The Mississippi Creole. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1841-1851, 1849-07-14
AN ENGLISH .NoBLEMAN.

lish noblemen live and entertain their guests. =
The author is speaking Of Walbec Abbey, the
residence Of the Duke Of Portland:
had supposed had seen, several times be- :
fore, the summit Of luxurious and elegant liv- I
ing, but this, | confess, went beyond what /
had met with, and the beauty Of the whole was,
that though there were SO many parts, wheel
within wheel, and one spring depending for its
tension and movements upon another, yet there
was not the slightest jarrlng or creuking; and
although, for aught | know, there were one
hundred servants about, and ! do believe there
were not less, you would scarcely have sup
posed, from any noise by night or day, that
there was one within q mile.
asked when | retired, what time do you
breakfast? The Duke replied, : just what time
you please, from nine to twelve.' | always
came down at nine precisely, and found the
Duchess at her breakfast. About half past
nine the Duke would come in, and the ladies,
one by one, soon after. At breakfast, the
side table would have on it, cold ham, cold
chicken, cold pheasant or partridge, which you
ask for, or to which, as is most common, you
get up and help yourself. On the breakfast
table were several kinds Of the best bread pos
sible, butter always fresh, made that morning,
as | have found at all these houses; and il you
ask TOR coffee or chocolate, it would be brought
to you in a silver coffee pot, and you helped
yourself; if for tea, you would have a silver
urn to each guest, heated by alcohol, placed
by you, a small teapot and a small caddie Of
black or green tea to make for yourself, or the
! servant for you. The papers Of the morning
from London, (for country paper is rarely
seen,) were then brought to you, and your let
tiers, if any, At breakfast the arrangements
were made for the day, and if you were to ride,
choose your mode, and at the minute the horses
y, and servants would be at the door.
At two o'clock is the lunch, which was
not at nome to take, and very rarely do take
: A lunch in such houses ls in fact a dinner; the
Is table is set at half past one, not quite so large
2 as for dinner, Commonly there is roast meal
warm, birds warm or cold, cold chicken, cold
beet, cold ham, bread, butter, cheese, fruit
beer, ale and wines, and every one takes it al
he pleases, standing, sitting, waiting for thu
a rest or not, and going away when he pleases
G. dinner ut seven, sometimes at eight, when al
up are congregated in the drawing-room, five min
5h Gtes before the hour, in full dress. have al
rs ready told you the course at dinner, but q
er -. L-,... ,Iavo - nI,yo., ., bll nc fova-i
this case written, | Lad almost said engraved
te on the most elegant and embossed colored pa
de per; always in French, and passodround to tn
Id guests. Three days in succession, we had di
ferent kinds of excellent fish, taken from pond
he directly in the neighbor lood Of the house, o
~ the Dukes own grounds. After dinner, W
had, every day, peaches, nectarines, grape
M and pine-apples in abundance. There wei
six Of us at dinner, daily, and eleven servant
OF most Of them in livery, the Everywhere conslsI
nj of light yellow shorts and waistcoat, with whit
by cotton or silk stockings, and pumps, a Ion
ar. blue coat trimmed with silver lace and button
IRIS and silver e%paulcts on each shoulder, and whit
~crayats; those out Of livery were in full sui
cor of black, and if you meet the female servan
ear of the upper class, you must take care not
ed mistake them for the ladies' OF the house,
there is little to distinguish them in point
elegance of dress. After dinner, in half .
YES hour, the ladies retire, and in another hall hoI
ON the gentlemen meet them in the drawing-roor
,og Then do what y, u please; read, play, talk, loo
at pictures and books, wait the retiring OF OF
eet ers, or, at your pleasure, you may find a cand
in the passage, and go to your chamber, whe
les. you find a good fire, and every thing requisi
ash for your comfort and convenience, in perfe
req readiness and order. If you want a servaI
there is one at your elbow if you require
+ of laundress, your valet will take your cloth'
in and they will be returned as soon as possib
in the best order with the bill.
wo If YOU leave your chamber twenty times
ct, day, after using your basin, you would find
clean, and the pitcher replenishcd on your
and turn, and that you cannot take your cloth
of, but they are taken away, brushed, foldc
pressed, and placed in the bureau, and at
dressing hour, before dinner, you find 20
in / candles lighted. your clothes laid out, yo
shoes cleaned, and every thug arranged
red use. | never saw more attention. can HARD
conceive Of more perfect housekeeping,
rtv, YOU scarcely ever see or heat anybody, uni
ION, YOU ring a bell, when a servant instantly
,sn., pears before you, as if from the wainscOtll
ef
81 am sorry to hear livery sorry, s.
Mrs. Darlington, and her specs looked siea.
as il in an atmosphere Of tears, Sorry
what?' anxiously asked Mrs. Sled. 4 see
lost the papers, continued Mrs. r., that the Co
nUy tess of Blessedness, in England, has failed,
COY had to sell her articles of Vertu! What !
'"tm creatures we are! There's no knowing W
WIG m%;sfortin NAV drive us to. And only thinl