FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   2286   2287   2288   2289   2290   2291   2292   2293   2294   2295   2296   2297   2298   2299   2300   2301   2302   2303   2304   2305   2306   2307   2308   2309   2310  
2311   2312   2313   2314   2315   2316   2317   2318   2319   2320   2321   2322   2323   2324   2325   2326   2327   2328   2329   2330   2331   2332   2333   2334   2335   >>   >|  
hamber took away the bathing apparatus. The Queen, replaced in bed, took a book or her tapestry work. On her bathing mornings she breakfasted in the bath. The tray was placed on the cover of the bath. These minute details are given here only to do justice to the Queen's scrupulous modesty. Her temperance was equally remarkable; she breakfasted on coffee or chocolate; at dinner ate nothing but white meat, drank water only, and supped on broth, a wing of a fowl, and small biscuits, which she soaked in a glass of water. The tirewoman had under her order a principal under-tirewoman, charged with the care and preservation of all the Queen's dresses; two women to fold and press such articles as required it; two valets, and a porter of the wardrobe. The latter brought every morning into the Queen's apartments baskets covered with taffety, containing all that she was to wear during the day, and large cloths of green taffety covering the robes and the full dresses. The valet of the wardrobe on duty presented every morning a large book to the first femme de chambre, containing patterns of the gowns, full dresses, undresses, etc. Every pattern was marked, to show to which sort it belonged. The first femme de chambre presented this book to the Queen on her awaking, with a pincushion; her Majesty stuck pins in those articles which she chose for the day,--one for the dress, one for the afternoon-undress, and one for the full evening dress for card or supper parties in the private apartments. The book was then taken back to the wardrobe, and all that was wanted for the day was soon after brought in in large taffety wrappers. The wardrobe woman, who had the care of the linen, in her turn brought in a covered basket containing two or three chemises and handkerchiefs. The morning basket was called pret du jour. In the evening she brought in one containing the nightgown and nightcap, and the stockings for the next morning; this basket was called pret de la nuit. They were in the department of the lady of honour, the tirewoman having nothing to do with the linen. Nothing was put in order or taken care of by the Queen's women. As soon as the toilet was over, the valets and porter belonging to the wardrobe were called in, and they carried all away in a heap, in the taffety wrappers, to the tirewoman's wardrobe, where all were folded up again, hung up, examined, and cleaned with so much regularity and care that even the cast-off clothes scarcely looked as if they had been wor
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   2286   2287   2288   2289   2290   2291   2292   2293   2294   2295   2296   2297   2298   2299   2300   2301   2302   2303   2304   2305   2306   2307   2308   2309   2310  
2311   2312   2313   2314   2315   2316   2317   2318   2319   2320   2321   2322   2323   2324   2325   2326   2327   2328   2329   2330   2331   2332   2333   2334   2335   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

wardrobe

 
taffety
 

morning

 

tirewoman

 

brought

 

basket

 

called

 

dresses

 

valets

 

articles


apartments

 

covered

 

evening

 

chambre

 

breakfasted

 

bathing

 

porter

 

wrappers

 

presented

 

afternoon


private

 

parties

 

supper

 

wanted

 

undress

 

nightcap

 

examined

 

cleaned

 
folded
 

carried


regularity

 

looked

 
scarcely
 

clothes

 

belonging

 

stockings

 

nightgown

 

handkerchiefs

 

toilet

 

Nothing


department

 

honour

 
chemises
 

remarkable

 

coffee

 
chocolate
 

equally

 

temperance

 

scrupulous

 
modesty