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


London Correspon ience 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 familyand fam
lily circle in the house for the distinctive
festivities of the holiday, but visitors are
invited just before and after. The GUS
tom is getting less rigidIy observed with
every year, and now it is not uncom-
mon to have town" friends with the
family through a fortnight ending with
the new year, which is not observed at
all. Among other such visits the most
vivid In my memory is the very first |
ever made to a country house in Eng
land. 1t was all SO new to me, so bright
and picturesque, so full of all / had read,
as though it belonged TO the old centu-
ries and not a parto of the new life ola busy
commercial age that itcame upon me
making and leaving the impressions ola
dream. That is the Christmas.tide at an
English country house That I hold in
mind most IN relief and grateful love. 1t
was ar old hall In the mid. lands, and
one of the most famous pack of hounds
in England had their master living close
at hand, and the meets" were always
in the immediate neighborhood. Chill
dren, grandchildren and a few friends
were the guests in the house of the 'lord
Of the manor" Ny invitation to be of
the number was clothed in language
most touching to me at the time, for |
was almost a stranger in a strange land,
although | had made dear friends OF
certain relatives ofthe family. The note
20 me made 1t pii2in that Il was not an
affection 6 form, but that my acceptance
would really, in the estimate Of my host,
confer q favor upon himself and his
household. At the close of the note
there was some such sentence as this:
perhaps you will kindly bring No.
81" What on earth mo. 3" was / had
no means of knowing. Up to that time,
as well as up to this time, | had read no
book of etiquette on the manners
and Customs of Good Society" / knew
it could not mean my own napkin ring,
and / had no notion that it did
mean my own valet. However,
IL found out through the
friendly Offices ola courteous friend that
my valet was 'sNo. 81 and it was sup
posed that / would not be wholly COM
Portable without a personal servant, an
accepted custom in families and with
gentlemen of thigh degree" in England.
took the train to the station, and was
The 20 met, after q ride of an hour, by
the foot-man who led me 10 a carriage.
! and NOS" was provided with a CAD
which took him and the luggage on
ahead OF my carriace. Ii was quite dark
when | arrived at the hall. and the fall
of the day was chilly and damp. Upon
alighting from the carriage, the door
was instantly opened by a lackey Of the
most gracious and of the great
est readiness of service. In the great
open square ''hall" was an enormous
blazing fire in a fireplace itself almost
as big as an ordinary room. ! was at
lvnce led to my bedroom, where already
"No. 3" was in attendance. The lackev
told me the dinner honr and said Imust
be shown the way to the drawing room
by my servant. WhileI dressed "No,
3" made his toilet also, as he had been
requested to assist in serving at table.
1t is useful and sensible custom to
have ones own servant. valet or footman,
parties to q ssist. A few minusps
before 7:30 I was shown TO the
drawing room, where alrea dy were
gathered the family and most of the
guests. Up to now, ] had seen no one
but servants, but, when my name wa
announced, the host and daughter
moved forward towayd me and / was
received with warmest cordially. I had
seen already in London dimly lighted
houses, especially drawing rooms. but
really this was SO dark I could only
With difficulty, recOgnlze faces. %
course, vulgar gas WINS excluded from
the honse. Here and there iii thi!
urcat, old fashioned room, were lamps
upon little tables and a few candles
and IN every instance siiey we're