The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1884-03-30
MODERN Luxury IN ENGLAND.
Lady John Manners ON che Luxury OF she
Secieu ef the Present Oay.
Ipall-Man GsxeiteI

peacbes the luxury Of society IN the pres
ent day. Forty or fifty years ago, she
saws. ~the machinery OF life was less cum
bersome. less complicated, and less costly
than 4, Is al present. Now, however.
senecisliv In well-appointed sporting coun-
,rv bonses, society gives itself up to q
Succession OF meals (which succeed each
other. with brief intervals for rest, from
morning hours till long past dewy eve"
The account given by this representative
Of "our old nobility" Of the feeding OF the
aristocracy is somewhat startling: I" Before
The ladies--indeed, before most OF the gen
tlemeD--leaye their beds, dainty little SER
vices OF tea and bread and butter are ear
ried TO them. Sometimes the younger men
prefer brandy and soda. Fortified by these
refreshments, the transporting guests come
10 breakfast about 10. -Four hot dishes,
every sort OF cold meats that might fifty
furnish forth feast. fruits. cakes. tea. coi-
fee, cocoa, claret on the sideboard, con-
stltute a satisfactory breakfast. often pro-
longed until within two hours and a
half OF luncheon. The shooters have
probably breakfasted earlier. The inn
portant institution OF l"ncheon begins
at 2. Again the table Is spread With
many varieties Of flesh and fowl, hot
and cold proofs OF the cooks ability piain
puddings for those who study their health,
creations i'm cream for those who have not
vet devoted themselves to that never-failing
source OF interest. Coffee is often served
after lunch, which is usually over soon
after 3. II shooting party has gone out,
Norwegian stoves crammed with hot dishes
of an appetizing character have been dis
patched TO the scene OF action. The ladies'
gather round the tea-table about 3. usually
showing much appreciation OF any llttie
surprises in the way OF mullins or tea
cakes provided by thoughtful hostess.
When the shooters come in, some VIII
probably Join the ladies, perhaps a Few
NAV like little champagne, but tea and
talk tempt the majority"
Then comes dinner, which is served at
or $3.50. and at which the floral arrange
ments are probably of the most elaborate
description, the resources OF the head
gardener having been taxed to the utmost
while sometimes baskets OF flowers IRON
Paris or Nice form the centre OF group.
.'By 10 or 1890 dinner Is generally over.
Coffee il brought into the dinlng-r0om,
while the gentlemen smoke. IL Is wins
pered that some Of the ladies enjoy post
prandial cigarette. Liquors and tea are
offered during the evening, aud Keep W
90 10 bed. after little money has changed
hands at poker or loo. Then the serious
business OF the night begins for the gen
tlemen. who dive into the recesses Of thu
smoking-room, and brews Of many kinds
are prepared efierycscing waters, whiS-
KEY, brandy, claret, lemons i'm profuslon
must be at hand"
As ut is in feeding. so il is with dressing;
tkora IL fha cama iparaasp Of QXDpuNitlfTl
and the same extravaganza. Ladies. we
are told, spend more money on their toilets
than their mothers and far more than their
grandmothers did Many ladies whOsefor-
tunes cannot be considered large spend
e60O year on their toilets, and 1t is not
unusual for the annual expenditure on
dress alone TO rise 10 el,000. Sixty guineas
is not an uncommon price for one court
dress. Notwithstanding all this, costume
change with the barometer, and ladies
change their dresses three times during the
evening, The natural result is that no
Young man dare marry unless he Is on the
way TO be CrPsus; marriages decrease and
families decay. House rent, too, has gone
up, and London has grown so large that
busy men have to spend E200 in haDsolns.
even while keeping carriages OF their own.
Wages have nearly doubled, but Lady
John does not regret this, regarding Il
rather as a matter for cOugratulatiOn To al
who reflect how essential ii is for servants
to lay up against time OF sickness ano |
old age. But entertainments, the writer
points out. are now on much more
extrayagant scale than formerly. and
the startling fact Is cited that g.
600 IL occasionally spent on tlow-
ers alone for single ball. Rents al
seaside places have risen, and grouse
shooting is a large item OF expenditure, for
it seems that El,600 or $4,000 is. not I'M
frequently paid for good grOuSe-shooting
aud q comfortable lodge. Few will dis
pute the statement OF the writer that :" III
order TO indulge in Injuries on the scale
referred to, and ut the same time to pro-
vide for the poor, very large fortunes are
essential" While the number OF million
aires and demi-milionaireS has increased
greatly OF late years, the majority OF
people In what is called "society" have
only moderate means, while q still larger
proportion are struggling with financial
embarrassments-by no means surprising
fact when one thinks Of some OF the figures
quoted above.
Lady Manners is equally outSpoken
about the extravaganees OF both ladies and
gentlemen. ON the subject OF smoking,
she says: a very large number OF our
couutrymen have developed Teutonic ca
pacities for smoking. II ten or twelve
cigars are consumed in the twenty-four
hours, with interludes in which cigarettes
and pipes are substituted, the sum that
yanishes in smoke. varying according to
the price OF tobacco, Is considerable. In a
few instances the expenditure on cigars
amounts 10 Go day.
And here is a sentence which shows TO
some extent what "society" means to-
day: Last season the leading dress
makers were receiving almost more orders
than they could get through FIR the most
expensive dresses. Florists, even at this
time OF year, find no difficulty In selling
huge sheaves OF flowers, by courtesy called
bouquets, at sums ranging from three
guineas TO fancy prices. Hair-dresSers
have brisk sale for fluffy fringes, tresses
OF every shade. Ii IL true that OCCASION
ally the golden plaits and the beautiful
SILVER hair that we regard as the glory OF
advancing years are made OF the finest al
paca wool, but they are very profitable
merchandise. French artists are decora'
ting reception-rooms with brocades, re.
heved by tints Of gold, for those who APP.
preclate their taste. Our own upholsterers
furnish suites of rooms with the soltest
plush or glowing damasks, and every i'm.
aginable appliance FOR luxurious lounging.
And yet In the closest proximity TO the
dwellings OF the rich the direst poverty toe
often exists; but while the writer recog.
nizes the startling contrasts which are pre-.
sented In the state OF society to-day
she sees some elements OF hope and en-
eouragemcnt and all must Join m the
! wish that finds exnrpssion nm har con
Guiding sentence: "Perhaps the day
may come when one half the world
may SCI itself In earnest 70 find ONT
lQxA The aika. LII. .