The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1870-07-11
LIFE IN LONDON.
ArlstOcratic and Fashionable EnjOyments--
Afternoon Pariies-Queen vietoria's Gar
den Fete- 'sWhO" Were ut Windsor
Lord Clarendon's Last Appearance
Minister Motley-N0t Much OF an
Entertainme nt-Royal Hospi-
tlllty-The Prince Of Wales
Disraeli's ''rurn0ut."
LONDON, June q, 1870.

The old saying that extremes meet seems about to
be verified in London fashionable life. Having got
TO what may be considered the extreme end OF an
artificial existence seem about to return to the
early hours OF our great grandfathers, and TO be-
come more economical of our time as well as OF our
health Until ately--that Is until the last three or
four yearsthe rule for all reunions. balls, or as
sembles tat homes'' was that people should go
TO the houses where they were asked about an hour
after midnight. The great and increasing lateness
OF the dinner hour-if you sit down at large party
by halfpast eight p NJ. you may consider yourself
very fortunate fndeed; the terrible long time that
English people sit at dinner. and the Imaginary
necessity OF ladies who have been at a dinner party
changing their dress before they 60 TO a ball rem
dered 1t almost impossible for people to meet IN the
ballroom before the small hours had commenced.
These small hours got further and further into the
morning, until have actually seen women offshion
arrive at the house to which they were asked at
something ike two A. NJ. The evil was great. but.
like many, ike most, other evils 1t has worked, at
any rate In a certain measure, Its own cure, PEG.
pie begun to see that anything like enjoyment at
ball to which they went at these hours vas
out OF the question. And yet how alter or change
them was the question You could not make the
hour for the opera earlier because you could not
make the dinner hour earlier. You could not make
the dinner hour earlier because you could not axe
the park hour earlier. II you made the park hour
earlier 1t would interfere with the five p. NJ. tea and
the cosey chat OF intimate friens at that hour. II
you anticipated The I'VE O'Clock tea what was to be-
come OF the luncheon hourS And so on al f,stnftua.
At length 1t struck some fashionable genius OF
greater wit than his sober fellows to cut the knot by
commencing at The other end. Why not have after
noon particss Why not dance by daylight and thus
relieve, at any rate, some of the heavy pressure
upon the evening timer
LADY HOLLAND.
The first person to make the idea popular was
Lady Holland the owner OF Holland House, In Ken
siugton, close to london, where SO many Americans
and many foreigners OF all nations have recey ed
hospitality and Kindness. She commenced by hav-
Ing afternoon parties once week TO which, per.
haps, some two thousand Of the cream OF society
asked. IT. Is true that her magnificent gardens
and extensive lawns made 1t easier to receive her
friends and amuse them than 1t would have been
with most persons But even fashionable people are
not totally devoid OF common sense, and Otner
ladies began to find that they could dance and en-
JOY themselves much more, get to their work much
fresher at four or i've +. NJ than at one A. NJ. They
began to approve novelty and afternoon dances
are, not gradually, but very quickly, becoming the
rule than the exception In London. 1t Is true
that they interfere with the afternoon drives In the
Park. but That can be dispensed with from time to
time. A year ago 1t was deemed impossible to give
one OF these afternoon reunions unless you had
large garden or lawn attached to your house. But
it is otherwise now. No later than last week I saw
at three most fashionable houses in Begravia these
afternoon parties going on, and from the sounds OF
music within | guessed, not wrongly, that there
was dancing at each Of them.
QUEEN vICToRIA's FETEs.
Last year, and again Friday, the cath Of this
month her Majesty has added to the fashionable
stampof these parties by giving one herself. Last
year 1t was at Buckingham Palace this year 1t was
at Windsor. II was called estate breakfast;' but
how entertainment to which the guests were only
asked at Eve o'clock III the afternoon could be called
a breakfast leave Others TO decide. Windsor Castle
Is some sixteen miles from London, and every per-
son asked to the Jete was provided with ticket, or
pass by which he or she, the might be, would
be taken by special train from the Great Western
Railway station at Paddtngton right away TO Wind
sor. The said railway station was magni1cently
got up part OF the platform being carpetcd in scar
lei cloth and rallied OF SO that the ladies and gentle
their way to Windsor might not be herded with
'the common crowd.n The common crowd. how
ever consisting ofmany hundreds ofthe upper middle
classes was there TO the departure Of the foru
nate guests Of royalty My countrymen are-there IL
no use Disgusting the fact-very much given to
TO bow to royalty is to them delight that cannot DO
expressed in words. But If they cannot get royalty
bow TO- the next best thing to bow to those who
are going To where royalty Is.
From about three T. M. TO five P. NJ. the carriages
OF some OF the leading people OF London kept dash
ing up TO the Paddtngton station.
THE UNITED STATES MINISTER.
Almost the first person TO put In an appearance
Mas Hoey lie IooHed in cana sUr,ts w 1
well dressed, and shook hands warmly with Lord
Clarendon THE very day on which his ordship took
his fatal illnessl and Lord Granville, who came
So soon as the station master had got some two
the first special lran and 1t started for Its desti-
nation. Your representative and our Foreign Secre-
tary Mr. OtwaY, with the ladies Of their respective
parties, all went In one compartment; and as
arrival at Windsor station there Is still q five.
minutes drive to the Castle they had OF course the
advantage OF one OF the royal carriages to take
them on
Mr. Motley, as have noticed at every public party
in London seems on the very best Of terms with
oil the great and the titled men in England, and he
appears to be exceedingly popular with them. The
ladies Of his family have made quite a reputation for
themselves In London by the great elegance OF their
dress. But, as 1 understand, neither your Minister
nor the members OF his family are as popular among
your own citizens who come here AS they might be-
However, this Is topic Of which more on some
future occasion.
THE .BREAKFAsr'-wHo ARE INVITED.
In my last letter said that there 800 guests
Invited TO this estate breakfast at Windsor.
wrong. There were 500, not ], s00 Now, as what is
considered fashionable fe'' in London numbers at
the very least some ak thousand followersas there
are about four hundred members OF the House Of
Peers and $50 OF the House OF Commons-you may
imagine that very great many must have been left
out in the cold" But royal hospitality in England
always excepting that shown by the Prince OF Wales
which Is really large, Kind and in every way pleas.
ing-is one OF those things which, as Sotnern, the
actor, says, mo iela can underestimate AT Windsor
Castle, particularly when the grounds are open, at
least ten thousand visitors or guests might
ind so much room that they would be
O mere nothing upon these magnificent premises
There are ] am credibly informed, some twenty
gentlemen, with their families, from the United
States who would have been asked to any court In
Europe NOT one of them was asked to this the only
party at which her Majesty viii be present during
the present season, nor has OF them been asked
to the state ball which u to be given tomorrow at
Bucn,,-.cham Palace.
Surely there is something wrong here. The chief
magistrate OF nation, whether Emperor, King,
Queen President Is paid among other things, Tor
showing hospitality TO the strangers that are within
the gates Of that nation. do not say that every
rowdy loafer who goes from England to the United
States or uice rersd ought to be asked to the White
House or to Windsor But surely, those who are