Page:Samantha on Children's Rights.djvu/276

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held up by two pages, as they called 'em. But I recognized their faces; they wuz two of the Danglers, I could see, with fancy dresses on, one pink satin and the other pale yellow, and their satin knee breeches only come down to their knees, where they wuz met by long silk stockin's with glitterin' buckles on 'em and their low slips. They had wigs powdered real gray and braided up on their backs with ribbin bows on 'em. And the one who locked arms with her, walkin' by her side, they called him Leicester, but I knowed him, he wuz the other Dangler. He wuz dressed in a white satin' suit, embroidered jacket, and knee breeches, and his breast all covered with orders, stars and crosses, all a blaze of jewels.

He walked clost by her side, carryin' her fan, which wuz also shining with precious stuns, and he wuz fannin' her most of the time. And the other two Danglers wuz jealous as I could see. I could see 'em knit their eyebrows, and I thought I hearn 'em grate their teeth. But I know I see 'em shake their fists at him onperceived by the gay crowd, so hollow is fashionable life, and so the worm of jealousy gnaws even the empty breast of a Dangler. Well, she entered the big tent follered by some Maids of Honor, Medora wuz one of 'em, and Courtiers and Lords in Waiting, as I hearn 'em called, and took up her position in the centre of the big tent on a sort of dais, they called it. I should call it a little platform covered with a velvet rug with the throne on it, a big chair, I guess, covered with handsome drapery. And the folks went up to speak to her, lots of the men, foolish lookin' creeters, too, Kings and Cardinals and such, knelt down at her feet and kissed her hand.

Thomas J. didn't, no, indeed! he addressed her as I remembered afterwards as, "Your Royal Highness." I