New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-10-28
COUNTRY-HOUSE GOSSIP.
AN ENGLIsHMANs NOTES on ENGLISH
TOPICS

|
The extreme doubt hanging over the pro-
gramme of the Government for the next session gives
us pause at the most OppOrtune moment One Of the
prime difficulties Of the best sOcety-the only true
sOcleyn England is that IL only for two things
politics and sport It Is not occupied with social
like the pdIrcHu pluOcracy, for the excellent
that everybody knows his place his set his company
town and country. There IL, In the first flight"
base struggling and intriguing for invitations no sweep
ing OF the clubs and other highways and byways for
guests Every man. and more especially every woman
completely OF position and surroundings There Is
no question Of rank and precedence in perfectly
! thoroughbred company. Every woman knows the
order in which she ought to take up her ground with the
greatest accuracy Hence there are no eaous!cs and
heatbumings except when the daughter Of untitled
gentleman marrics a duke or -the heir-apparent to a
| dukcdom But Il sometimes happens that the com
moncr" from the point Of view Of lineage and quarter
ngs of coatarmor, is far more usrous in the OF
! those in il than peer Of recent creation There
people, for instance calling themselves plain Mr.
who laugh at the notion OF of Earl Cairns making
ntsdHtdhce with actress whom they designate the
daughter OF a Oal-heaycr" A brilliantly successful
lawyer whose grandfather was chandler Is 10
such folk not whit superior the daughter of bank
rpt cOal-heaycr. Out of their own charmed circle
nobody IS anybody. When the celebrated and very
artful Miss Fauen married old Lord Derby, society
ccvcd shock, ii did when the eccentric Lord Peter
sham, aitcrward Earl OF Harrington married the nOtO
rious Miss FOotc Of dccstabe rcputation; but
! It not the women Who mattcred It was the illus
triOs Of Stanley and that Of sanhopc dragged IN
the gutter which excited Indignation.
The Earl Of Harrington Just referred to was, by the
| way, n remarkable character He was an amateur
cloth worker tailor and halter lie accustomed TO
walk about London in November in rough pea jacket OF
the stuff called by his name "Petcrsham" and blue and
white striped duck trousers. His hats had peculiar
| curl and called the Harrington" He actually
planned and cut with a talor's shears the amazing
brown which his foOtmen stood behind his
| carriage.
Politics and sport the only things really cared for
and talked about in great country Peers.
baroncs and csquires possessing landed estates have
been trained through successive generations TO regard
the application OF their territorial influence TO politics,
and party politics al that serious duy imposed on
them by what Oida calls their order" Sport-that Is
10 say foyhunting and grouse pheasant and partridge
hoong-ls also an important part OF country gentle
mans surroundings. lie may may not keep string
Of horses here other training centre but
the rest IA part Of his existence His behavior in the
matter Of fox hunting Is OF the last importance TO his
popularity. 1t IS thOmy business involving vast
possibility Of sqIabbles. Unless landed proprietor is
very wealthy the many charges upon his estate deprive
him Of the OF keeping up pack of hounds and the
attendant hunting establishment entirely out Of his own
pocket. Some six thousand pounds sterling per annum
Is large to abstract yearly from ones ready money.
As I have explained in previous letters, the
manner OF life Is so costly TO absorb great income
To convey exact idea OF what mean may say that
In France, rich country and cllknOwn Ia Americans
there not twenty hrst-Iac country-hOuscs, IN
America there IS not IN France there are no I'M
mcnsc fortunes beyond dozen In America there
servants.
our genuine grands srgnews compelled to spend
their fortune upon politics and sport whether they like
those pursuits not but %, almost invardhe iue
they do like them The country gentleman by instinct
Tory, uphoder ~ Church ana Queen prcscrver OF
game breeder Of fine cattle. But whatever his in
stncs may be he Is very frequently LIBERAL or rather
Wig, by family tradition II seems incredible that the
Marquis Of Harrington hcrappaGcn to the Dukcdom OF
Deyonshre, should be prominent member OF the Rad
zeal Cabinet which has I'm ireland no least almost over
| turned The idea OF property In land. II also seems
strange the Earl ~ Derby hond he IN the cabinet
until one reflects that I'm his family Liberalism IS the ira
dtonal creed and that his father was only chance
Tory OF the great houses Of Iascolcs and Ftzwliam
headed by Lords Hardwood and Fitzwiam, the former
:. Tory 10 the backbone and the latter Wing In the
memorable election for EdmhurgEShirc when Mr. Glad
stone beat Lord Dakch. the powers which joined issue
wcro those Of Lord ROsobery and the Duke oi Buc-
clcuch when looked upon from this point Of view, Eng
lsh society appears by means bisarre IN living Tor
politics and sport Tho latter helps very much os Il
managed 20 mike the territorial arstoCrut popular or
unpopular Altogether magnatcs compare very f1'-
oraby with those OF France who hold aoof from pubic
life and alternate their existence between sldNh d,'
| ness and frcuLicd gambling.
! There has been charming ull in politics Nobody
yet knows decided, whether the extension 81
the borough suffrage To counties and the redistribution
Of electoral districts will be pushed forward next sos
sion together, separately, not at all. Many thiik
that the reconstruction OF London will occupy the whole
Of next session. and will be driven through before every
thing The election Of Alderman Fowler To the office Of
Lord Mayor IS distinctly Tory note OF defiance Alder
man ITadlcy was uulUcky In his connection with some
queer companies, and IS accused Of festive tendency
but doubt II these reasons would have cNcuu'd mn II
he had been thorough Tory and in the House Of Com
mons But II Is not Of serious Importance this wearing
Of tie Robes ~ tho last Lord Mayor OF London The
great wealth and considerable intelligence Of the Cite
are rdcuousy uud,-rcprcscntc in Parliament and II
IS hardly likely that in redistribution of seats Tory
constituency will be favored In amy case the issue OF
the threatened Reform bill Is too remote to agitae the
country 80 FAR as can discern neither gentle nor
simple care a rush about the matter.
Since ms last letter have been in Sussex in the midst
Of the most ancient hon-producns district In England
This section the country has passed through strange
yicisulcs within historic times Apparently the clay
band iroustonc underlying the Wcald or Sussex sup
piled the ancient Brtons with the famous scythc- blades
with which they armed their war-chalios. In Saxon
times Mayfcld was made sacred and famous by St. Dun
stan that holy ron-w0lkcr who when assliled by inc
Devil up his pnccrs aud caught that ancient gentle
man by the nose one would fancy that redhOt pncers
would have been agreeable TO the Prince OF Darkness but
apparently this not the case for he made great
leap from Mayhcd to Tbrdgc Wells, where he plunged
his nose into spring fact which is held 10 explain the
sulphurous and fcrruginous favor OF that spa hope
Is all true for the pnccrs the other day and have
frequently tasted OF the diabolzed spring In every
direction one finds the ponds which mark the sites Of the
ancient forgcs of which made tho iron rail-
ings which till within few years surrounded ST. Paus
Cathedral.
In early times the country covered with oak, form
ing part the great forest OF Anderid the pass between
which and the marshes occupied by the army OF
Harold before the battle OF Hastings. Tho oak charcoal
made on the surface supplied the best possible material
for smelling and in the OF centuries
the ironworks had consumed much Of the forest that
the destruction of the oak necessary for shpbuding