Diplomatic Blunder Led to Faux Pas

It was bad enough that he had a faux nose to replace the one he lost due to illness, but how on earth could someone with a faux nose use snuff? And would the person even want to???— “Prince Alexander, with his wonted grace of manner, soothed the wounded spirit of the diplomatist, and on taking leave of him was so anxious to be polite that, forgetting the peculiar disabilities under which Gadban Effeudi labored, he presented him with a valuable silver snuff-box.” — Above, antique silver snuff box.

In a letter from Sophia, we find the following story: Gadban Effendi, at some early period of his life, was in delicate health, and his malady settling in his note brought about the total loss of that feature. This misfortune was mitigated by the adoption of a paper substitute, which answers uncommonly well and never turns blue on frosty mornings. But of course it is not a thing to take notice of or talk about. Yet, when Gadban Effendi was going to Stamboul last January with the Prince's message to the Sultan, a passport was given him by the Bulgarian Foreign office, which contained his signalement, of which one of the items was, “Nez Postiche.”


This brutal precision irritated Gadban Effendi very much. He demanded an audience of the Prince, and insisted that the passport clerk should be dismissed. Prince Alexander, with his wonted grace of manner, soothed the wounded spirit of the diplomatist, and on taking leave of him was so anxious to be polite that, forgetting the peculiar disabilities under which Gadban Effeudi labored, he presented him with a valuable silver snuff-box. — Daly Alta, 1886

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