Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-01-05

Holiday Visiting and Country Life.
London Correspondence OF the Boston Herald

..
London Correspondence OF the Boston Herald
To know anything whatever Of the peace and
love and JOY Of English home life, one must see
this home life in the country. 1t Is true that it
| is the English custom to have only the family
and family circle in the house for the distinctive
festivities of the holiday. but visitors are in
vited just before and Just after. The custom is
| getting less rgidly observed with every year,
and now 1t Is not uncommon to have town"
| friends with the family through fortnight
ending with the new year. which is not OBJ
served at ALL Among other such visits the
| most vivid in my memory is the very first
ever made to country house in
England. 1t was all SO new to me,
SO bright and picturesque, so full of all
L had read, as though it belonged to the old
centuries and not a part of the new life of a
busy commercial age. that it came upon me
| making and leaving the impressions of dream.
That is the Christmas-tide at an English country
house that | hold in mind most lii relief and
| grateful love. 1t was an old hall IN the mid
lands, and one of the most famous pack of
hounds in England hal their master living close
| at hand. and the meets were always in the
immediate neighborhood. Children, grand
children and Few friends were the guests in
| the house of the 'lord of the manor" MY in
vitation to be OF the number was clothed in Ian
guage most touching to me at the time. for
was almost a stranger in a strange land
although l had made dear friends of certain
relatives Of the family The note to me made
it plain that it was not an affection of FORM but
that my acceptance would really, in the esti-
mate of my host. confer favor upon
himself and his household. At the close
OF the note there was some such sem
tence as this: PERHAPS you will kindly
81 was l had no means of know
ing. Up to that time. as well as up to this
| time had read no book of etiquette or on the
Manners and Customs of Good Society,""
| knew it could not mean my own napkin ring,
and l had no notion that it did mean my own
| valet However, l found out through the
| friendly Offices of courteous friend that my
| valet was mo. 81 and it was supposed that l
| would not be wholly comfortable without a per-
sOnal servant, an accepted custom in families
| and with gentlemen of ''high degree" in Eng
| land. took the train to the station, and was
| there met. after ride of an hour by the foot
| man, who led me to carriage, and "NO. s.
| was provided with a cab which took him and
the luggage on ahead Of NV carriage. 1t was
| quite dark when arrived at the hall, and the
| fall OF the day was chilly and damp Upon alight-
| ing from the carriage. the door was instantly
| opened by q lackey of the most gracious man
| ners and of the greatest readiness of SER
wee. In the great open square 'hall' was
| an enormous blazing fire in fireplace it.
| self almost as big as an ordinary room.
! l was at once led to my bedroom. where
| already mo. 81 was in attendance. The lackey
| told me the dinner hour. and said must be
\
! want. Willie | dressed "No. g" made his toilet
also, as he had been requested to assist in serv-
| ing at table. 1t is useful and sensible custom
| TO nave ones own servant, valet or fOOtman to
accompany one to dinner parties to assist. A
| few minutes before T:30 | was shown to the
| drawing room, where already were gathered the
| family and most Of the guests. Up to now,
| had seea no one but servants. but. when my
| name was announced. the host and daughter
moved forward toward me and | was received
with Warmest cordially. had seen already in
London dimiy lighted houses. especially draw
ing rooms. but really this was So dark could
only. with difficulty. recognize faces. Of course.
vulgar gaS was excluded from the house. Here
and there III this great Oil-fashioned room,
Were lamps upon little tables and few candles
| And in every instance they were shaded 50 as
to subdue and soften the light. The room was
| Like ''Whisp"ring gallery" Everybody was
! talking. but talking as if in whispers. This was
| the tone OF speech through the dinner and until
/ the ladies lett the table, and then conversation
| became general and in somewhat louder voice.
though wel-bred English people never speak in
| a loud voice.
| We sat at the table perhaps half an hour after
| the ladies had left, when after-dinner wines and
coffee were served, and then we joined the ladies'
| In the drawing room. where tea was served.
| Here the conversation became general and as
| animated as drawing room conversation ever is,
| or perhaps ever ought to be. Then little
music. also q rubber at whist; then the gen.
tienen repaired to the billiard room for smok-
ing, billiards and-'brandy and soda" Per-
haps ought to say had never up to that time
seen ladies in such full dress for a house
dinner. Most OF the ladies were In fuller dress
than had ever seen before ''Otf the stage" and
| hardly knew what to do about it, Il was
kind OF ashamed" But everything is in Gus
tom. 1t is all one when you get used
| to Il thing. About midnight the host rather
| an elderly gentleman, excused himself and
retired. also started off with him,
!
was told not to permit myself to be
| disturbed in the morning, but to break
| fast when l liked my host adding: II think it
| very bad manners, y know, to disturb guest
! in the mornings" However. / was in time to
| join the gentleman and his eldest laughter at
breakfast about $50.
During my visit there was formal and some
| times rather large, dinner party each evening,
| and the dinner Itself was always Of thor
| oughly good but routine sort. Ali English din
ners are much alike, always good, but always
| q bit heavy. Given the four seasons Of the year.
| any one always knows what one 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 good dinner, and always perfectly
| served. one would get very tired Of it. Speak
| in.c of dinner companies. | was immensely
amused one evening when. coming in from
drive, said to the butter: Head who is to be
at dinner this evening"" when. with exceeding
| pPHpJStJ, iPCG ftpHeu: Nobody Oh import
ance sir" However, there were two officers
o. the army at dinner. and they thought no
doubt. they were Of considerable Importance
However. buffers in great families in England
are themselves most important personages. and
dlSdan to consider untitled people of any conse-
qucnce, except they be foreigners. which hap
pened to be my claim to consideration.
Each day was planned and arranged for. The
saddle horses were at the service OF the guests
till or after luncheon, and the carriages fer such
as chose To drive. One was left to ones.seIf for
tie entire day. unless one chose to join q riding
or driving party. The whole h0use-dning
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 tTee-rather Ger
! man than an English custom. Some one or two
ineinoerS Of the family-perhaps the two eldest
daughUcrs-0ecOrate the tree and hang it with
the various presents for the different members
of tie family. servants and the guests. 1t is not
considered good form for the guests to give
presents. to the hosts and family at this
time, but perhaps to send remembrance in
some simple way afterward. There was
the oyster supper 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-juEt 10 in cumberland where the
tree about ID feet high, was all blaze of light
and color. The presents were mostly Of very
| simple and rather inexpensive kind, consisting
| OF pretty editions of books, albums for family
| ana guests, and articles of wearing appeared