The Portland daily press., 1882-03-07

/ evening at the First Baptist church, the third
( lectures. The subject was "Glimpses OF En-
| lish Liie" Previous to the lecture there was
an organ lconcert, Mr.. Farnsworth being or
ganist The following was the programme:
Second Finale in ''La Clemenza de Fito". Mozart
Andante from First Symphony. Beethoven
| Rvmanza from Eighth Symphony. ........... Haydn
| Adorabunt Nat1ones. ..........'..'.'..'.H .Hlmmel
Elevatlon........ '.''.'..'.''.''.''
| At the conclusion of the concert, Mr. Wood
| bury delivered his lecture, of which the fol-
lowing is an abstract:
One desiring to know England and the Eng
lish people at their best and would form cor
rect opinion of their character must not remain
in the cities where the bnzz and whirl OF life
is ever going on. He must visit the country,
noting the palatial mansions of the aristocracy,
the beautiful hedges which grow by the road
side making each highway shaded lane, view
and study the delightful old churches, dating
from the twelfth century, covered with one
mass of English ivy, ever beautiful, ana
nestled in hamlet of thatched cottages. He
must attend fairs at the shire towns, stopping
at the clean little inns with their quaint
names The love of country over city life is
predominant feature of the English. Even the
IlCICudub anu AOOh AoA "~AN
to the time when they perchance, will be land
ed proprietors, and the thousands Of pounds
boarded, during many years OF toll will be ex-
changed for land in the country where he
who was formerly merchant prince endeav-
ors to become the country squire and aspires
to the country aristocracy. The inns are OF
stone or bricks, whitewashed, two stories high,
and as neat as soap and water can make them.
AS soon as the traveller enters he becomes as
it were the guest of the proprietor. There is
something very delightful in being SO cared for
by "mine host" and treated as II one were OF
some consequence instead of apparently being
only permitted TO remain in the house BY suffer
ance, and hustled here and there by the hotel
clerk who sports the diamond stud and swing
ing eyeglasses as so often happens in this
country of glorious freedom In driving or
walking about England one will notice
how fine and hard the roads are,
and will not think it strange that
riding the bicycle such a favorite amusement.
On each side of the road grew the beautiful
green hedges and over ones head the trees OF
many centuries cast their shadows. One real
ICES that he is in a country cultivated and
toned down by age, for everything bears the
mark of time. One passes the little stone
church with luxuriant ivy clinging to its tower
many centuries, calling the high and low, the
rich and poor to worship the true and living
God Close by is the rectory with its air OF
home-like refinement. AS one pursues his
walk he will pass cottage after cottage OF stone
with its latticed windows and thatched roofs.
The farms are leased of the landowners at
about fifteen shillings or 1915 per acre per an
mum, including shooting. An American is
surprised to learn that the privilege of shoot
ing is let or not with the farm as the lessee de-
sires. The proprietor can lease the land to one
party and let the right of shooting to another.
A few farms are owned by the farmers but
this is unusual, it being customary to lease
them. The mansions of the aristocracy are
palatial in size and their parks regal consisting
of from four hundred to one thousand or more
acres untitled and used entirely for pleasure.
Undoubtedly our imaginations feed upon the
romantic stories about line parks OF Engllsh
nobility, led us to expect beautifully laid out
grounds with lawn grass and every vestlge OF
broken boughs and leaves removed, but our
preconceived ideas will be widely shattered as
soon as the parks are entered. Instead OF ind
ing all our fancy pictured, we shall drive
long distance through the woods and open
fields strown with leaves and broken boughs
.overgrown with ferns and underbrush from
which which will scamper the deer, squirrel
and rabbit in utmost confusion. Onlylwithin
short distance of The house are grounds laid out
with any care or regularity. These bring so
much cultivation throughout the whole coun-
try, that' Primeval wilderness is preferred, so
rugged landscape is cultivated in the parks of
the gentry" The fact of so much land being
controlled by SO few as pleasure ground, in
country of so mall an area as England must
Decessarily work adversely to the interests of
the poorer classes. To illustrate The Earl
of Warwick has one thousand acres surround
ing his castle, which he devotes. entirely to
his enjoyment. The Duke OF Westminster
has one driveway on his estate at Eton hill,
sixteen miles in extent. On account of the
social distinction existing in England the
tradespeople do all in their power to secure the
patronage of some titled people, and 1t is
laughable to an American to read the signs
of the jewellers, hatters, haber-dashers and
pastry cooks, setting forth the fact that they
are patronized by Duke so and SO. Even the
undertakers have satisfaction in advertising
themselves as undertakers to the family OF
some aristocrat. 1t costs jabout the same to
keep house in England comfortably as in this
country. While wages are less, more servants
to q household are employed. A family VINO
would engage two servants here would II ilV-
ing in England have five or six. The reason
of this is that each servant has his own place
in the household, and will never run out out
of his own department. OF the house servants
the cook receives the most, being paid in many
instances as much as in this country. Besides
of feathers. soap fat, etc., which she
sells, thus adding quite an additional
sum to her wages. One great item
of expense in English housekeeping is the
washing and bread making, both being done
out of the house. An interesting custom still
observed is the gathering of laborers whose
terms of engagement with their employers has
expired at the market town at Mlchaelmas
time The object is to bring the farmers and
laborers together that they may enter into en-
gagements with one another for the coming
year. As soon as a laborer is employed he ties
bit of ribbon in his hat and gives the rest OF
the day to sport. The custom is to hire the SER
want from Michaelmas to Michaelmas. One
of the most fascinating and exciting sports at
the present day in England is fox hunting. 1t
is one of the few English sports that are thor
oughly Democratic. In this all can join, and
one will observe the butcher, the baker and
the candlestick maker riding side by side with
the nobeman. The pack is either kept up by
the members of the club or the master OF
hounds if he desires tolay out large sum OF
money. The master of the hounds is general
ly gentleman of large private means and no
ted for his social qualities. The direct care of
the pack falls on the huntsmen, two In num-
ber, and the whippers in. Then there are gen.
orally servants of the master OF hounds. Each
pack has its distinctive name, being called
sometimes by the name CT the county, some
times by the name of a leading family of the
neighborhood. The prevailing opinion with
us has been, I think, that the English are re-
served and difficult to become acquainted with,
but can add my.testimony to that ofiMr. Rich
ard Grant White, who says, in writing OF Eng
land brief as my experience had been,
had already learned that English folk-women
as well as men ares free in their intercourse
with strangers to degree that made me won
der whence came their reputation for gruH
reserve. In England / never went dozen
miles;with other people without pleasant talk )"
The lecture to be delivered in the NJ @. M.
A. course next Wednesday evening by Will
liam Goold is entitled the "A rchitects and
Builders of Portland, and their Achievements.
Society of Natural History.
At the meeting of the Society of Natural