The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1873-03-25
A LONDON "SEASON." +"
THE GREAT SOCIAL PHENOMENON OF
THE BRITISH B4BYLON.

THE GREAT SOCIAL PHENOMENON OF
THE BRITISH B4BYLON.
An Eccentric Period of fPleasure-UrbaT
Society with Rural Flayor-HoW
and When the Season Begins-Tht
Symptoms In the Parks-Cosmopolita
Company-Eating the First and Las,
| Condition of English Sociabflfty.
Correspondence Of the Cincinnati CONNER claL
Few Americans ever know anything about
that mammoth social phenomena called The
London season. In the spring and early sum
mer, when the exodus of travel takes place
| from the United States into Europe, Ameri
cans arriving 10 London are usually too much
engrossed in the purchasing of "oulfts," OF
in arranging letters of credit with their bank
ers, and too eager 10 breathe the more for
eign atmosphere OF the Continent to have
much thought about The extraordinary
movement OF polite civilization which is
lust then taking place In the British
common kind are required 10 Introduce them
into the defended circles of English society.
Perhaps halt dozen Western Republicans 10
wear come aVmed with the extraordinary
credentials, and have inclination and leisure
to remain in London while they may be III.
Quoted into the wilderness OF entertainments
which characterize it's season. Topographic
cally considered, London season is not an
affair OF London at all, but OF the West Emo,
or the part of English Babylon which has Bel
grave Square as It's centre, and It's periphery
within Two miles OF that distinguished neigh
borhood. inside OF thls limit lie Westminster
and the two Houses of Parliament, the famous
streets Regent and Piccadilly, The Academies
of Science and Art, the great parks, and,
grouped about The latter, the palaces OF the
nobillty-everythiDg, In short, which divides
polite London from the vulgar, shopkeeping
city.
Considered with reference to Its time In the
wear. the English season Ia The worlds out-of-
season. The nation gifted with political
constitution which doeN not contain its lave,
with sovereign not permitted to rule, and
which produces It's arboreal fruit on vines
clinging 10 garden walls, consistently differs
from the order of Nature In having its urb1n
polite period amid the tervors of midsummer.
The London season In this respect is indeed
an anomaly. Fashionable society In other
countries begins Its gaia term In November
and closes 1t In April-relrealing from Nature
during its unattractiye period. The English
crowd to their capital with the breaking OF
May buds, and the last Of their metropolitan
festivities die away amid the excessive dusls
and heats oil July. The eccentric turn of the
London season is fixed by the habits of the
national aristUcracy. Polite life elsewhere has
It's beginning and inspiration 10 clties-the
centres of commerce and OF Intellectual
activities. Good society 10 England has
Its strong roots In the country, In the
family seats of the mobiles and OF the
great landed gentry. It is distinguished, In a
word, as the only modern cultivated society
which Is rural rather than urban, keeping al
Ways it's flavor OF the soil. Once year this
cultivated provincial society makes lts lrrup.
tions Into the great city where 1t elects to
hold It's holiday. The London season becomes
kind OF social reservoir filled by trickling
tributaries from every part OF the kingdom.
determined by English aristocr,ic tastes aud
usages. The ancient passion Tor fOX-hnnting
during the wiDter mouths has not diminished
among the gentry, and one of The traditions
In this same grade OF English life is 10 assem-
ole the members OF q household at The country
home during Christmas-tlde: The great fami,
lies like 10 remain al their rural seats until
after The Easter festival; the smaller families
take their pattern after the great, and 30 the
beginning uf The London carnival is delayed
until the middle OF spriDg. "t5oing up 10
London" for the season, as the Eag,ish ex-
press it. is like going 10 q ball, those appear
ing most distinguished who appear late.
bling of Parliament In February. The first
slep toward the great fashionable holiday Is
then considered taken. In the Interval be-
tween this event and the week after Easter
tide the feminine portion of English families
which are 10 take part In the London carni-
val Ia believed to restrain Itself in rural seclu-
sion with considerable impatlence. British
malrons who are liable 10 estimate the impor-
tance Of the season with reference 10 oppor-
tunity fer securing desirable matches for
elder daughters, grow anxious TOR an early
settlement in their town residencrs. Young.
er daughters who are about 10 enter upon
their first year of society exist for two months
In q Stale OF nervous anticipation. In London
itself there are also signs OF looking forward
to It's annual transformation. Members Of
Parliament, including the heads of many
strong households, arrive and take resi.
dence In lodgings until the coming of
their families. Just enough entertain
ments must be attempted TO preserve these
representatives OF the State from social stag
nation. There begins 10 be little activity In
the palaces Of the great clubs along Pail Mall,
and In the houses OF various journalistic and
literary celebrities that series Of enter tain
ments known as "At homes,' ana Wnich
maintain as the model London receptions
throughout The season, IL fantly Initiated. At
the end OF March few of The earlier arriving
aristocralic families, whose heads are In one
or the other of The Houses OF Parliament, are
already in town; there Ia a perceptlble hustle
of lite In The fashionable neighborboods, and
a score of Wlndow-binds are seen 10 be low
cred In the grim quarters OF Belgravia. Dur
Ing April The season breaks out manlfeSlly IN
the parks. For The parks are the pulse OF
London gala year, the show OF equlpages and
riders on the grand parades giving always
evidence of The exact stale OF Social activity.
Receptions and entertainments OF all sorts
tnicken with The advance OF April, and with
the opening OF the Royal Academy OF Art IN
May The drama OF the London season is fairly
Introduced.
An attempt to describe In detail the English
fashionable year when 1t has fully commenced,
II 1t a'G not begin, would end In madness. A
London season is the very aggregation and
celebration four months long, in the largest
city OF the world, Of oil The pleasura6le con-
Germs of mankind.
The Russian slghs for st. Petersburg; the
Musselmun longs for StamboUl; a German
winter centres ABOUT Vienna or Berlin, and
the Latin races draw 10 Paris. But London,
that could swallow within lts limits all these
cities. is the magnet of The world, and offers q
social season 30 varied and extensive as TO
absorb the distinctive characteristic OF the
several European capitals luto lls massive Co.'S
mopolltanism. Parliament, whose session is
the central fact around which the season r.
wolves, is vortex OF political considera-
ton from Hindostan 10 Quebec. Art has its
daily seances at the academy. Lecturin-
has its reunions, and draws after 1t arlsLocra-
cy and fashion. Twice week the volaries OF