The New York herald., 1875-09-26
An American Attaches Impressions
Of English Life.
CHATS ABOUT NOVELS.
The Calderwood Secret -" A
Question Of Honor"
"A WING SHOT AT THE QUILL.

This surprise lay in an advance copy OF Mr. f. s.
Nadals Impressions OF English Social Life, which
SorIbner, Armstrong Co. will publish in few days
The book has already appeared In England, published
by Macmillan Co., and has been well received by the
most conservative journals
'I consider this volume said the lawyer addressing
tho club from his favore stand the rug before the
nom tho pen Of an American writer, with
perhaps the one exception Of Hawthorne. Mr.. Nadal
was an aacho at tho Court OF st. James for some years
and In that capacity ho had opportunity of study
tng noble England such falls to the lot of few. On
the other hand his tastss and pleasures led him among
the less titled, but more intellectual mon and between
she Two he got thorough acquaintance with English
social life His book is strong, brilliant delicate and
witty He greatly admrcs the England of to. day and
does not hesitate to say His appreciation of Eng
lishmen Is rare in American and his book abounds
IN beautiful imagery and subtle thought.
Tho DocroR-You have quite whct our appcttcs to
hear something of this gifted authors writing Can't
you give us some characteristic extracts?
The LAwYER-If should attempt TO read YOU half of
the passages have drawn my pencil longsidc of
would keep you here all night However cannot re-
slst making some quotations. Speaking OF the mimi
cable self assertion of English people, he Pose
Ia the name given to this wso refined and successful
manner of selfassertion. II may be defined as the
quality OF absolute quioscence. By the aid Of 1t we
move with the semblance of Inconsistencies through
throng of which we are inspecting every individual"
The chapter English Sundays and London churches
contains good deal of food for thought 'The English
Sunday is more sombre than own. The gen.
toel English think II and snobbish to dress
much on Sunday. OF course they ascribe this notion
10 their nicer sense of propriety but how much due
to tho tradition that snobs dress on Sunday because
I'D a thor
days don't pretend to decide.n
AUGUSTUS CHAELEs-I guess that 1t is the snob tradi
tion that influences public opinion.
Tho LAwYER-In this chapter he tells Of st. Domi-
picks church, in the heart of business London :-'Is
aisies have been the resting place of city worthless as
long as London has had Lord Mayors or London wo-
mon have been comely Their quaint memories arc
upon the windows-Thomas Watson citizen, of Milk
streot 1913 How many generations of listess chill
dren lying back in their pews during the long service
havc spet out his virtues tho marble underneath
and wondered what quaint old fellow he
was and how strange it must be to DO
dead so long, and have oneS name scratched
In such queer characters under the painted
figures Of saints and martyrs then sighed TO think
what age it would be till dinner time" Mr Nadal
has made most delightful chapter out of his two
visits TO Oxford. There is more of the atmosphere of
the place about what he says than nythng ever read
In the same form. OF there books that give
tho every day life of the Oxons, but do roer to
these MT Nadal also spent some time at Cambridge
The life among tho fellows of these two universities
must be the ideal life to OF letters Until they
marry they draw income of from 81 900 to 81 500
from the university and for this they arc under no
obligation to return any labor The tutors receive
extra pay
The DooroR-I wonder how long before wo have any
~.
ment for students with In the struggle for bread
has time to devote to the higher branches of
literature science The Association among those
university men is worth great deal of ITSELF
The LAwYRE-In the description of English Court
festivities the writer is quite at home Let mo read
few paragraphs This is of the Prince of Wales cyeo
'The Prince and several Of his brothers and cousins
started up in Next to the Prince ON his right
stands Vlscount Sydney the Lord Chamberlain, who
calls OF each detachment as it approaches
One may often guess the rank or Importance of tho
courter by the of his reception. II
he shakes hands with tho Prince you
may know he is somebody. If he shakes
hands with all Eve six of the princes, you may know
he is very great person But If he gives the princes
n wide berth, bows hastily and gances furtIvely at
them and by skittishly then you may know that
he is halfpay colonel insignificant civil
length Of time the Lord Chamberlain takes to decpher
the name of the the slip OF paper which is
handed him. If he it long and hard and holds it
good way from him, and says, Major Too-e bosh-
bow then, In loud voice, Major Tebow' you will
be safe in thinking that Major Tebow not one of the
greatest of warriors largest of landed proprieors
t'The Queens levees are very much longer
than those Of the Prince of Wales Then, at
all ceremonias where there arc ladies, men com
PEELED to wear as l have said silk stockings and knee
breechcs, shoes and buckles Ono can support this
costume in tolerable comfort in a ROOM but In
getting from the carriage to the door it is often like
walking knee deep tub Of cold water. A cold hall
or draught from open door will give very unplcas
ant sensations In many of the large rooms of the
palaces huge nrepaccs with great logs Of wood roar
behind tall brass tenders Once front of ono of these
the courer who isn't Scotchman feels as If he would
never to go away"
The PARsoS-Picturesque but uncomfort should
say.
The LAwYRR-The chapter dancing school ls very
amusing should like to havo the young attachc
spinning like top around Mrs. Watsons floors. In
the chapters on 'Conrasts OF Scenery and "New
York and London winters'' thcro is somc beautiful
and delicate word painting, and some that Is very
piauant For instance :--'I may here say that one
great disadvantage for any person desiring look at an
English landscape tho absence of good fences to sit
upon the ground is usually too damp to permit
lilo full length. I missed very much tho rail fences of
my own country. 1 would come to pretty prospect
and my legs sinking undor me, would look about for
place to sit The inhospable landscape had not single
suggestion There stones, and hedge was,
OF course, not to be thought Of" Hero is a pretty
picture ;-"If you would sit in somo rose emboworod
porch while yet the blue-cyed mist fingers in the
furthcst recesses of the mountain GORGE then IT Is to
che Susquehanna or tho Kanawha you must 60. There
where the chestnut shade coos the edge Of the hot
humming meadow, you may lie, your hands stained
with the dark deep clover On ndocnt afternoons
your scow will float through those silent scenes you
hearing only the dull tapping Of the river at the thirsty
keel"
Miss EUPHEMIA-That is exquisite
The LAwYER-It is indeed; but this is the most
beautiful concet in the book to my mind -'There is
vital hour of the landscape which, at summer sunsets