526 IN THE DIPLOMATIC SERVICE-IV 



what an American representative has sometimes to meet. 

 As I was sitting with our minister, Governor Noyes of 

 Ohio, there was shown into the room a lady, very stately, 

 and dressed in the height of fashion. It was soon evi 

 dent that she was on the war-path. She said, &quot;Mr. 

 Minister, I have come to ask you why it is that I do not 

 receive any invitations to balls and receptions given by 

 the cabinet ministers? &quot; Governor Noyes answered very 



politely, &quot;Mrs. , we have placed your name on the list 



of those whom we would especially like to have invited, 

 and have every hope that it will receive attention. &quot; She 

 answered, &quot;Why is it that you can do so much less than 

 your predecessor did at the last exposition! Then I re 

 ceived a large number of invitations ; now I receive none. 

 The minister answered, * 1 1 am very sorry indeed, madam ; 

 but there are perhaps twenty or thirty thousand Americans 

 in Paris; the number of them invited on each occasion 

 cannot exceed fifty or sixty; and the French authorities 

 are just now giving preference to those who have come 

 from the United States to take some special part in the 

 exposition as commissioners or exhibitors.&quot; At this the 

 lady was very indignant. She rose and said, 1 1 will give 

 you no more trouble, Mr. Minister; but I am going back 

 to America, and shall tell Senator Conkling, who gave 

 me my letter of introduction to you, that either he has 

 very little influence with you, or you have very little in 

 fluence with the French Government. Good morning!&quot; 

 And she flounced out of the room. 



This is simply an indication of what is perhaps the 

 most vexatious plague which afflicts American represen 

 tatives in the leading European capitals, a multitude of 

 people, more or less worthy, pressing to be presented at 

 court or to be invited to official functions. The whole 

 matter has a ridiculous look, and has been used by sun 

 dry demagogues as a text upon which to orate against 

 the diplomatic service and to arouse popular prejudice 

 against it. But I think that a patriotic American may 

 well take the ground that while there is so much snob- 



