Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1879-11-12
From Our Regular Correspondent
Oar European Letter.
LONDON, Eng, Oct. 90, 1879

OaI european LetleTs
LONDON, Eng, Oct. 90, 1879.
London is beginning to wake up. The
dulness Of the dull period is almost at an
end. and signs are now apparent of an
approaching autumn and winter season.
A century ago London was the centre of
festivities throughout the cold months, and
parliament sat for q few weeks before and
for several weeks after Christmas. Field
sports were pursued almost as much then
AS now; but the work of legislation and
the art of shooting and hunting were
looked on as things apart. Legislators
did not trouble themselves about the
chase; and mighty hunters had no amb-
ton to make laws. Now, however, it
seems to be an understood thing that
every man who aspres to play part
must shine, more or less spicuonsly, in
every department Of life. lie must have
Il seat in parliament, he must hunt, he
! must keepa yacht, he must show himself
in fashionable assemblies, he must have a
seat at the opera. The year is 80 parti.
toned out that he may do all these things
at appointed times; and it being impossible
to hunt and shoot until after the crops
have been got in, it was, in the first place,
found necessary TO reserve the autumn,
winter and early spring for field sports.
The business of making laws can be at
tended to at any time, and the only months
left fer this comparatively unimportant
occupation are those of the spring and
the summer. Nevertheless, the wom-
en- have at last become exceedingly
tired of remaining cooned up in the coun-
try while their husbands, brothers, lovers
IRE amusing themselves with the slaugh-
ter of wild animals. There are women,
no doubt, who hunt, and there are women
who without firing gun, go out shooting
in the sense of accompanying shooting
parties. 1t is not, however, for the sake
of seeing cartridges and pheasants shot,
but rather with the view of bringing down
men on their account that ladies 90 into
the coverts; and there are fortunately Il
good many ladies who do not consider
this very active form of sport worth under
taking. What interest, then, can the
country possibly have for them during the
winter months? Absolutely none; and rs it
is much easier than it was in former days to
get to London, they insist. in great many
cases, on coming TO town.
The city swarms with sinister foreign
ers, the hanger-on Of fallen causes and
lynasties, men equal to any villany for
the price of a greasy "fricandeau " at one
of the dirt-begrimed, garlic. sufused res
taurants about Leicester Square or Soho
When not engaged in the profitable and
widely-spread calling of forging Russian
bunk notes, our police seldom take notice
Of the dngy exiles. A few days ago, at
the .cenlral criminal court, tie veil of "a
not uncommon form of rascality was
lifSed for awhile, and WAS permitted to
behold specimen of the annoyances to
which monarchs out of business are sub.
iected by their less scrupuous country
people. A Frenchman, named Guerin,
was sentenced TO twelve months hard
labor for demanding money from and
menacing M. Pietre, secretary of the lato
Prince Imperial. NJ. Guerin, after the
manner of his kind, had wrongs. OF
course, he had saved the late emperor's
life-they all do it-and equally, of course,
the emperor had promised him 80,000fr.
for his services. But among the most
lmusng Of M. Guerin's statements was
the one in which he declared that he had
been asked to 60 to Paris at the time of the
commune and endeavor to get up mas
sacre which might be useful to the I'M.
perial cause. 1t would almost seem as if
he jury partly believed the man = rawlings,
for. on finding him e ,ity, they recon.
mcnded him to mercy. The average
British juryman should be informed that
there are in the neighborhood of Leicester
Square dozens, if not hundreds, of bearded
patriots, capable of swearing-for the price
Of a bottle of sour claret-that they had
been employed by tho exles of Camden
House to murder the queen and set fire to
Scotland.
Probably there is no class in England
that lives more penuriously--as compared
with their social status-than country gen.
llemen. am not. of course, alludnp to
the great landed proprietors. but to the
squires of villages. They inherit nm
estate, burthened as rule with mortgages
and charges. and with it home far too
large for their incomes. For perh,ps n
fortnight during the hunting season they
entertain few friends. but for the rest of
the year they vegetate, their sole excite.
ment being to drive over to the quarter
sessions in dog cart. They are too poor
to be able TO travel and all that they