The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1884-10-31

and, when I asked the breakfast hour,
was told not to permit myself to be dis
turbed in the morning, but to breakfast
when l liked, my host adding: 81 think
1t very bad manners, y'know. to disturb
a guest in the mornings" However, i
was in time to Join the gentleman and
his eldest daughter at breakfast about
$50.
During my visit there was a formal,
and sometimes rather large, dining par
ty each evening, and the dinner itself
was always of q thoroughly good but
routine sort. All English dinners are
much alike, always Of a%thoroughly good,
but always q bit heavy. Give the four
seasons Of the year, any one always
knows what one is going to have when
invited out to dinner. l have been to
four dinner parties in the week, and
mad pretty nearly the same dinner each
time. Were it not a good dinner. and
always perfectly served, one would get
very tired of it. Speaking of dinner com
panies. l was immensely amused one
evening when, coming in from a drive,
| said to the butler: Head, who is to
be at dinner this evening"" when, with
exceeding pomposity, Head replied:
Nobody of importance, sir" Howev-
er there we're two officers of the army
at dinner, and they thought no doubt,
they were of considerable Importance.
However, buffers in great families in
England are themselves most impor-
tant personages, and disdain to consider
untitled people of any consequence, eX-
cept they be foreigners, which happened
to be my claim to consideration.
Each day was planned and arranged
for. The saddle horses we're at the SER
vice of the guests till or after luncheon,
and the carriages for such as chose to
drive. One was left to ones self for the
entire day, unless n chose to join a
riding or driving party. The whole
house-dining room, library and private
drawing room and billiard room for the
evening.
Customs differ in different families as
to the precise way and order of keeping
Christmas ave and Christmas day. In
this family on Christmas ave there was
the Christmas ~tree-rather a German
than an English custom. Some one or
two members of the family-perhaps the
two eldest dauehters-decorate the tree
and hang it sith the various presents
for the different members OF the family,
servants and the guests. It is not con-
sidered good "form" for the guests to
give presents, to the hosts and family at
this time, but perhaps to SENDS remem-
brance in some simple way afterward.
There was the oyster supper after the
dinner. and about 10 o'clock we we're all
taken into large sitting
or living room, where the servants were
already gathered-just 10 in number
and where the tee, about Is feet high,
was all q hlaze of light and color. The
presents were mostly ola very simple
and rather inexpensive kind, consisting
Of pretty editions of books, albums for
family and guests, and articles of wear
ing apparel and tineries for the ser
wants. Each article was marked with
the name of the person for whom in
tended and by whom given.
On Christmas morning The family as
sembled for prayers, and the guests on
this occasion joined the family, and af-
terward all drove or walked to the par.
ish church for service at II o'clock. 1t
is expected on such festivals that the
lord of the manor and his family will be
present at divine worship. So the days
and the weeks passed NIL too quickly. I
have often since been in country houses,
and have teen the guest of great town
houses, but I have told you the ste ry of
a Christmas time in a family now broken
up and scattered, My host has joined
the great majority. / have one less
friend on this side, and one more
precious one that side,