The Wilmingtonian., 1883-05-12
IN OTHER LANDS.
Old England and New England

The WILMINGToNIAN under head of "In
other lands" l sought to describe the Coun-
try manners and customs of the Belgian
people as seen through the eye of citizen
of the world. In the present article shall
endeavor to draw pen and ink sketch of
our cousins-the English, and in particular
TO note the many points wherein one CEN
tury of separation has brought about differ
ences between them and ourselves.
To begin with, let us contrast the domes-
tic life of the two peoples Here it may be
stated as general axiom that whatever is
most strongly recommended established and
approved one side of the Atlantic is the
most despised and reprobated ON the other.
The American ridicules an institution as
old-fashioned, the Englishman denounees
the most vital reform as n tangled in
vention or dangerous innovation. The
American is ever seeking to develop some
thing new, the Engleshman to conserve that
which is old. The internal economy of an
English household of to-day differs in no
essential particulars from that of our colon
ial days. In the house of professional
man the domestic servants rise at six a. m.
but the members of the family do not as =
rule put in an appearance at the breakfast
table before eight, and the work of the male
members seldom commences before ten,
Dinner is served at one p. m. and differs in
two or three important points from the
American midday meal. First there is
little OF no variety of vegetables, and the
joint of meat is kept on the table and
carved as required by the head of the fam
lily instead of being cut up and served from
the kitchen or the side-table. Secondly,
II or beer, frequently both, takes the
of water as table beverage and ice
Ar used even in the-rndst or summer.
lly, there is a very general absence of
WsserU. The next meal called tea is par
taken of at six p. m. 1t is in the nature of
an apology fol a meal, and is confined to
three or four cups of tea and few slices of
bread and butter the butter cut thick and
the bread cut thin. The last and most i'm
portant meal of the day; supper, is served
between nine and ten p. m. and is a sub
stantial repast, similar in most respects to
dinner. After this the social intercourse of
the family really commences. The gentle.
men light their pipes which replace the
cigar rarely seen in English households.
and the wife or one of the daughters then
proceeds to mix for pater-familas his night
cap or glass of toddy, from one of the three
decanters standing prominently on the
table. Here l may take occasion to note
another distinctive feature of the English as
opposed to the American custom. Drink
ing in America is a secret vice; in England a
regulated and established custom. The
American hurries through his glass of raw
spirits in couple of minutes, ponrs down
half tumbler of cold water to lessen its
destructive force and in short gets through
the entire proceeding as hurredly as posi-
BILE as if to reduce the chances of detection
to a minimum. The Englishman on the
other hand establishes his glass of toddy ON
the table openly and freely; the decanter is
always at hand in the cupboard ready to be
produced as matter of course On the arri-
val of guest and it would be considered
grave breach of hospitality on the part
of an English housewife not to invite her
visitor at any hour of the day to partake of
the glass of beer, wine or spirits. In fact
the weekly bill for these article will always
exceed the outlay for bread and will sell
dom constitute less than an eighth part of
the entire weekly expenses.
English women drink to an extent of
which their American sisters can form little
conception. do not mean to say that they
are habitually or even frequently intoxica-
ted, but do mean to say that in tine aver
age household the wife consumes from four
to six glasses of strong beer per diem to
which may be frequently added two or
three glasses of wine and "baby glass of
toddy with their husband after supper.
The toddy is quite an institution; in winter
it is mixed hot in large tumbler with
sugar, and is slipped at complacently from
one to two hours, the final portion being
often quite cold The wife usually retires
about 1890 or II p. NJ. the husband from
~ to l, usually sending down second
glass of toddy to strengthen the good eff