LADIES' COLUMN.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7422, 7 June 1902, Page 3

LADIES' COLUMN.

THE ROYAL RED CROSS. South African Nurses Presented to tae Sing. The " Adelaide Observer " of May 3 contains the following very interesting account of the investiture of Nurse Bidmead, a South Australian nurse who went to South Africa, with, the Royal Red Cross by the King. " The account is an extract from a letter written by Miss Bidmead to Lady Brown, and dated from Backheath, Kent, March "l 2. It is as follows: — "I received a telegram from the Undersecretary of State for War, stating— 'The King will invest you with tihe Royal Red Cross on Wednesday, March 21, at noon, at St James's Palace.' Instructions from the War Office also came to lhand to this effect— 'His Majesty has decided that ladies who are to receive the Royal Red Cross are to curtsey once, then kneel down, haveithe decoration pinned on in the usual way, then kiss the. King's hand, and curt- ; sey before they leave his presence." "I was escorted up to town by a lady friend. We reached the 'little village' by 11 a.m., and passing Trafalgar Square went into the National Gallery lor about twenty minutes. Then we took a hansom to the palace. The roads about were lined with people, and the Beeieaters in their quaint dresses were marching through the verandahs. Officers in gorgeous uniforms were apparently running xaces against time, their white-plumed* cocked hats looking most imposing. We got out at the entrance, and my friend left me. Officials in scarlet uniforms (not Beefeaters) were at the big doors, which opened in the centres. Each wing was swung open with a flourish for us, and I passed through a corridor into a sort of cryptlike gallery, fitted with divans and seats of various sorts. Magnificent fires were roaring in every place into which we went. A nursing sister in the China indoor uniform arrived just before me. She said she belonged to the Indian Nursing Servicei and the double-breasted out-door cloaks were too heavy and tightfitting to enable one to drop a deep curtsey. She went to the War Office about it, and they told her she might wear indoor uniform it" she preferred it. There were two other nursing sisters, and she might be sure they could be depended on to wear whatever they thought most becoming to them. The third nursing sister was Miss Nixon, from New South Wales, and I was glad\to see her again. We met in Bloemiontedn when we were first stationed there. Then Colonel Exham came over to talk to me. He was looking better than when I said) good-bye to him in Bloemfontein. He was about to receive the D.S.O. He told me Miss Knaggs had been appointed temporarily to Malmesbury, South Africa, but he did not know just now long she was to be there. ■ Whilst we were chatting ail the officers to be decorated were arriviing. "A powdered official at the' further end of the waiting gallery .opened the doors and eummoned us through. We went upstairs and along the corridors into what the officials called the, tapestry room. The walls were covered with, exquisite Gobelin tapestry. I saw some at Victor Hugo's house last Thursday. Two or tnree golasticks, or lords-in-wadting, or whatever they are called^ who were Tjuzzing arcund with court coats^ cocked hats, black plumes, and black suits with gold buttons,, came to us with long printed papers in their hands to identify vs z and ask if we had been properly coached, and had our cards ready. The right hand was to be ungloved ready to be put under the King's hand when he put his out, though you put yours up first. I was learning my piece, looking through my instructions to make sure which, part of the performance to start with, and we were discussing t£e etiquette of the proceedings, when a civil surgeon who was to receive the V.C. said with a startled look, ' But you don't have to kiss the King's nand, do you?' We said we had, and he would have to do the same, which appeared to be rather a shock to bis nerves, and he hurriedly got hold of one of the "gold-sticks to discover if it was correct. He did not disclose his feelings to . us when he found it was true, but I told him that if we had'to^ of course, he j would have to do the same. Then we were given a sort of pendant or hook, with two pins at the back to stick into our cloaks, on which the decoration was to hang. The King would first put the pin-brooch of the cross over it— it held without being pinned on. Some of the officers had two or three pendants, lucky beings. We were marshalled into the next room, a large audiencechamber, with gilt barricades, having a velvet railing round. Portraits by Kneller ; and Lely, Court, painters of the tame of tie | Stuarts, adorned the walls. Catherine of Braganza and Anne Hyde, Duchess of York, were two of them. As St James's is never open to the public except on rare occasions, I observed as much as possible. The officers in their different ranks went first, then the civil surgeon, and then the nursing sisters. We were placed alphabetically, so I was first, much to my regret, as I thought I might profit by the mistakes of the others. We filed slowly through another long audience chamber, and then came to the presence chamber, a square room, not very large, and filled with ordered rows of people. We went in by a door on the left-hand side, and departed by another on the right. As we faced the King I nearly fell into the arms of one of the soldiers on guard in my efforts tx> see him. I wore my oldest uniform cloak— it looked such a dear old campaigner, I have always clung to it. Before, and just as the King drove up to the palace, we heard a band playing the national anthem in the quadrangle outside; then a subdued bustle and a whisper, 'The King has arrived,' went round. "The actual presentation to each could not possibly have taken more than a few seconds, tie whole affair being over by 12.40 at the latest. We passed one after another between the guards, handing our cards to one official, by whom they were transferred to others, till they finally reached the Lordi Chamberlain, standing at the right-hand side of the dais. He read aloud that 'Miss M. S. Bidmead had been presented with the Royal Red Cross by shis Majesty the King,' and then dropped the card into a large waste-paper basket placed for that purpose ab his side. Then I 'went forward to the front. The King was seated in a state chair under a sort of canopy, and my first idea was -how very good his portraits are. He was wearing what I suppose is a field-marshal s uniform, with a broad sash across the shoulder. 1 thought he looked tired, as well he might, but he has a very kind and very pleasant expression, which appears to be specially for the individual whom he is decorating. How he avoids a 'wooden' smile is a mystery. I suppose he has been learning the art all his life. He has very keen eyes, and what they do not see ia not wortn seeing, I should imagine. I walked forward on the square carjiet on which the chair was placed, dropped a curtsey— not a very low one, as I had my doubts as to being 1 able to rise again safely-then advanced to the velvet cushion placed at the Jungj , feet, and knelt on one knee. I had decided , previously to bend the right one, but in tile hurry of the moment it seemed to my ft* : turbed imagination that I possessed a num- ; foer of knees from which to choose The i hesitation was only momentary, but very uncomfortable whilst it lasted. I finally , decided on my right knee. The Kmg i took ; the cross from a cushion, Wed fom by I an official standing at his lef t hand, and hooked it on to my pendant. I raised my right hand, back uPP ermos f b ' ll the^f I P^ his over it, and I respectfully saluted it. . Then I rose, dropped another curtsey, and retired backwards towards the door on the i left-hand side of the room. I only hope I : was not wearing the sort of worried look ■ I had seen on the face of an officer who had . retired just before. He seemed anxiously , counting just how *n*ay : -fi**«s he was *■*"

