Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1888-11-02


The Cordially with witch sin.~,s Are
MISUNDERSTANDING Themselves at Home.
Oh arriving. the host and hostess greet
is 1t the door very cordially, and lead
heway to a spacious reception room,
vhge refreshments are served in true
english style. We were then told that
he dinner hour was o'clock. There
re fully fifty rooms on the second and
nird floors, and the very courtly house
heper escorted us in turn to those as
s,ned u.s. Promptly at 8 o'clock all
net in the drawing rooms, and without
sedal introductions treat each other as
aq,aintances. Such is the freemasonry
Q English society, although much pre-
fr eur American custom Of general in
todlctions, which commits one to moth
ig In future meetings and yet for the
tine being puts one on velvet with ones
righbors. When the butler opens the
oors, the host assigns the gentlemen to
te ladies, who walk arm in arm into
te banquet hall. Behind each guest
ands serving man, silent as a num-
", in fine livery Of gold and purple
pmetimes scarlet; pumps with large
ever buckles, silk stockings and garters,
sd powdered hair. The dinner is often
twelve courses, and appropriate wines.
There Is no fixed hour for the morn
gs repast-from to 10-and no serv-
ats stop about the breakfast room, the
entlemen serving themselves and ladies,
hmost part, from the sideboards. The
astocracy and middle classes do not eat
mch at their first meal-eggs, toast,
nffins, cold meats, pasties and tea,
rely coffee. That over, every one is
fie. Each spends the time as inclined.
TIE host and hostess let their guests do
jtt as they please. You may be sure
tit your host will not put himself out
ft you in the least, unless you expressly
dire it. Everything in the house goes
oias usual, just as if you were not there.
BIT, per contra, the house and all that is
int are practically yours while you stay
watts, his wine cellar, his larder, often
hi horses and his game preserves, abso-
lrrly at your disposal. You are at lib
err to act, and are expected to act, pre-
clsly as if you were in your own house,
vi can order a sand Tich, bowl Of
birth, a glass Of wine or spirits whenever
20 please; you can announce your in
teton of going off shooting the very
mcning after your arrival, and guns and
dos are waiting for you. 1t is the COM
muest occurrence for men, arriving in
th'afternoon at friends house, to send
thr dress suit down to the laundress to
depressed before dinner. In England
gusts are not only told to make them
seles at home," but are actually allowed
to so.
ZACH, then, does as he or she pleases.
In he first place, there is reading and
answering letters, of which letter the
Elrlish woman is especially fond. She
writes well and she writes often-whether
Shit has anything of moment to say or
not and oftentimes a dozen letters are
exchanged over an invitation to an in
formal dinner, and these letters are
usully so long and always so bright and
chaty that they not unfrequently tax
heaily the travellers time and mental
powers that she may be equally courteous
and brilliant!
Tie dailies and various magazines and
rev.,ws of the day are literally distrib-
ute1in the sitting room, while visits to
che library, picture galleries, hot houses,
consrvatories, gardens, park an stables
form part of the daily occupations. The
geniemen generally go shooting in the
preserves, where the peasants beat up
the same-partridges, pheasants, hares,
rabbits, ETC., and they stand in the open
ing sowing their skill in craftsmanship.
If tley stay after o'clock the servants
bring luncheon. or they return to the
manson and join the ladies who have
gone driving or horseback riding, at a
very generous lunch.
The guests, / repeat, conduct them
selvesas if at home, without restraint OF
ceremony; the host and hostess never in
truds or worry, leaving you in perfect
freedom to pursue your humor. Every.
body is supposed to know best how to
enjoy himself. Acquaintance formed
thus are like those Of the ballroom, and
do not warrant their renewal; of course,
friendships and intimacies often come OF
them. During the day all are in plain
dress, to be laid aside at the sacramento
dinner hour, for although you are left
undsturbed to follow the bent of your
OWL will and pleasure during the day,
and breakfast at any hour you please, il
is dc rigueur to be at hand in regulation
toile, as soon as dinner is announced-an
hour after the dressing bell is sounded.
Chaiades, impromptu tableaux, readings.
music, ETC., help to pass the evening"
Mrs. Frank Leslie in Kansas City