New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-06-11
THE RURAL LIFE OF ENGLAND
BY CAPTAIN MAYNE REID.
COUNTY SOCIETY
III.

., ENGLAND Comfy Society" is phrase OF high
.oupdina significance and to belong to 1t an opect
~ mighty ambition. those who do being consiuereo
the ccerss de la creme i believe there Is no o'hci
conntry where so many OF the higher classes nave
,ho;r homes "in the country; far more than the
,na,ority residing in il permanently all the year
round. with the excer ton of week or TWO curing
what is called the London season" The reasons
for this are various Besides the incnings to rural
life and scenery common TO ALL passion lor ne'u
sports is innate with EnGlishmen, and ever has
been hence the preserving of game Tor INC gun,
all over the land with foxes for hunting 0oou
roads also contribute to the delights OF coun"!
lite. making il not only pleasant to drive out ou'
convenient to dine out from the ease Oh ho'',"e
briskly whirled home. though the distance 10 .on
or dozen miles. AS a result there are i'i0 'ou'
houses in all the shires. many OF tnoin si'"- ~
sions that will accommodate numerous aii"' "
cnssts and are rarely without some under tneI r"o
m Erclisb rura life need never be dull or lonely,
md never is so TO those VINO nave .no means VI
Alternating: lnstead cheerful and often stirring
ia ovor,fnI as that of the town In point of fact
oDlv q very small proportion of Englands gentry
awell continuously in town they who have Town
honscs having country ones as well, to when they
rstire when the fashionable season comes 10 cIoso
nv town. of course mean the meuopohS' i'N
don for gentry residing IN the provincial .o""' u
,ities M Manchester Liverpool and the Ike, were
an anomaly. Rich men reside there or I'D inc"
suburbs having big houses, too, OF the vlla oruer'
and maintaining style with carriages ana servants
in livery Bat these are not gentry accoruins "
the English idea much less belong they to County
Society.
To the chief elements composing County Society
I have already alluded, when speaking Oh County
organization; but it may he well here 10 recap'.u
late them in fuller detail. They are the iahue"
aristocracy titled or untitled. with many who nave
little or no land, their kindred by marriage OF
otherwise the clergy of the State Church retired
ofBcers of the Army and Navy: "nabobs returned
from India who have there amassed large fortunes
and whose origin, perhaps OF the humDlesl' Is uh-
known or forgotten; also men who have Inquired IN
the higher ranks of the Civil and Diplomatic ser
vices But as the English Government jealousy
reserves the last-named service for the mn MONIES
of the land they would be in county society With
ont il All iudces are in it, of course, with many
barristers most of these by right OF bIrh anu SONS
from having attained emnence in their profession
or made money by IT, Attorneys and solicitors, as
they are some hat promiscuously styled, have no
claim or footing in county society; though many
work their way into its edge, get admitted to lts
inuermost circles all its doors dying open TO them
rs by magic at the touch of golden Kew ING
doctor enters it only exceptionally; ana so inc
merchant and manuiactuTer-save when very
weaithy.-while farmers and all men engaged IN
ordinary trades or callings, with NonconioTmiSt
ministers are vigorously excluded
Its component materials being thus restricted, 1t
i'll be easily understood that county society is not
individually numerous though IN this respect there
is difference in the different snires; some having
greater number of resident gentry than others; ana
some even where these are almost nOn-exstent. In
fhprp will he 900 30 OF them
Il mean families. And now | am gong TO make
IN affirmation which will possibly cause surprise to
most Americans, and anger to n any Engllshmen
that beyond these go families less or more there
is not an inhabitant of English county, or town
either who is a citizen as you understand cltizeh-
ship in America the gentry alone being invested
with full civic rights. For they alone are eligible
TO all offices of honor and emolument, or al leaSt
20 the attainment of them without effort, and al
most as a matter of course When any hgh once
is attained by of the common people, IL ID WIFI
n struggle and strain, and Its accomplishment a
thing of graduation and triumph. SO, l repeat,
that ia England there Is no citizen, an the true sense O'
the uOrd sare those WhO belong to her artSt0Tdcy.
know the burst of indignation with which my
assertion will be received and how | shall get re-
yiled for making it. But it is nevertheless true;
and am prepared with the substantiating proofs
regardless of those it may irritate.
Returning ITO the more lluntuidtt SuhlCCI VI MY
article ! need hardly say that county society
affects grand airs, and looks down on all beneath
it-which means almost everybody-with proud,
patronlzng glance. Not absolutely disdanful OF
supercous is it: instead rather courteous and
concliaIory, as il can well afford. Seated in its
elegant equpage. with livened servant on box and
rumble il has no fear of the kOi poilo being rude or
over-familiar And never are they. but often too
much the reverse. addressing it hat in hand.
With such high privileges and assumptions, it
woald naturally be supposed that this charmed
circle is exclusive to the EXTREMIST degree And in
certain way so is it; personal worth, manhood,
intellectually, learning culture of whatever KIND
having no chance to enter figure in it for their
own sake. Yet doubt If there be any other arts
tocracy in the world whose crust is more easily
broken through by one armed with the proper
veapon-which is wealth Plutus can at any time
pierce it with his gold-tDped spear; SEM this
crashing through it, n bullet through an egg
shell And without any relation TO character, or
any other qualification Plutus may possess. lie
NAV be fool or knave, or both combined; 1t matters
not, not much, so long as he carry with him the
necessary credcntial - money the never-faing
@open sesame" of county societys doors. How
much does it take TO open them my American
reader may inquire from what | have said pos
sbly imagining them easy on the hinge and aces
sble 10 anyone wealthy enough to live without
work. and keep a carriage, with two or three ser
wants IN livery. Nothing of the SORT however; the
requirements Tor entrce into county society so be
You'd all that. He who climbs up TO it on the
money ladder must have enough TO purchase a
larded estate. with park and mansion also some
rentable farms whose tenants will be entitled to
vote for the county member of Parliament Having
all this and settling down to country life he will
soon he |" called upon" by the neighboring gentry
the sooner if he have a graceful wife, and two OF