The Warner weekly sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1885, 1884-02-01


shaded so as to subdue and soften the
light. The room was like a 'u hisperinp
gallery" Everybody was talking, but
talking as ifin whispers, This was the
tone of speech through the dinner and
until the ladies left the table, and then
conversation began general and insome.
what louder voice, though well-bred
English people never speak n q
loud V dice.
We sat at the table perhaps half an
hour after the ladies had left, when after
dinner wines and coffee we're served, and
then we joined the ladies' in the draw
| ing room, where tea was sc rved. Here
the conversation became general, and
as animated as drawing room CONVERSE
tior ever is, Or perhaps ever ought to
be. Then a little music, also q rubber
at whist; then the gentleman repaired
to the billiard room for smoking, bill
iards and-"brandy and soda" Perhaps
l ought to say / had never up to that
| time seen ladies in such "fuli dress" for
o house dinner. Most Of the ladies were
in tusler dress than | had ever seen be-
fore "otf tie stage" and I hardly knew
what to do about it. 81 was kind of
ashamed" But everything is in custom.
1t is all n when you get used to a
thing. About midnight the host, rather
an elderly gentleman, excused himself
and retired. | also started off with him,
and, when / asked the breakfast hour,
was told not to permit myself to be dis
turbed in the morning, out to breakfast
when I liked, my host adding: 81 think
it very bad manners, " know, to disturb
a guest in the mornings" However, ]
was in time to Join the gentleman and
his eldest daughter at breakfast about
$50. .
During my visit there was a formal,
and sometimes rather large, dining par
ty each evening, and the dinner itself
was always of a thoroughly good but
routine sort. All English dinners are
much alike, always Of athoroughly good,
but always q bit heavy. Give the four
seasons OF the year, any one always
knows what n is going to have when
invited out to dinner. / have been to
four dinner parties in the week, and
had pretty nearly the same dinner each
time. Were it not a good dinner, and
always perfectly served, one would. get
very tired oft. Speaking of dinner com.
panies. l was immensely amused one
evening when, coming in from a drive,
| said to the butler: Head, who is to
| NC hU uluIlGT IIlIS SNGIluR. WU6u, Will
exceeding pomposity, Head replied:
Nobody of importance, sir" Howev-
er there were two officers of the army
at dinner, and they thought no doubt,
they we're of considerable Importance.
However, buffers in great families in
England are themselves most impor-
tant personages, and disdain to consider
untitled people of n consequence, ex-
cept they be foreigners, which happened
to be my claim to consideration.
Each day was planned and arranged
for. The saddle horses were at the SER
vice of the guests till or after luncheon,
and the carriages for such as chose to
drive. One was left to ones self for the
entire day, unless one chose to join a
riding or driving party. The whole
holEse-dining room, library and private
room--was at ones use for the day, the
drawing room and billiard room for the
evening.
Customs differ in different families as
to the precise way and order OF keeping
Christmas eve and Christmas day. In
this family on Christmas eve there was
the Christmas tree-rather a German
than IN English custom. Some one or
two members of the family-perhaps the
two eldest daughters-decorate the tree
and hang it With the various presents
for the different members of the family,
servants and the guests. 1t is not con-
sidered good form" for the guests to
give presents, to the hosts and family at
this time, but perhaps to send a remem.
brance in some simple way afterward.
There was the oyster upper after The
dinner, and about 10 o'clock We were all
taken into a large sitting
or living room, where the servants were
/ already gathered-just IS in number
and where the tree, about 10 feet high,
was all a blaze of light and color. The
presents we're mostly ofa very simple
and rather inexpensive kind, consisting
of pretty editions Of books, albums for
family and guests, and articles Of wear
ing apparel and ineries for the SER
wants. Each article was marked with
the name of the person for whom in.
tended and by whom given.
OnGhristmas morning the family as
sembied for prayers, and the guests on
this occasion joined the family, and af-
terward all drove or walked to the par
ish church for service at IL o'clock. 1t
is expected on such festivals that the
lord OF the manor and his family will be
present at divine worship, So the days
and the weeks passed all too quickly. |
have often since been in cotintry houses,
and have seen the guest Of great town
houses, but | have told you the ste ry Of
q Christmas time in a family now broken
mp and scattered Ny host iias joined
the great majority. L have one less
friend on this side, and one more
precious one hat side.