Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1884-02-07

lirht. The room was like a ~ hl5perf-s~4
| gallery Everybody was taiking, Dus
talking as if in whispers, This was Inc
tone Of speech through the dinner and
until the ladies left the table, and tneh
conversation began general and In some,
what loudrr voice, though weii-preu
English people never speak ~ 9
loud v dice.
We sat at the table perhaps half an
hour after the ladies bad left, when amer
dinner w~inesand coffee were served. n
then we isined the aides In the draw
ing room, where tea was served. Here
the conversation became general. anu
az animated as drawing room CONVERSE
tor ever 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
I ought to say / had never up to that
time seen ladies in such "full dress Tor
q house dinner. Most Of the ladies were
in fuller dress than | had Q seen be-
fore '.off the stage" and | hardly knew
what to do about it. 81 was kind OF
ashamed" But everything is in custom.
It is all one when you get used 10 a
thing. About midnight the host, rather
an elderly gentleman, excused himself
and retired. / also started off with him,
and, when / asked the breakfast hour,
was told not to permit myself to be dis
turbed in the morning, but to breakfast
when I liked, my host add i1g. Il think
il very bad y'know, TO disturb
q guest in the MORNINGS" However, !
was in time TO Join the gentleman and
his eldest daughter at breakfast about
$50. II.
During my visit there was a formal,
and sometimes rather large, dining par
ty each evening, and the dinner itself
was always of a 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. / have been to
four dinner parties In the week, and
had pretty nearly the same dinner each
time. Were it not a good dinner, and
always perfectly served, one would get
very tired oft. Speakingof dinner com
panies. ! was immensely amused one
evening when, coming in from a drive,
/ said to the butler: "Head, who is tc
be at dinner this evening"" when, with
exceeding pompo5ity, Head replied
"Nobody Of importance, SIR Howev.
er there we're two officers of the army
at dinner, and they thought nc 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 were 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 one chose to Join a
riding or driving party. The whole
house-dining room, library and private
room--was at ones use for the day, the
drawing room and billiard room for the
evening.
Customs differ in different families as
to the precise way and order of keeping
Christmas eve and Christmas day. In
this family on Christmas eve there was
the Christmas tree-rather a German
thar an English custom. Sorpe one or
two members of the family-perhaps the
two eldest daughters-decorate the Tree
and hang it sith the various presents
for the different members of the family,
GSTFdui5 alu Lut kucStS. III ID uOb COi-
sidered good form" for the guests to
give presents, to the hosts and family at
this time, but perhaps to send a remem-
brance in some simple way afterward.
There was the oyster supper after the
dinner, and about 10 O'clock We were all
taken into a large sitting
or living ROOM, where the servants were
already gatbered-just 10 in number
and where the tree, about Is leet high,
was al q blaze of light and co,or. The
presents We're mostly of 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 or
l this OCCASION joined the family, and Of
, terward all drove Oh walked 10 the par
ish church for service at III o'clock. Il
I is expected on such festivals that tht
lord OF the nan and his family will bt
present at divine worship. So the day.
and the weeks passed all TOO quickly.
i have often since been in country houses
. and have beer the guest of great towI
houses. but l have told you the ste nv O
a Christmas time in a family now broker
, up and scattered, My host has ioinec
the great majority. 1 have one les
l friend on this side, and one NOR,
precious one that side.
NysoxxvC 80 -