ing. I went backwards just as far as the first guardsman beyond the edge of the carpet, then felt I might turn my back with safety, and was bowed out by various officials. The ordeal was over, but as one had not to speak I really had not felt nervous, especially as so many others were doing just the same thing. "We went through the audience rooms to another place, where officials took our pendants, and gave us cases in which to place our crosses. Whilst we were getting our cases I heard some one talking to Sister Waterhouse, the Indian service nursing sister, who has been to China, and looking up I saw it was Lord Roberts. I knew his face at once, although he looks older than when we used to see him going up and down our Barracks Hill in dear old Bloemfontein. He used to salute and say 'Good day' in such a cheery manner that one felt quite brisked up, however black and unpleasant things might be. His coat was covered with medals, and looked very magnificent. Sisfcer Waterhouse told me afterwards that she had known him in Jndia, and he recognised her again. We went out by the same door by which we had entered, and waited by the sentry Tinder the verandah to see the King pass. The stones were covered with crimson carpet, and we felt superior as we looked across the roadway at the people who were being kept back by the police. Soon we heard the national anthem, and knew the King was leaving by v the principal entrance. A mounted policeman galloped by, then a gilded coach, with people inside, whom we only just knew were there. Then came the state coach, a very gorgeous affair, with powdered coachman and two magnificent beings in pink stockings hanging on behind. It all looked most imposing. The King, who was sittingi well forward, looked directly at us, smiled and bowed most graciously in response to our curtsey. People have been very kind to us, and have said many agreeable things." _________________