Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1884-02-01
RURAL ENGLAND.


RURAL ENGLAND.
Holiday Visiting and Country Life.
London Correspon tencs Boston Herald.
To know anything whatever Of the
peace and love and Joy of English home
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 rigid}y observed with
every year, and now it is not uncona-
mon to have ''town" friends with the
family through 81 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 I
ever made to country house in Eng
land. 1t Was all so new to me, so bright
and picturesque, so full Of all I had read,
as though it belonged to the old centu-
ries and not a part of the new life of a busy
commercial age that it came upon me
making and leaving the impressions of O.
dream. That is the Christmas-tide at an
English country house that 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
in England had their master living close
at band, and the "meets" were always
in the immediate neighborhood. Chill
dren, grand. children and 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 I
was almost stranger in strange land,
although | had made dear friends Of
certain relatives Of the family. The note
to me made it plain that il: was not an
affection Of form, but that my acceptance
would really, in the estimate of my host,
confer 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 $40. 81 was [ had
nc means of knowing. Up to that time,
as we'll as up to this time, I had read no
book of etiquette on the ''AIanners
and Customs OF Good Society,"" l knew
it could not mean my own napkin ring,
aAu AaA LIZ AotioA tudt IL oAu
mean my own valet However,
friendly Offices ola courteons friend that
my valet was ''No. g." and it was sup
posed that would not be wholly com.
Portable without 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 ride Of an hour, by
the foot-man who led me to carriage,
and mos" was provided with q cab
which took. him and the luggage on
ahead Of my carriage. It was quite dark
when l 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 q lackey of the
most gracious manners and of the great
est readiness of service. In the great
open SQUARE "haV' vas an enormous
blazing fire in q FIRE place itself almost
as big as an ordinary room. l was at
once led to my bedroom, where already
emo, 3" was in attendance. Tue lackev
told me the dinner hour and said I must
be shown the way 60 the drawing room
by my servant. While>I dressed "No.
g." made his toilet Also. as he had been
requested to assist in. serving at table.
It is a useful and sensible custom to
have ones own servant, valet or footman,
to accompany one to dinner
parties to a ssist. A few rninutes
before 7:3O 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 was
announced, tbs host and daughter
moved forward toward me and I was
received with warmest cordially. had
seen already in London aimly lighted
. houses, especially drawing rooms. but
really this was SO dark could only,
with difficulty, recognize faces. OF
course, vulgar gas was exclu led from
the honse. Here and there in this
great, -old-fsshioned room, were lamps
upon little. tables. and a few candles.
And in every instance shey were
shaded SO as to subdue and soften the
light. The room WAS like a Cav 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, and then
conversation began general and in aome-
what louder voice, though well-bred
English people never speak in a
loud DICE. s5 III < {$ s:: / -s., !. IT,.
+ We sat at the table perhaps half an
hour after the ladies' had left, when after
dinner winesand coffee were served. ami
then We joined the ladies ia the draw
ing room, where tea was served. Here
the conversation became general. and
"a animated as drawing room converse
tion ever is. or perhaps ever ought to
be. Then d little music, also rubber
at whist !; then the gentleman repaired
!. to the billiard room for smo king, bill
iards5 and brand y and Soda Perhaps
81 ought to say had never up to that
time seen ladies il such Isl full Dress for
house dinner. Most of the ladies Wsrn
III fuller dress than ! had ever seen be-
] fore .ssof the stage 3 3 and Z hardly knew
what to do about it. f KS was kind III
I ASHAMED. Y But sevsry thing Is III custom.
1T is all one. when You get used statS .
thing bout midnight the host rather
an elderly gent eman, excused himself
and retired i also started of with him.