New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-09-12
ggqD ORLEANS 9ailg Gtestent,
WEDNESDAY MORNING, SEPTEMBER u, 1886
English Country Life in Summer.

English Country Life in Summer
An English correspondent of the N. Y Tribune
gives the following very interesting description of
the manner in which the Weather English classes
spend their summer in the country:
At tho other end Of our holiday scale stands
country house life, which, in the development at
least which il has now attained, Is also, so far as
know, peculiar to England. In every English
county, and all through Scotland, there are GER
tain number of their great houses which are
opened generally in the autumn by their owners to
q succession of guests, who stay on the average
four or five days the intimate friends Of the host
and hostess remaining, perhaps, for fortnight.
The details Of life at country houses vary, Of
course, according to situation. In Scotland and
the north of England grouse shooting and deer.
stalking prevail from the 18th Of August.
Everywhere partridge shooting is part Of the
play from the LIST of September, and wherever
there is good salmon or trout stream in the
nelghDOrh0Od, man or two of the party will
surely be found for whom the anglers craft has
irresistible attractions. There are neighborhoods
andh0uses again in which there is craze for
cricket or rifle shooting. But nowhere is sport of
life, except in out of the way highland lodges or
at q few residences of hopelessly demoraIized
Nmrods, where the men herd together and give 1
themselves up to simple life Of destruction.
Ordinarily, the manner of life is somewhat III
this wise Breakfast from 8 to 10, and guests
dropping down and grouping themselves as they
phase, generally at three or four different tables
Al 109 or IL, the shooting and fishing parties
start, or the rlcket.match begins in the mean
time the men stroll about the grounds with
cigar or visit the stables and kennels, or join the
ladies', who draw, or work, or read the papers, or
gossip, in the drawing rooms, or on the carpets
and cushions on the lawn, under lime or chestnut
trees, if the day is warm enough. Then croquet
parties are generally going lazily and ttirtngly
until the next general gathering at for luncheon,
meal which the sportsmen, however, take under
hedge or behind haystaCk.
Afterward the ladies drive or ride, or continue
to Cr5duet with such of the men as csChew shoot
ing until between five and six, when there IS tea
for those who like it, in the house or on the lawn
Probably the spOrtsmen will be at home before
the pleasant lettering at tea is over, and by this
time the morning papers have arrived, and per
haps some new guest and there is talk Of anything
that has happened in politics Or society. bAther
az eight ar Whereabouts, and atterward, IN some
houses YOU viii have music, in others cards, IN
others dancing. until the ladies like to retire.
Then the men adjourn to the billiard room, cigars
and set2eG water, mixed with more or less sherry
or shirts Billiards lasts as long any one likes
10 play, every man dropping of at his own time.
But though the general features Of the life are
alike in all country houses, each has more Or les
its own speciality. There are lew merely me
houses still, at which no one but the creme &c "a
crime Of society go called are found. At pres
ent these are more addicted To horse.Tacing than
any other pastime, and, as am credibly informed
to earnest rOmping in the evenings, much after
the fashion of Compegnc, from which the custom
comes. If report speaks truly however, the y
maintain their exclusiveness at the price of tire
mendOus dullness. In the pleasantest large houses
society is always dashed with an infusion, more OF
less strong according to the taste of the hosts, Of
foreigners, literary men, politicians, Travellers az
lists. In general, the neighborhood is carefully
tended for political and social purposes, our grea
folks, however exclusive they may be IN London
having a most decided notion Of remaining tht
heads in every sense OF their own corners o
England.
So Won have a constant succession of the squire
=. and parsons and their wives and daughters VIII
criticise the Londoners and are criticised in thei
turn. This " colluvius centrum" is often yer.
attractive indeed, where the host and hostes
take pains in grouping their visitors it is Difficult
to imagine a more fascinating life. Once Q
twice have seen this so well done that even spor
has been at complete discount, one Or Two me
for very shame having just responded to the keeG
er's summons for an hour or two, hurrylng bac
by luncheon time to reioin the society.
The system has its faults no doubt. 1t is to
luxurious, every possible attention being palC
without question of expense, to the feeding an
lodging Of the guests and the troops of servant
they bring with them.
This carrying about of funkeys and abigail
has become a monstrous nuisance | am sorry
say that scarcely any OF my countrylnen Or coQi
tIywOnlen have the courage 10 90 to O. c0untT
house without a man and maid. | have know
excellent women who Kept no ladys maid
lone take their housemaids in that capacity
great house, to the utter ruin of those dome
tics. For none but the servants of the hOu
II take part in any Of the work, while they are Ii
ing in the same luXury, and greater idleness, thj
their masters or nistresses as they have Meth
the intellectual excitement nor the physical e
err Sc OF shooting, fishing, or riding. The ella
Of upper servants are becoming almost as serlo
social problem for US as our paupers, in VIII
condition many of the former, by the way el
their useless lives. Beside being too lnXtrior
county house life is at once too exciting and t
idle.
There is no rest from the constant strain Of MT
ropoiitan life tor any one, from tue girls and boy
who have enormous opportunities for tlirtations
every turn, to the elderly statesmen who get thu
bags from the Office in the morning and have
keep the affairs Of the nation in their heads mo
or less. But there is nothing like regular wor
either physical intellectual. II a man has
write serious Dispatch or to get through
task requiring concentration, he runs up to tow
OF otherwise secludes himself from the Engi
Uie de- cdnipd}9ne.n
But have been running into this disquisiti0n
English country bouses instead ofchronicng su
news as is going here, as it was my intententon
do when started. The fact is, however, Il
there is almost nothing to chronicles so that on
thoughts and pen runnaturay into holiday goss
and as one sits and writes, one signs to think wi
place England is for the rich and well born a
their hangers-on, what n dull dark, mOnstrc
home for all beside. If the science of luxnric
and cultivated life can make folks happy, thent
English upper ten thousand ought to be the he
piest of mortaisfot three months from the mid
Of July in every year.
CUaIoUs FACTS ABOUT WAIER.-The extent
which waters mingle with bodies apparently
most solid, is very wonderful. The glittering Op