The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1884-10-31
RURAL ENGLAND.
Holiday Visiting and Country Life.
London Correspon fence Boston Herald.

Lonoon C0rresponi ence 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 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 rigidlv observed with
every year, and nov 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 30 new to me, so bright
as though it belonged to the old centu.
ries and nota part Of the new life ola 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 in reliet and grateful love. 1t
was an cid hall in the mid lands, and
n 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 u few friends
were the guestsi in the house efthe ''lord
Of the manor" Ny invitation to be of
the number was clothed in language
most touching to me at the time, for l
was almost a stranger in a strange land,
although | had made dear friends OF
certain relatives Of the family. The note
to me made it plain that i. was not an
affection of 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 $50. 3" was | had
no means of knowing. Up to that time,
as we'll as up to this time, l had read no
book of etiquette on the ''Manners
and Customs OF Good Society,"" l knew
it could not mean my W napkin ring,
and l had no notion that it did
mean my own valet. However,
friendly offices of II courteous friend that
my valet was mo. g." 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 "high degree" in England.
/ took the train % the station, and was
there met, after a ride of an hour, by
the foot-man who led me to a carriage,
and mos" was provided with a cab
which took him aud the luggage on
ahead of my carriaue. 1t was quite dark
when l arrived at the hall. and the fall
of the day was chilly and damp. Upon
slighting from the carriage, the door
was instantly opened by a lackey of the
r,Net ~ ~, n ., o., r, /, - ~ 49, 49,
est readiness of service. In the great
open square ''hali" was an enormous
blazing fire in a fireplace itself almost
as big an ordinary room. l was at
once led to my bedroom, where already
mo. 3" was in attendance. The lackev
told me the dinner honr and said / must
be shown the way to the drawing room
by my servant. While l dressed "No.
3" made his toilet also, as he had been
requested to assist in serving at table.
1t is q useful and sensible custom to
have ones own servant, valet or footnan,
to accompany II to dinner
parties to a ssist. A few minucps
before 7:30 l was shown to the
drawing. room, where alrea dy were
gathered the family and most Of the
but servants, but, when my name was
announced, the host and daughter
moved forward toward me and / was
received with warmest cordially. l had
seen already in London dimly lighted
houses, especially drawing rooms. but
really this vas 30 dark / could only,
with difficulty, recognize faces. OF
course, vulgar gas was excluaed from
the honse. Here and there in this
great, old-fashioned room, were lamps
upon little tables and a few candles.
And in every instance they were
shaded 80 as to subiue and soften the
light, The room was like a az INSPIRING
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, aud then
conversation began general and inaome.
what louder voice, though well-5red
English people speak in a
loud voice.
We sat at the table perhaps half an
hour after the ladies had left, when alter
Inner winesand coffee we're served. am
hen we joined the ia,iies in the draw
ing room, where tea WAS served. Here
the conversation became general, and
az animated as drawing room onversa
tioE. aver 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
/ ought to cav ] had never up to that
time seen ladies in such .'full dress" for
q house dinner. Most Of the ladies' were
in fuller dress thnn l had ever seen be-
fore off the stage" and | hard knew
what to.do Hi,ous il. II was kind OF
ashamed" But everything is in custom.
1t is all one when yon get used to d
thing About midnight the host, rather
an elderly gen leman, excusrd himself
and retired. I also started off with him,