Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-08-10
THE ROYAL HONEYMOON.
4 visit 70 Lord Fife's sheen Lodge, Mort
I.tr
fPall-Nall Gazettel


The only SIGN that the master was absent
from Sheen when ! went down the other
dav to see Lord Flies place, where he and
The Princess are to spend their honeymoon.
was the shutters on the Glass panels OF the
front door. The outside ~ simple and un-
pretending. closed IN among trees. the
walls whiteWashcd with enough of weather.
staining TO take the newness OF, and over
grown with ivy and creepers. found the
bell-uull after much searching among the
ivy and IN due course had the door un-
locked from the inside 10y q trim house
maid. Had his lOTdskip's authority 10
90 over the hOuse2N Having satisfied her
on that score, followed her mp some steps
into the hall. You must be careful no"
You stop ON the floor" SAID She; the
boards are very slippery" And IN truth
they were. and the rugs had an alarming
tendency to 90 away with ones ieet.
Cameron, his lOrdship's valet and piper.
fell upon them the other day, and have
slipped upon them myself" ne haIl
is rich. dark apartment going right
from the front Of the house TO the
back, where through the French case
mcnt Is glimpse OF the extern
siye lawn. The walls and ceiling are
panelled there Is q carved chimney piece.
an eight-day clock, number OF low easy
chairs. and a table with a blue and white
vase with flowers A tall screen covered
with Vanity Fair caricatures. by Pellegrini.
is something of a revelation of the highly
decorative effect of these works. There
are stays heads on the walls, All OIL picture
or two, and. on table conspicuously
placed. a big German lithOgraph from
German painters portrait OF the Queen,
with ner Maiestys autograph attached,
dated from Balmoral. followed the house
maid through large opening with curtains
into the dining-room. HIS lordship gene
rally dimes in the hall ~ said she; Eve only
use the dining-rOom when there IS large
COMPANY passed through the library
very comfortable-lOOkIng, with japanese
screens and blue and white pOts-intO the
drawinc-rOOm, which has bay-wlndOw
looking ont 10 the lawn and glass door
on the lett leading down some steps INTO
the conservatory. The drawinc-TOOm -
LIGHT and cheerful in its decoration, as a
drawine-room should be, with a very beau
tiful plaster cornice aud ceiling and u
pretty white-marble chimney-picce aud a
| bic mirror over. There Is more than
| abundance of chairs. and wherever
Won turn, on tables and IN odd
| corners. there are flowers IN glasses. litile
vases, and indeed there are flowers ali over
! the house. very fine palm grows ont OF
| q huge blue and white pot. The curtains
| are of a rich Japanese pattern, giving Dy
| contrast a pretty gOssainer elect 10 the
muslin curtains behind. The first floor
consists of bedrooms. | went upstairs and
| turning TO the right found myself opposite
| his lordships room. II has picture over
| the door of young lady displaying the
| beauties of q very ample bust, III the way
Young ladies' are wont 10 do-In pictures.
! The bedrooms are light and airy, with
! japanese pattern curtains and cover
| ines OF chairs with wallpaper 10
| match. THE house IL not very large. "
SAID the hOusemaid; 1--WE have only rooms
! for about three couples" ! went down
stairs and out through the French case
meut on 10 the lawn, as level as a billiard
table, but Of a much pretter color. IL Is
iutersected with paths. in the middle OF
which is a little fountain with water-lilles
| in the basin. And there are beds OF gera-
! NUNS dotted about. and more huge blue
and white pots with palms. There IS 4
quaint japanese summer-house. which
| looks rs if it were made for honeymoonlng
in, with wicker chairs, and Japanese tapes
tries on the walls IL IS only from the
| lawn that you get anything like full view
! Of the length of the house, the view from
! the front being very much hidden by trees.
| The whole of the grounds are surrounded
by high wall which is very arttully hid
den by greenery Of all sorts.
Lord Fife Is evidently man OF con-
siderable taste for an arlstocrat, with a
strong bent for Japanese art. There are
very beautiful screens and vases III all OF
the rooms al Sheen; indeed. such decora-
tive effect as there is IN the house is mainly
dependent on them. The pictures are poor
from decorative point OF view. 1t Is q
charming house. beautifully kept-small
perhaps, but cheerful, and no doubt com.
| Portable, aud il only wants what to-day's
/ event will provide il Wlth--a mistress.