When that has been done she has 10 /
"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 II 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 II |
she likes may go straight home |
Most English debutantss do the latter |
The peculiar thing is this: Very few |
English debutantes after being pre-
sented actually remember seeing the |
king or queen-a blaze of light. figures |
standing and seated. a mist before tho 1
ryes. q panorama OF scarlet, white and |
alue-the, presentation! But our self |
possessed American girls are quite ca |
bable of giving q graphic and lucid de- |
A a
Americans will be able TO bow before /
Queen Mary at the gorgeous corona |
ton courts so large is the list OF Eng |
hsh girls anxious for the eclat OF q /
coronation debut