Nashville daily patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1855-1857, 1856-12-18

A PEEP AT ENGLISH Domestic LIFE.-Wt
6n in the Washington On. O. Journal The
following extract from letter written by one
OF the officers of the United States steam
friga,e Merrimac, dated Southampton, Octo
Der s:
We have been visited great deal here, es
pecially by navy men, and have created some.
thing of'an excitement in the naval world
| judging by the pieces in the papers. Much at
tenuon has been paid Us ashore, too, especial
| ly " two famies-oae that of an OLD East
! India general, the other that Of Lord Hard>
wicke. Gen. Frazier has passed most OF his
! life in India, and now lives in ease aud com
! fort on the Southampton Water. At dinner
at his house we had an opportunity of seeing
| how the arstocracv live here. Lord Hard
| wicke and family and several other guests were
| there to meet Us, aud everything was in spleu-
did style. One turbaned Indian, with several
other servants, waited at table. The plate
was superb, and the dinner the most recherche
We sat down TO the table at half past seven.
These are always epaulets and sword occasions.
Lord Hardwickes family consists of his
countess, bis eldest son (abOut Is or 90, and
Lord Royslon by cOurtesy,) three of the finest
looking daughters you ever saw, and several
younger sons. The daughters-Lady Eliza
beth, Lady Mary, and Lady Agnita-are sur
pa,singly beautiful; such development, such
rosy checks laughing eyes, and unaffected
manners YOU rarely see combined They take
a great deal of outdoor exercise, and came
aboard the Merrimac in a heavy rain. with
Irish thicker soled shoes than You or | ever
wore, and cloaks and dresses almost imperv-
Tb.,- . - So aol.t
walk the Lord knows how many miles, and
don't care a cent about rain; besides doing a
host of other things thrt would shock our la
dies to death; and yet in the parlor are the
most elegant-looking women in their satin
shoes and diamonds ever saw.
The Countess, in Der corOnet Of Jewels, is an
elegant lady, and looks like fit mother for
three such women. His Lordship has given
Us three or four dinners. lie lives here mere
ly during the yachting season, and leaves on
Friday for his country seat of Cambridge,
where he spends his winter, as do all English
gentlemen Of means, hunting, &c, and when
Parliament is in session he lives in London in
his town house. Here he has host Of SER
wants aud they wear the gaudiest livery
white plush knee -breecbes and vest, white silk
stockings and low shoes. Lord Hardwicke's
brother Is Dean of Ork, a high Chnrch dignI-
tary, has two pretty daughters and is himself
q jolly gentleman.
After dinner the ladies play and sing for Us,
and the other night they got up game OF
biindman's buff in which the lads said we
had the advantage, inasmuch as their "petti-
coats rustled SO that they were easily caught"
They call things 10y their names here. In the
course of the game Lord iiardwicke himself
was blindfoded, and trying to catch some one
fell over bis daughters lap GU the floor, when
two or three OF the girls caught him 10y the
legs and dragged his lordship, roaring with
laughter, as we all were, on his back into the
middle of the floor. They are perfectly re
spectful, but appear en- perfect equality with
each other. In fact, the English are great
people. Two clubs here have offered Us the
use Of their rooms.