Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-01-08

Va alN OAMN
Vanity Fair UOndon), December 14th.l
The Prince of Wales country house
is a pretty twO.mile drive from VOL
v%erton, in Norfolk, through a quantity
Of young plantations, in which the
prince takes much interest. On the
left you pass a picturesque building
called THE Folly" furnished with
great taste, and where shooting parties
lunch once or twice during the season.
The entrance to Sandringham is
through the famous Norwich Gates,
and so through a fine avenue of lines.
The house is a model of comfort.
The large hall which you enter on ar
irving is fitted up as a dining-room
with a %pianoforte, easy chairs, and two
large writing tables, at one of which
the prince usually writes his letters
on his return from shooting. Behind
the piano are a quantity of toys for tile
children to amuse themselves with at
the "children's hour after tea. Here
at five o'clock the tea-table, is placed
in the center of the hall, and is pre-
sided over by the princess in the love
lest of tea-gowns. tits a pretty sight
to see her surrounded by her three
little girls, who look like tiny fairies,
and who run about to put ''papa's''
letters in the large pillar-postbox az
one end of the hall. There are gen
orally four or five large dogs too add
to the circle. In this same hall balls
take place. The floor is excellent. and
the music is upstairs in a gallery. AT
the balls the supper is served at a
number of round tables, with one long
one down the side of the room.
At Christmas the hall looks like a
large bazaar, being then filled with the
most costly and beautiful tables, with
a large Christmas tree in the center.
and objects all around the sides of the
hall full of presents for the household
and visitors. Their royal highnesses
arrange these presents themselves, and
no one is permitted to enter till the
evening. Some few years back the
gentlemen of the household gave the
prince, on his birthday, a handsome
weighing machine, which has ever
since been hORofed with a conspicuous
place in the corridor passing alongside
the hall; and regularly during each
party, generally after tea, the guests
are requested to come and be weighed.
a proceeding to which some seriously
object They then, in their own hand
writing, have 10 r6G9rd the full details
in a book kept specially for the pur-
pose. They write their names, date.
weight, and costume worn at the time.
Thus you read Heavy walking dress,
tea-gpWn, velvet dress-the heavy ones
generally attribute. some of the fault
to the garments. II IS an interesting
book, containing, asst does, autographs
of many long since passed away.
The drawing'Feom is 2 particularly
pretty room, full of furniture, and
every available corner is filed with gi-
gantic fowor-glasses full of Pampas
grass and evergreens. Here the
guests assemble before dinner. The
dining-room opens out Of this room.
The d~inner-table decorations are no
ted, and are all arranged by the gard
ener whose taste is very good. The
bowiing.aliey, Up close proximity to
the billiard-Toom, Is Most popular.
The Princess plays very we'll, while
those who have no taste this way sit
in a little %ante-room, comfortably fur
nished with two long low settees and
rocking chairs, and from which you
command a good Fieg Of the game.
Out of the drawing-room, Oh the op-
posite side to the dining-room, is a
small sitting room fitted with book
cases. Beyond this is the Princes
own room, quite f4ll 9f beau
tiful things, Here he and the Brin-
cess always breakfast and here,
on the 9th Of November and The
lat of December, are laid out all the
numerous birthday presents. OF the
princess private apartment upstairs it
viii suffice tgsay thai 2 prettier room
than H, R. HIS own b5udoir or sit
ting-room was never seen. All the
visitors rooms are perfect, nor are the
servants comforts neglected.
Immediately after tea and coffee
(when there is a party staying in the
house) the prince sits down 70 his
whist in the small room leading out OF
the drawing-room, and the princess
aGjourns to the bowling alley, where
two little boys, attired in appropriate
costume, are in attendance to send