The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1869-03-09
A Day at DunrObin Castle.
BY HARRIET BEECuER STOWE.

BY HARRIET BEECIIER STOWE.
A Day at Dunrobin Castle was spent
much in this fashion. Between eight and
nine o'clock the guests began assembling
in charming little boudoir adjoining
the grand drawiug,room, where the breaks
fast was always served, Here the Ouch
ess, always fresh and radiant, and with
something appropriate and kind to say to
each one, waited for few moments be
fore leading the way 10 room where the
servants Of the family were assembled for
family worship. On the entrance of the
Duchess and her guests all rose respectful
ly, and renamed standing until they
were seated; afterwhich the Duchess read
morning prayers, concluding with the
Lords Prayer, in which all joined audi
bly,. Breakfast, which Immediately fol-
lowed, was on The whole the most charm
ing meal of the day,-the table being
spread in the brightest and airiest room
Of the house, whose windows overlooked
the lree-tops of the forest and the blue
waters Of the German Ocean, 1t was a
meal OF unconventional freedom and ease;
every ones letters were laid beside his
plate, aud the opening and reading Of
these, and the passing backwards and for
wards of cheerful bits of information ga
thered from them, formed very pleasant
feature Of the hour, After breakfast
there was little season of chatting and
loungiDg in the parlors, while the Duchess
arranged with some Of her friends a
thoughtful programme of the day, which
included provision for the comfort and
amusement of every guest and these ar
rangements being understood, the Duchess
could command her time until luncheon al
two o'clock.
The gentlemen of the family, as gen.
eral thing, were supposed to spend the
day in the open air as this was the shoot
ing season.
After lunch at two o'clock the guests
generally drove out, and spent the after
noon inexcursions to different points Of
interest in the surrounding beautiful count
try, returning in season for an hour of rest
and refreshment before the dressing sbel
rang for dinner.
Dinner at eight o'clock was the grand
reunion of the day; all, however divided
in pursuits, we're expected to meet then,
and spend the evening thenceforward in
each others society. Music and conver.
sation diversified the evening, and al
twelve O'Clock the Duchess dismissed each
of her guests, handing her night lamp
with some appropriate kind word.
The disappearance of the beautifully
dressed ladies up and down the long corr
ridors of the castle, with their silver
night>lamps in their hands, and their pas.
sing behind the draperied portals of the
different doors, was like scene in the
opera.
The Duchess was never insensble tC
the poetry of the life she was living TIL,
romantic castle by the sea had its charm
for her, and she enriched its architecture
and arranged its apartments with many
graceful suggestions.
The boudoir, where we assembled il
the morning, was lined with sea>greel
satin, and the cornices Of the curtain
were of white enamelled shells and coral
The tables and furniture of the room wer
adorned with shells and coral; eveu th
small mouldings were wrought in the forr
Of seasshells.