Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-06-02


women poured tea and coffee for the men,
and each helped himself as he pleased.
The men carved meats at the sideboard for
the tea-pourers and themselves, which gave
to the repast the abandon of picnic. The
absence Of servants allowed the converse
, ton to be free and intimate, which was evil
IDENTIFY the object in dispensing with them.
= After breakfast there was general loung-
ing. No apparent effort was made to amuse
the guests, who enjoyed the freedom of ho-
tel life without its publicity. At eleven the
letters and newspapers came down from
London, when the society occupied itself in
reading or writing letters. There was a
well-selected library Of five thousand vol
umes, to which, with others, often repair
cd to while away half hour. Besides this,
packages occasionally arrived from Nudes,
containing the latest books. The men
were CARRIED in easy morning suits of gray
some in knickerboekers instead Of trows-
ers, their feet eneased In stout leather
stringed shoes; the women in simple robes,
their heads covered with fats During the
hour following breakfast there was polite
badinage and little Irritation, as the men,
bers of this colony sauntered about the
veranda or leaned against its columns.
At haf-past one or two, lunch, at which
were discussed the projects of the day.
Rides on horseback or in carriages, fishing
parties, shooting excursions, or walks,
usually followed, consuming the afterpart
of the day. Walks and shooting were gen.
orally in favor with the men when they did
not feel constrained by gallantry to join the
excursions planned by the ladies.
81 de a,,A
pence was never mentioned. No business
talk of any kind. London business men
were referred to by one or two in a tone
containing suspicion of something not
complimentary. The chief question was
recreation.
Between six and seven in the evening
one could see lights glancing through the
windows of the bedchambers. The house
was occupied in making its toilet. After
seven the drawing-rOoms, brilliantly
lighted, were a festive air. The change
was striking. Those whom one had seen
an hour before in course gray suits and
stout shoes, simple robes and straw fats,
were arrayed in black swallow-tails and
white craVats, decOllete silk and satin, the
barred arms and bosomS glistening with Or
naments. AT half past seven the company
passed into the dining room, where bright
chandelier shOne down on a broad table
adorned with flowers and sparkling with
crystals while an imposing array of hand
somely dressed servants stood in the back
ground.
the dinner usually lasted from an hour 70 an
hour and a half, and was garnished with
pleasant humOr and some rather heavy wit.
1t had not the spontaneity and quick repair
tee of the French dinner, because English
men are not Frenchmen, who seem to have
been created to shine in prandial way.
From conversations in this house and
elsewhere, during my sOjounin England, |
learn that the English have less affinity with
the French than the Americans. They
have more of the German characteristics
than we. Besides, several members Of the
royal family have married Germans, which
give German ideas and the German Ian
guage certain vogue. Most of the wo-
men and many of the men of the higher
class understand the language. The En-
glishman on his travels, by prediction, goes
to Germany, Italy, or the East.
When the women retired from the ia bic
the cloth was not removed; the table was
allowed to remain as it was. Heavy drink
ing did not follow the departure of the bet
ter part of mankind, as in the fox hunting
establishment; at most couple of glasses,
then coffee and cigar, the time thus Oc-
cupied not exceeding half an hour, when
the men, with proper degree of deCorum
gay without being drunk-joined the
danes. There was much less cOnsump
ton of port in this than the house first de-
scribed, and a freer use of Burgundy, Bor-
deaux, and champagne, the latter, contrary
to Continental custom, being drunk at the
beginning of the dinner.
The work of digestion and the humid
climate develope glow in the British face
seldom seen elsewhere. This is unfortu-
nate for the gentle sex of a sentimental
turn, especially when it settles in the nose
as it often dOes-the English say-in the
absence of exercise. The woman past forty
generally acquires a froWsiness of COM
plexion which seems to contribute to this
chronic blush. Age is more ungrateful to
the English woman than to her sisters in
other lands. In France she passes grace
fully into the forties, as vessel rides into
the calm waters of her destination after 9
successful voyage. Thirty and forty, in
the land of Moliere, look nearly like twins
hence, out of the twenties, wOman's age Is
apocryphal. At forty, in England, she is
labelled by nature. To this complexion
must she come at last, and the conspirine
enemies who bring about this result are
aside from race, moist climate, strong
drink, strong nOurishment, and the sea
winds. 1t is possible that beer may have
something to do with it also.
After dinner, to resume the days rou.
tine, it was sOiree in the drawing rooms
card-playing, talk, and music indifferently
executed, both vocal and instrumental.
The excellence of English servants is
proVerbial, and the kind of Hierarchy which
existed among them in this establishment
was not without interest to one coming
from a country where this useful body i:
imperfectly represented. They were di.
vided into upper and lower servants, witt
classification in each. The upper began
with the butler, following in the order
named: the cOachman, cook, grooms and
fOotmen; among the women, with the
housekeeper, ladies' maids and seamstress
es. Almost the same distance separates
the upper from the lower servants as thai
between the former and their masters
They take their meals in different rooms
and it was the duty of the knife-cleaner tC
wait on the higher branch of service at theil
repasts. In France, where cooking is car
ried to such perfection, the cook calls him
self an artist, and his place is considered
at the head of the people below stairs
which seems proper in country where gen
lemen amateurs like Alexandria Duma!
and Brillat-Savarin take hand at the spit
In the lower class were found the assistan
cooks, scullions, women-Of-sll-work, stable
keepers, and what-not. The two branche
did not associate with each other. Tit
butler had entered the service of this fami
ly when a boy, as knife-Cleaner, and hi
case was cited in illustration of what con
scientious discharge of duty and ambition
properly directed would do for a person
in the humber walks of life. 1t wa!
understood that in moments of unusual ex
pansion with the housekeeper, he referred
to his remarkably successful career will
much pride. He always appeared mode
of grave department end responsibility, moi
subject to the weaknesses common to men
The world sees the outer man, but he be
held the intermediate man; for to hin
were confided the keys Of the luggage, anC
he knew the condition and the quality o
the guests undergarments, together will
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