The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1873-04-02
A LONDON DINNER PARTY.
HOW THE "BLARSTED .RRITISHERS"
ENJOY THEMSELVES At TABLE.


Receptions-West End Hospitalities-
The Etiquette and Conversation, &c.
Correspondence Of The Boston Post >
LONDON, March is.
The very day after he was 30 fairly beaten
In the House Of Commons, Mr.. Gladstone had
great dinner party at hls residence In Carl
ton House Terrace, aud afterwards one of
those select, aristocratic receptions known
here as "at-homes." The right honorable
gentleman could hardly have left the House
on Wednesday morning before three o'clock;
and at ak p NJ. he had to be ready to receive
under his hospltabIe roof no less parsonage
than Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh,
the second son of Queen Victoria. The pre-
mIer lives In spacious, substantial and rather
ancient mansion, fronting the Carlton House,
where the prince regent used to hold his or
Giles with his brothers OF York and Cumber-
land, Beau Brnmmel, and the rest of the court
tavorltes of that dissolute period; patr-
clan repose now rests upon the quarter,
which la lust aside from the hustle
of Pail Mall and St. James's; and Mr..
Gladstone may boast of having dukes and
earls on every side of him. Cabinet dinner
ls the ambition OF every young. sprout OF The
arislocracy or of the foreign legations who
hnds himself involved In the gay whirlp pool OF
London society; even to be invited to the tat
home," which always follows The formal din
ner In the upper circles, Ia distinction craved
By young ladies of most respectable family
and the most finished education The fashion
of dinner, 10 which the select few are bid
den, followed by reception to which from
Ir, In fIro
know, confined to London West End, and 1t
ls q very shrewd device for paying OF social
scores. or course The dinner party ls the
creme de Ia creme: the most distinguished
guests are honored by 1t. Then the reception
follows TO clear of the account with the world
In general. Idon't know that better i'm.
preston could be given of society among the
upper ten thousand, than oy )ottlng down
few notes descriptive OF these at
once eminently formal and emlnently
social occasions. For 1t Ia fact which
extended observation only tends to con-
firm, that the English arlstocracy are at once
the most punclillous and the least stilted OF
all aristocracies. You are ushered Into my
lords presence by footman ak feet two
high, with portentons calves, a head literally
pusted with stratum OF powder, livery
which defy any one 10 see for the hrst time
without mingled sensation Of awe and
amusement, and with q step as stately as the
biggest cathedral beadle Il can't imagine Q
more striking comparson) In France. But
when this awful creature has vanished aud
closed the door, and you find yourself face TO
face with my lord, you are surprised and re-
freshed 10 observe that he is perfectly simple,
- aud amiable In manner, dressed with an
apparently studied painness, succeeds with
out effort In putting you quite at your ease,
and enters as glibly into conversation as II he
we're your brother-in.law or your creditor.
As The man in "Hard Times" would say.
There is no biggcd nonsense about him"
whatever. It is much The same at the dinner
parties that take place nightly at this season,
py the dozen. west of Trafalgar Square. There
Ia very little difference, too, between dinner
party given by q prime minister and one
eiven 6y a noble earl or right honorable
baronst; only the former have an Official color,
and are almost always given with some public
aim. Now 1t is 10 receive q royal prince, now
some illustrious foreign statesman; again 10
to gather round the groanlng board the party
chiefs for Intimate exchange OF Ideas; then TO
the patrlarchs OF the church. But The salient
characteristics of the arlstocratic London din
ner are much the same whether tue host oe
cabinet minister or the titled dispenser OF q
private substantial and profuse feast. Let me
lake IL for granted that you are distinguished
literary or political foreigner, who mas gained
the entree into the upper social sphere, and to
whom the Earl of g. desires 10 pay marked
attention. You receive accordingly large
piece OF very smooth pasteboard. wnereon you
are hidden to dinner on certain day, usually at
the hour OF elk or halt after. Attired In dress
suit and white necktle, you are expected 10
present yourself at The front door at pre-
cisely the designated hour when you will
probably find your modest cab-for voiture
de remise even is not demanded oy ell
uuette; indeed, have seen the Lord Chief
Justice of England go to dinner party IN
handsome cab-mlxed up with motley line
| of gorgeous, emblazoned cabriolets and heavy
family coaches. A slalwart footman 10 op-
presslve livery swings Wide the door, and as
Won enter, another fOotmaD, with equally op-
presslye livery, conducts you TO room
which Is not seldom my lold's llbrary-where
Won leave your surtout and hat and cane, and
give q tnal bruCh 10 locks and whiskers. II
there be ladies of the party, they ere usually
provided with separate rooms; and joining
them on the staircase, you ascend 10 tne
drawlng-room, just OF the door OF which Is
stationed third fuotman, with trebly op'
pressivs livery. To this august being you
whisper your name, to be shocked by hearing
1t resound-usually pronounced dlstresslngly
wrong, and twisted into something unheard
of-tbrough the stately apartment, the vista
of which opens through the doorway
to your view. Here is my lord, fault,
lessly dressed, who advances easily a1d
naturally, 6r8sp5 your nauu Will oiiVt
word OF welcome, and leads yon forward
to q balloon like being, all BLK and lace, 10
whom he presents yon as TO the countess 81
Il. She Ia the central figure of beVy Of
ladies'. and you are In turn introduced, with
very little formallty, to the Lady Angelina and
the Lady Gertrude and the Lady Constance,
until the blooming family ls exhausted. Here
and there In little knots about the room toe
guests are standing, chatting quietly and
easlly together. You recognize the arch
bIshSp and ambassador, the eminent historian
and the parliamentary leader, judges and
literati. and men and women OF fashion; II
prluce OF the blood is present, he mingles
freely with the rest, although narrow observa-
tIon detects trfe more difference paid TO
him than to the other guests. In very lew
minutes-ior all is promptness In the ar1slo-
cratic household -dlnner Ia announced 0y Inc
burly, rubicund, knee-breeched butler, whose
spopleclic countenance looms lor an in-
stanI only In the doorway. AS easlly
and naturally as possible the company
proceeds 10 the dlning-room by couples,
the hostess and moat distinguished guest
leading The way. You cannot but be
struck by the apartment into which you
are thus introduced. The rich sombre.
ness and ud>slatelIness Of 1t bespeaks age and
dignity: YOU think of 1t as place where peo.
pls of rank sat over their wine hundred or
Two wears ago. The oaken walnscotiHg, floor
and ceiling is dark and shiny, and gives a
melloyed, sober coloTing to the big room.
Huge open sideboards, wonders OF Intricate
carving, are loaded down with an astonishing
wealth OF gold and silver plate, 30 massive
and antique and deity chased az to speak OF
| long accumulated heirlooms and descent