Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-04-24
JOHN BULL AT HOME.
A GOOD HOST AND GIVEN TO HOS
PlTALITY.
Gentility Next to Godliness-Domestio
Servants Uniformly Civil--A Guest
in an English Family-Training
and Manners of Children.
Robert Laird Golfers Letter. !

John Bull Is Olu11 but IN his best estate
be is ceremonious, if he cannot be said to
be polite, Gentlity with the English is
not only next to goodness, but it viii
stand one in good stead for goodness
itself lie what you may, you must not
be vulgar. Though you are on your way
to the gallows you must respect the pro.
prieties AS between The keeping of tho
ceremonial or the moral law the rule
would be that it would be less risk so.
cialIy to be improper than ungcnteel
Children are certainly not told that wick.
edness may be winfed at, but they are
given to derstanl that viola; ions Of the
social prophecies are almost an unpardUn.
able sin This d es not in the least qualify
the truth OF what has been said about the
impoliteness of certain classes of the Eng
fish, for these details of the social code
are observed in very matter oftact way,
and the observing is rather in the letter
than in the spirit.
Domestic and public servants are uni.
formly civil, and, indeed. wherever it is
TO their advantage, as has been said, they
are obsequious. shop keepers and their
attendants have soft and sleek manner,
an overwhelmed air of being honored by
your custom, which is habitual with them
ana which really means nothing and
which Is, or ought to be. to Americans
disgu, ting These class distinctions beget
in limited Classes of Inglisl Society de-
gree Of suubbery and long train of of.
fensive and hateful apengs and servilties
such rs | have met with in no other oun-
try. 1t is very pleasing to the flesh to be
minisicred unto, and it may latter o;e to
have men SHOW awe in your re ence and
to have mad'crvAnts speak in low tones
and make profound coureseS, but after
all H.,
has learned to honor the humanity OF
every other human being. These class
distinctions, and all social customs grow
ing out of them, are lille less than
moral wrong to any cope.
1t is also a most delightful sense of
freedom that comes to one who is guest
in an English family to know that he is
not lax NJ the resources and time of the
family to entertain him He is left wholly
to his own devices and plans from break
fast till dinner if he wi hes to be. 1t IS
not even expected that he will turn up at
luncheon, or will join the family or other
guests during the day. unle's he arranges
to do so. He may be asked if he will
ride or drive or visit, but he is perfectly
free to accept or decline any proposals,
and the pleasure of the guest is the no st 5
only concern in the case. One can sit in
walk through the grounds, or 90 into
town, or take the train for neighboring
village, or ride or drive-in short,
do just what one has mind To
do, and no questions are asked
and no explanations are desired or
expected. THIS custom makes it de-
ightfuily easy to be either guest or a
host Indeed, all through English so
Ciety one of the most charming facts is
that pc pies personal affairs are not pub
licly or socially ,anvassed.
The English are good hosts, and are
given to hospitality. tnyl sh houses are
seldom without guests. J Dung folks
bring hoolmates and other folks home
with them, and relations are constantly
Wis ting among each other The habtual
presence Of others than the family in the
house leads to good and systematic house
keeping and lips enormously in the
| training of servants. who are always .ex-
pected to do their best 1t also gives ease
and grace to entertaining when it is n GUS
tom and not an infrequent and ccremo-
NAL occasion 1t is also potential in the
good training ald maDners of children,
who usually VIII not presume upon Wis
itors as they may upon the family, and
will he more careful in their department.
The rule is that kngiish families spend
their evenings together, and not in very
hilarious fashion either. The men folk
may play billiards, when the women will
sit by and do needle work and chat. ,r,
! the family may retire 70 t e drawing.
room after dinner, which is the USUAL Gus
TOM and have music and cards according
to the taste of each, or one is lie free to read
Certain periodicals are regularly taken in,
such as the illustrated the society and
the comic papers, and these are always to
be found, with the last new novel, on the
drawing room table. Circulating libraries
are very generally used, and 50 by paying
small annual subscription one may get
all the latest books and periodicals., and
the rule is that every family of any sort of
social standing or pretenslon will have
half dozen of the most recent books in
the house at time