Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1878-11-30
THE HOME OF PRINCESS.
Rldeau Nall, the Governor Generals Res
idence In Ottawa Preparations
to Receive the New
Household.

This afternoon l paid a visit to
Rideau Hall-the government house
of Canada-and as | walked along the
resounding plank walk, which tries to
wind in a graceful %serpentine, from
the gateway to the house, | endeayored
to picture to myself the impression it
would make upon the daughter of
Queen Victoria when, two weeks hence,
she will go over the anne ground. In
November nature is not kindto a land
seape. The cold wind ~variegates the
drives with patches of frozen dust and
soiled ice twists the gray grass about,
giving it an unkempt appearance, and
hurries the few remaining leaves from
the over-hanging branches in a most
u~ngracious fashion. | could imagine
what a shocking contrast the meadow
like grass would be with the velyety
turf of the English lawns and parks.
And the lawn itself. | hardly know
whether its ugliness is pardonable be-
cause fits consequence, or unpardon-
able because one expects so much
more from a yice-regal residence. 1t
was built many years ago by the Hon.
Thomas Mckay, a wealthy lumber
man of Ottawa, for his residence, and
of him the government bought it some
ten or twelve years since. What it
might have been in its palmy days
simply as a private residence | cannot
say, but at present it is about as bad as
possible. The glimpses you get oft as
you a%pproachare suggestive Of a rather
cheerful prison, but so many pleasant
associations have gathered about it
that, as in the case of an ugly friend,
you forget that its outlines are not all
they should be. 1t is Of stone and
brick (the best part being of stone,
for the brick additions are washed over
in an attempt, not a very successful
one, to initiate stone), and is two sto-
ries and a half high. Much of the
original house has been pulled down,
and there now remain only an
oblong stone tower and the spa
cious entrance halls and yestibule.
On the left is a long wing, used for
a ballroom, for private theatricals and
as a state d%ining-room. On the right
is a still larger wing, used as a tennis
court, and also as a refreshment-room
for balls, etc, being capable of seating
400 or 500. Both of these have been
added since Lord Dufferin's stay. The
entrance is under a square porte
cochere, in a lofty and handsome hall.
~carpeted in crimson and furnished in
oak. From this extends a wide hall,
leading to the reception-rooms, the
billiard-rooms, the dining-rooms, fam
lily parlors, library and conservatory
These are all in a wing, se~yenty-fvC
feet in length, added by Lord Monck.
Throughout the prevailing color il
crimson. To-day it was a "banquet
hall deserted" and | could examine
and criticise at my leisure. AS | en-.
tered the reception-rOom, which had
been so full of gaily dressed, yiyaciou.
people, clustering around Lady Duff
erin, the last time | had seen it, | fell
through its silence 'the old givinl
place to the new" Society will flow
back in a few weeks and the new lif
will begin,
A house absorbs so much from it
, inmates that when they are suddenl
) withdrawn you feel that it has some
how been a good deal Of a humbue
> The ~elegancies which you ascribe to j
: you find it had no right to-. Thu
> Rideau Hall, which, in its live days,
used to think an elegant place, | to
> day found to be extremely plain an,
J modest in its finish and furniture
r The library is pretty, home-like an
i. tasteful-wood work and bookcase
: alike being painted a pure white, an
the curtains and carpets and uphoI
: stery all pale green. From the librar
opens a cosy boudoir, crimson agar
/, and from it a glass door leads into
conservatory. Opposite these are tn
dining-rooms in black walnut an
crimson, the studio, private Offices an
different staireases by which the VI
- per floor is reached. On this floor
was shown the various sleeping d,
- partments. On the door Of each roo
!, is marked the name Of a province {
~ island belonging to Canada, and
: this name it is known. They had a
= ~expectant air, fires were ready to ligl
4 in the CRATES, easy chairs stood abol
If and beds were being prepared for Il
~ travellers. The furniture in most
y the bedrooms is old-fashioned an
70 far palmer than you would see in Il
4 homes of moderately wealthy Amer
cans. It's generally of oak and wa
nut, with a little cherry and maho
N any, and the draperies through Il
"a whole house, with the exception
ii one or two rooms, are of cretonn
none of silk or lace.
Il PRINCESS LoUIsE's ROOM.
The room whichthe Princess Loui
e. will occupy is by far the handsome.
;1 The bed is one of those enormous En-
he fish structures, and was brought oy
by Lord Monck; it is canopied and t
4. hangings ofthe room are in the iRey.
as able crimson. On this floor the roc
av / liked best is the old-fashioned 0
~ long one in the tower. Its paper is
in a pattern popular some forty years az
bo This, during Lord Dufferin's residen,
20 was used as a school-room bUtas The
III are no children In the present hous
hold, it is to be modernized and us
as a breakfast-room.
, a What interested me, perhaps, M
* in my visit to Rideau Hall was
ing service OF the house, as it was quite
ew accordance with my ideas of an ext
sive English home. And the gui
vas who kindly showed me about, be.
.he English, explained everything W
The the home" terms. Here we're
it'll kitchen, the ''scullery," the 'seryar
tn hall" the upper servants hall,
ter buffers pantry" etc. The servant
In and there will be about forty-are
, AZ vided according to their grade of s