New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-10-14
CoUNTRY-HoUsE GOSSIP.
AN ENGL1sHMANs NOTES on ENGLISH
TOPICS.


as we'll It advantage of Harrogate Scarborough
Tunbridge Wells Buxton and Brighton that use
them centres OF action bases from which eOperaes
round OF country house visits As young friend
Of mine said to the other days The devil of it is that
engagements never doyeta" The problem therefore is
what to do with the days intervening between grouse
shooting In Scotland and the big drives on the York
shire mOors and between these and "cubbing" in the
BIidands partFidge-shoong in Norfolk and pheasant
Staying in Sussex wiltshire This where the Eng
sh spa seaside place legtimateY comes In excel
ent stopgap and gives two three days Of in ones
inn between the hard work OF rest and relaxation in an
English country-house where between cubhuntng the
first thing in the morning, shooting in the day properly
so-caled dining dancing at night sufficient oc-
cupation ia provided for the most active minds and
bodies. Perhaps t is as well that cOuntry-house en-
gagemens do not dovetal my friend called It, Tor In
the intervals has at least time to draw breath In
winter one comes up to London matter OF courae
directly the frost stops hunting but at this time Of year
there nothing TO attract except Miss Mary Ander-
son, who unucklY is playing charmngly In the dullest
nightmare OF play dreamed OF after supper OF
pork chops 80 Was very thankful to get few days
| at HarrOgate and Scarborough on coming down from
Scotland to the great moors on the Cleveland side OF
Yorkshire, and thus making out the time sgreeably till
DoRcaser Races threw for week. all other sport into
the shade. Since that date have looked in Rt loves
loft been nearly roasted into bilious fever with the
he at Eastbuurne and Hastings shot large number
OF partridges in Kent and restoring tone at
runbrdge Wells before participating in ~big shoos
in and another In Suffolk It is early for Sc
rlous pheasant shooting life quickly and some
long tails must be slain before We all go to New
market for the Czarowitch.
One may well be thankful for few quiet days at this
dear old place in tho heart OF the most English Of Eng
sh scenery enough TO London to let one run up
see a new play, and by midnight train, and yet
close to Fridge TO Penshurst and other fine houses Just
| now full Of good company This ancient spa, which
was full Elast centuries ago. before Harrogate, Scar
borough Brighton and the rest were dreamed OF, has
still Queen Annes Avenue OF trees although the orig
ina pantles are replaced by aagstoues 1t Is also
In some measure recovering, after long eclipse It's
fashionable reputation Brighton however has, OF VIII
have In fortnight the advantage OF being always fuller
than tho country. Brighton is not the country" 1t
"a the marine suburb the metropolis but If its visitors
those OF Tunbridge Wells pOled for titles Of
honor the percentage Of little inland spa would be
twenty-fod greater All are in society lat this pretty
place. and there Is no admixture Of" the resduum."
There has been somo little astOnishment among the
gossps here that the fire at Corachy Castle has not
more attention be given to the ghost proper TO
that spot rather to is noble owners the Ogyles at
the head OF whom is Lord Arlie, now in india It's
strange how anything OF this kind arouses the superst-
ton latent among English people OF the higher class
am not profoundly acquainted with American supersti-
uous vagaIies, which take TO be OF theosophic OF
sprtuallstc kind, but every day more astonisned
ut the credonce given here 20 thoroughly we-estaO-
shed ghosts OF quality" vulgar goblin or queer
noises IN a cheap villa tenanted by tradesman are dis
missed with contempt but OF this ohhandedness Is
shogn toward ghosts connected with the peerage Thus
when the late Lori Are died, forcshadowed by the
| appearance OF the spectre drummer-bOy there was
tremendous hUbbub In countryhouses, and twilight was
made terrible by the recital Of Northumberland ghost
stories without number frequent s the family ghost
tt,Ir 4 if ,F f1Ngat nUs
| without which no gonuemans house is complete. In
fact know very wealthy and clever man who mas
recently bought estate and huge Old MANSION ana Is
particularly proud Of welestabished local ghost VINO
fre1ueuts the terrace at the back OF the fine OLD TUDOR
! house. Thrown H. too" says, rubbing his hands
with delight without extra CHARGE not IKE those con
| founded Wardour Street aucestOrs'
! In connection with ths I may ten story OF two
rare wits which reached my by kind OF breach OIL
confidence but Il too characteristic 10 be suppressed
| The actors are Lord HoUghtOn well known by the
ulcknames bestowed upon him by admiring friends
such "a The Bird OF Paradox" and The Cool OF the
Evening" and Mr. Abraham Hayward, the famous
Ouqrerlg reviewer and rdeOHte. The latter gentle
man. whose political social andliterary fame Is due to
his own braut talents, thought that no should
like TO have come ancestors. he walked straight to
Warour street. whore can generally PICK up an an
cestor or two OF the CrOmweau Queen Anne, or early
Geeorgian period according TO fancy Selecting por
trait of cavalier In haf-armOF with features not quite
! unlike his own Mr. Hayward made bid forit but
Geeming the price asked too high said he would think
the matter over and went his way fortnight AFTER
the ancestral coming strongly upon him. he went
again to wardour Street prepared to pay the dealer MS
prtce The picture was od-of course to an unknown
| nprcbaser few days later Mr. Hayward went to dine
with Lord Hou shtOn, and was Asonished 10 Dnd the
psture in the dining Seeing that attracted his
guests attention. Lerd Houghton said! Very good pic
| ture that Came into my hands IN curious way
Portrait OF a Mines OF tho Commonwealth period An
ancestor OF mine" All, indeedl" said Mr. Hayward
| - be WAS very near being ancestor OF mine"
To r,,,air nos rerenants there were. hear strange
circumstances connected with the last appearance OF
the Airlie ghost The late peer In the Far West
think at Denver in Colorado, when the drummer-boy was
beord nj Cortachy Great CONSERVATION was felt ct the
castle huv It was agreed by all the elder members OF the
family that death not sgned under less than two
valuations OF the spectre, who would in that case reap
near on the eighth day. Precisely on that day the
drprug WAS distinctly heard, and the next telegram
from, Denver announced the death Of Lord Are. The
ou.stlon now arises Will the phantom survive the hre
| Another celebrated ghost who makes his presence
heard not seen, Is the coach driVng goblin know OF
three naees haunted by this phantom. one is DOning
tom the second Is Llttecoe, the thiro have excellent
raasons for not mentioning The ghost makes himself
hoard nj all three in peculiarly startling and
bostIv Az the host his family and friends are seated
nj dinner theyI say distinctly they, not ono dreamy
solitary person-hear the wheels OF a coach grating
barhy on the gravel OF the drive up TO the main en-
trance and are wondering who the beated and uu6dden
guest can be- when the carriage stops sharply at the
door when the servant opens he can see no coach
md hear no sound and returns greatly terrified INC
guests are amazed, but the family know that adeath Is
ot hand among their kinsfok At times the coach ar
ryes later IN tho evening AT Lttlecoe on the last oc
casIop It was the men assembled in the bliardro n
after dinner who startled by the unearthly vehicle
Ttecote as everybody in that part Of the country 10
aNre Is one of the finest old houses In England was
the scene Of the arrangement Tor james the seoou
ghr from, England and hundred years before Of the
to,,ble drama OF Wild VIII Darrell an English version
Of tho Manfred story. There is sti TO be seen the
| nr-place into which the child was thrown aud the
nco IA pointed out where the ghost OF DarreFs sister
] 10 lin, md nhlIl In a bill OF fire rnLLen IN