The Mineral argus., 1884-02-07
RURAL ENGLAND.
Holiday Visiting and Country Life.
London Correspondence Boston Herald.

hOAludy tAbltllS anu OOuubN AiAOs
London Correspond encs 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 10 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 rigidlY 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 lie most
vivid in my memory is the very first /
ever made to a country house in Eng
land. 1t was all 80 new to me, so'bright
and picturesque, so full of all l had read,
as though it belonged to the old centu-
Ties and nota part ofthe new life ola busy
commercial age that it came upon me
making and leaving the impressions of a
dream. That is the Christmas-tide at an
English country house that l hold in
mind most in relief and grateful love. 1t
was an cid hall in the mid.lands, and
one of the most famous pack of hounds
i'll 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 l
was almost q 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 estimate of my host,
confer a favor upon himself and his
| household. At the close eff the note
"Perhaps you will kindly bring No.
81" What on earth mo. 3" was l had
no means of knowing. Up to that time,
as we'll as up to this time, I had read no
book of etiquette 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,
1 found out through the
friendly offices ola courteous friend that
my valet was ''No. s." and it was sup
posed that l would not be wholly COM
Portable without q personal servant, an
accepted custom in families and with
gentlemen of "high degree" in England,
! took the train to the station, and was
there met, after q ride of an hour, by
the foot-man who led me to a carriage,
and "No 8" was provided with q cab
which took him and the luggage or
ahead Of my carriaQe. 1t 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 manners and of the great
! est readiness of service. In the greai
D open square "hall" was an enormous
|. blazing fire in a fireplace itself almost
as big as an ordinary room. / was a
once led to my bedroom, where already
/, "No. 8" was in attendance. The lackey
told me the dinner honr and said l mus
be shown the way to the drawing room
by my servant. While l dressed "No
G g." made his toilet also, as he had beer
, requested to assist in serving at table
It is a useful and sensible custom Il
, have ones own servant, valet or footman
to accompany one to Dime
y parties to a ssist. A few minute
before 1880 / wa shown to th
/ drawing room, where alrea dy wer
gathered the family and most of tn
guests. Up to now, / had zen no on
but servants, but, when my name wa
q announced, the host and daughte
! moved forward toward me and l wa
u received with warmest cordially. Ina
seen already in London dimly lighte
houses, especially drawing rooms bu
y really this was so dark / could only
with difficulty, recognize faces. {
" course, vulgar gas was excluded froI
II the honse. Here and there IN til
g great, old-fashioned room, were lamp
o upon little tables and a few candle
e And in every instance they Wer