Weekly American. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1858-1858, 1858-05-29
A GLIMPSE ATTHE HOMEAND FAM
lily OF AN ENGLISH EARL.

was visited bv the Earl OF Hardwicke and ms
family and in return for the hospitality of the
officers he invited them to his house. One Of the
officers sent to his friends in the United States
| an account Of their entertainment, and OF the
ge,fIl time they had after dinner, giving us
incidentally, a view Of the private life and man
ners Of an English nobleman's family (by rails
ing, as it were, one corner of the curtain of
confidence which we rarely get, and which
may open the eyes ofsome Of our pery genteel
and rery aristocratic nopi homines as wide as
owls.
We commend the letter to the special atten-
ton Of such as cannot appear in the street ex-
cept in laced CATERS of the most fashionable
kind, and silk dresses, without losing all pre-
tension to gentility in their own and the csti-
nation Of all snobdom, their claim to it depend
ing wholly upon their apparel.
"We sat down to the table at halfpast seven
o'clock These are Away epaulctte and sword
occasions. Lord Hardw icke's family consists
of his Countess, his eldest son (about eighteen
or twenty, and Lord Royston by courtesy,)
three of the finest looking daughters you ever
saw, and several younger sons. The daugh-
ters-Lady Elizabeth, Lady Mary, and Lady
| Agnita--arc surprisingly beautiful; such de-
velopment, such rosy checks, laughing eyes,
and unaffected manners, you rarely see CON-
bincd They take great deal of outdoor
exercise; and came aboard the Merrmac in a
heavy rain, with Irish thickcr-solcd shoes than
| YOU or ever VI ORC, and cioaks and dresses al
most impcrvions to wet. They steer their
| fathers yacht, walk, the Loud knows how many
miles, and don't care cent about rain, besides
doing host of other things that would shock
our ladies 20 death and yet in the rarlor they
are the most elegant women in their satin
shoes and diamonds ever saw. The Count
ess, in her coronet fjewels, is an elegant lady,
and looks like fit mother for three such wo-
men. His Lordship has given us three or
four dinners. lie lives here merely during the
watching season; and leaves here on Friday
for his country scat at Cambridge, where he
spends his winter, as do all English gentlemen
of means, in hunting &C.; and when Parlia-
ment is in session he lives in London in his
town-housr. Here he has host Of ser, ants |;
and they wear the gaudiest livery-white coats
with big silver buttons, white crayats, plush
knec-brceches and vest, with white silk stock
ings, and low shoes. Lord Hardwicke's brother
is Dean of York, a High Church dignitary has
two pretty daughters, and is himself jolly
gentleman. Alter dinner the ladies' play and
sing for us and the other night they got up a
game Of bIindman's buff, in which the ladies
said we had the advantage, irasmuch as their
petticoars rustled, so that they, were easily
caught They call things by their right names
here. In the course Of the game, Lord Hard
wickc himself was blindfoldod, and, trying TO
catch some one, fell over his daughters lap on
the floor, when two or three Of the girls caught
him by the legs and dragged his Lordship,
roaring with laughter, as We all were, on his
hack into the middle Of the floor. Yet they
are perfectly respectful, but appear on perfect
equality with each other. In fact, the English
are great people"
About fifteen years ago the Rev. Mr.. Cole
man, of Salon, Massachusetts, visited England
for the purpose { gaining aericutm al infor-
nation, examining Il c best farms Of England,
and reporting upon their improvements in, and
system Of farming. He bore letters Of intro
duciion to some Of the most distinguished no.
blcmen, and was at once invited by many Of
them to visit and sp nd opdime with them at
their country seats, where Englishmen dispense
tleir Inequalities. Mr.. c. availed himself Of
these invitations, and was made welcome and
| at home wherever he went In his letters he
describes the homo manners, customs and daily
doings of some OF the noble families he visited,
and among others, If we remember rightly, that
Of the Earlsof Roslyn, ard his description cor
responds exactly with the description above
given by one Of the officers OF the Mcriimac of
Earl Hardwicke's family. Tho Earl, he said,
went with him two or three days in success
sion on foot over his plantation, wearing hob
nailed shoes and coarse clothes, explaining
minutely all bis farming operations, his roia-
ton Of crops, his draining, snbsoil ploughing,
&c, &C., and the results Of his various expert
ments.
Lady Roslyn then took him under her
charge, and wearing thick, heavy, waterproof
shoes, she went on foot across fields, with the
water often an inch or two deep for three miles,
TO her dairy.
In going there, Mr. @. writes that her lady
ship had the good sense TO hold up her clothes
[of a very coarse texture] so as not to drabble
them"
Arrived at her dairy, she went through il
and explained how she set her milk, gathered
her cream, made her butter, cheese, &C.; gave
directions to those engaged in these opera
tons. and then returned again, on. foot, though
a carriage came along and was within call at
any moment.
After returning, she took Mr.. @. through her
laundry, bakery, confectionery, green houses,
&c, &c, by which time the hour had arrived
TO dress for dinner At dinner she appeared
anayed inrich apparel, diamonds, &c, and was
there "Lady Roslyn."
We should like 10 see an American lady that
would put on thick, heavy, waterproof shoes,
walk three miles through mud and water, at
tend to her dairy, oversee everything, give d.
rections and then return on foot while car
| r;ooo r,,s ,r;tt,;r all I-a