The sun., 1883-10-28
COUNTRY LIFE IN ENGLAND.
H..

must be guarded and your conversation diplo-
matte as oil the families within visiting rudi-
us Of twenty miles are related to each other
And so they are. for death puts all the coun-
tryside In mourning while wedding calls out
universal sympathy. Along the route OF the brl-
da cortGCe. every cottage or farm house hangs
out Its little decoration. und in the town every
trndesman has his ug his bunch OF flowers. or
his bit OF bunting, for has he not catered for
the wants Of tho young couple from their chris
tening upward2
Visitors and invitations promptly flow In
npon the newcomer with n hearty old-fash-
ionod poitoncss. Dinner parties are not pop
ular. III the summer other gatherings are
preferred: ana in winter or autumn the male
portion OF tile community. the men who have
been shooting and hunting for seven or cigh,
hours. refuse to don the tail coat and white tie
and drive ten miles for ceremonious meal
Moreover. coacnmen and grooms. hard worked
by their attendance on the cxacting hunter
tmeaning the auadrupedl. turn crusty at be-
ing kept out till the small hours fu- social
duties. although they are ever rcudy to turn
out at 1 a. NJ when it is necessary To rid. Is
miles TO be at II meet for cub hunting ut in
the morning.
The glrs--the strong, frosh healthy. I'M.
affected girls OF Blankshirn srom To exist on
lawn tennis. with nh occiisonnl trial at cricket
in which manly sport they arc no mean adopts.
But tennis Is tho iheviiablr, tho universal. the
al-engrossing game. In front of the low.
broud. many-windowc,i crceper grown houses
oi the gentry. spread The wnll- Kept lawns.
smooth us carpets. sof, and sprngy ~ moss
and across their green eNpansn M. stretched
as many nels rs tho uccurn,u measurement OF
the courts wlll low. There from morning til
sunset the balls iiy. sent over 10y strong. supple
wrists. while the air echoes to r.iterations
Of the tennis slang. The men Of nll ages anu
denTmnaions % are clad @ d., IL ih"ir iaHsls and
shoe TOR ,rt on i, no a account mHSt % the admirably
srs are Piled with ten and the ihnnes;
Of bread and outter At no hour between
h"p Sph The YOU Silver y1 ~ servse ,Hs ''bs'as bsns
trough, in. and the rites of o'clock tea COM
ss T Di the H1 k,na asa oS ss
SOU By genuine admiration of tho raro bits of
.h,na. the u49int-carrcd baiusters Of ohkrn
lngs. cider and more curious books in gigantic
endinGs and colossal type. Among these. in
,ndeA 20 the keynote of courtly minds. shines
ne red bipdinS OF all the reerages and volumes
aoblity anI gentry Some are in three VOL
lines. others int and voluminous like IL com
nc,"al directory others only rocket editions
of tho same. Each family knows Its own lineage
sSsry @ % SteeT. What the New fes!amens STAN S was to
ancestors is to the BRITISH landowner his
wade mecum. his guide. his fundamental dog
figures in tho Landed Gentry" The other
h;S lost his claims to appear in the Livre
ulDr, Tor he has truUt anu become q
Tber houses occasionally stand on three
counties. and have associations with other,
recelSil. tithnS ana paying taxes from and 10
al Part Of the original bulldin.: with its an
cient architecture remains. its low caves brick
and timber walls. irregular W windows and
sunken hall making it look older far than even
ShnSespearc's house Mt Stratford: while here
and there a roof somewhat raised. II new wing
stables turned into "a commodious billiard
room. II modern conservatory laid against the
gray SOmore wall like IL butterfly or kigan tic
n
prosperity have given TO the old dwelling
AT some distance hidden. perhaps, by screen
ling costly in u bend of the long approach, is
smaller house. where the married son lives
SO favored a position nor in such close proxim-
ity 10 the parent hail. stands lonely habita-
air Of melancholy and neglect, Its garden and
grounds are small. and stocked only with COM
mon. hardy plants. 1t has barely been redeem
ed from the swell ing park. where bullocks Craze
and hundreds Of deer are turned out to grass :: a
wire fence marks its boundary. There is. or
mourniulness around ii. US if Dante's myster-
GUS WARNING was written in invisible but preg-
cause cause its its doors never sS open l'' TO receive
the glad y9unE bride or to send forth q
It's echoes with the .paiter q childish feet and
the Light OF srgh Snhta lsces Ges
its threshold-sad women who. in losing their
husbands lose a., ais" the righ to remain in III hs
est son enters into his kingdom. takes his
fathers place. and assumes his duties and his
are launched forth into the world to seek their
fortunes, tho wd1w seeks the shelter Of the
They have Collected the few persona G ai' Effects @
which custom allows them TO retain sma!
Hssss by ha n hw of en aal
dul, dls"sed dwol!ins' lhere the a'ppur.
fashionable. They have the uGliness Of age
without the dignity of antiquity. They are the
invarI.4 furniture sent TO tho lonely roof
whrn cne' away and Il 81 lined by the manor:
,nd !i,t A.. III, H. n,t" Of the dny might invest
49,, W.,nIrawn ts",n t. be repaced by others
hmt krtl III ~ ~ iop""stt 10 ior,arnness OF the
cations, u" memories pf youth and happiness
r'!!"nr i, to lis ever shifting .nhntItants. The
~ m,-hou,s of the wealthy; and at last when the
widow dies, the last tics are disrupted. even
on q h soo naa: ws hs
h'nr their name. is denied to the daughters.
once more they have to leave their trnnsitory
home i, has bre"nie. small as it seemed at first
too iar." ipr thsir diminished resources. The
dowry on which they liyed has lnpsed. and the
Dover House Is closed till another widow ac
Guires the sad right to occupy it,.
All these things are accomplished quietly
Of hardship on the one side. of hardness on
tIe "th.r he great princinle OF prmotEenture , t
or IN h% %tut old ena tes l1 as s ye wen mt
Voice is raised against It, The widow does not
complaln. the daughters do not rebel for the
estate remains untouched. undivided. UNI
hammered. as it has been from father to son
iorcountless generations. The blind adherence
to the rXigences Of properly entailcd. which
sends tn" women OF England from affnence to
poverty ls tn" same when Inspired the resigned
s,lbnssion Of the daughters Of grand old
french races embracing religion to spare their
nowers to their brothers. and enable them to
bear more proudly. their iilustrious name ut
the court ~ Louis the XIV.
B'nnk-hire is essentially hunting country:
~ through the winter the mad excitement
u'nIs never paliinG, never interi+rcd with. from
septemher 70 Murch or April. Old men are in
s.nt, sn% smnhtn nll DAY. DeI!cate women. who are
~ exhausted ny hni days journey In railway
C.rras" i9iow the hounds three times u week.
.iris' WI.o ili'i never ridden before their mar
ThG". are inocuatrd with the mania iy their
iHrhhsohn,s, and breonc. ardent sporiswolnen.
,tniinuIH very PARK "r !arm stream the we'll
framed lacks. foSliounls or hnrrirrs followed
Soan v .hs req % soats and for non,Fs no topics are
nnds. and the hunting Aeh generally Nil
sf oiuets nnln. tahooed or met witE unruspUn-
When W. .cmerge from this nnyironment we