The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-07-27
FRENCH CHATEAU LIFE.
PLEASURE AND LEISURE AND
COURTLY MEN AND WOMEN.

Halls FreiChted With Mem ories Of
NobIemen-Eow q Day is Spent IN a
French Chsteau-Where the Work
e-dav World is Lost Sight Of and
/ Beautiful Women are Qusens An
American Woman's Native Wit -
| Gossip of q Chateau Dinner - The
Frenchnan Of To-day and tie Mod
| eru Brenchwoman- Gallantry and
Kindness of Mademoiselle La Peri-
sienna.
/ PARIS, July 17.-There is a very general
idea that lie at an English country house
/ Is the most charming in the world. SO it IS
with one exceotion-ald t5at is life at a
/ French chateau. The French house has all
the Injuries Of the English one, does not
hesitate to import innovations from Amer
| lea, and s a subtle something in the way
| of hospitality and consideration that is im-
possible in the tight little isle that is so full
of itself it denies the right of everybody
elss to live wisely or happily.
WHERE NOBLEMEY wINED AND FEAsTED.
Coming up to this French chateau, there
| is an avenue of lime trees nearly two miles
in length. They look like great tall servl-
I lots u JWlIE you d HelCOiIlos do lLcJ OAA
years ago TO His Eninence Cardinal Richie
lieu, to the Great Marshal Richelieu Louis
| lie Grand, and to all the hosts OF brave men
and beautiful women who were their guests.
| The Freuchwoman understands the art of
hospitality. the finest expression of well
/ come. You are met at Calais by man
servant, and from that time on where you
are going, or how you are to get there, Is
his affair a. d not yours. Attention from
HIM to you he makes you feel is his great
est delight, and, at even look of fatigue,
he seems to know how to make things more
| cheerful, and you are more at your ease.
FRENCH WALLETS DUTIES.
In England, where the man servant is so
much to the fore, they are apt to forget
that in France he is even @ greater power,
but power restrained by an iron hand en-
cased in a velvet glove, or, to reach up 10
this nineteenth century, an undressed kid
one. To the bachelor he brings up his cup
of coffee. fresh egg ard roll in the morning;
then he fixes his bath, and, if he has no
valet of his own, assists him in dressing. A
little later he is getting the room in order,
aud later in the day he is one in a row OF
flunkies, radiant in gold lace, ready to
attend to your wants at dinner, to pick up
a l4dy's fan, or to do whatever bis hand
| findeth for him to do. Personally prefer
men servants and l wish we could intro
duce this French custom in America. They
| are more polite, more exact, and more to be
depended on than women.
LIFE IN A FRENCH CHATEAU.
How does life go through all the long
summer day? Well, say that your hostess
is duchess-la Duchesse Belle-Veuve In
| the morning, just when the suns rays
awaken you, there is brought a cup of tea
or cup of coffee, as you may desire, and
with it, if you have a bit of an appetite, al
| egg and piece of bread and butter or a roll.
! After that you daily away the morning
hours dressing, writing letters or reading
the papers. About u o'clock you go down
stairs. Here in the great big, beautiful
library-a library rich in old books and with
that curious smell of Russia leather that
should pervade library, you meet the rest
| of the people.
About 1880 O'Clock comes the dejeuner q
| la fourchette. The table would delight the
eye of an artist On it there is no cover
the mahogany glltterlng and rejecting
| things like mirror. Little serviettes are
placed here aud there under the dishes, aud
fruits, such as you can get only in France,
are piled high up in silver baskets and
bowls, while there is beautiful display of
glass and china. First. of course, you are
served with eggs. Cooked how? Well,
only the chef knows, but you may be GER
tain that every day for month they are
| cooked in some more different and more
intricate way. After that follow the usual
courses that would be served at al elaborate
lunch
| WHERE LEISURE AND PLEASURE ABOUND.
Then we all drift into the saloon; this is q
long, beautifully furnished room having
special parts of it dedicated to special
nationalities and about which, prettily
enough, the women dispose themselves, if
they think their gowns are in order A
| young American girl, VINO is in her tennis
| ic off
chair that might have been carved for q
father confessor; an Englishwoman with
hair like the ravens wing (by-the-by, why
do we ever say that! Who ever sees
raven close enough to know just the color
of his wing9, and who is picturesque in a
white gown, has gone off into an alcove
| where a Moorish effect is produced by the
use OF deep, rich coiors, while the hostess
| herself, dressed in muslin, is seated on
Sprlgged couch that certainly must have
been made in the days of Louis the XIV
Now everybody is arranging what they
will do with themselves. Some to drive,
some to play tennis, some very energetic
souls to show their skill at cricket, learned
| from the English tutor and some men, on
scientific turn bent, TO show what expert
billiardists they are So you do what you
please. gu can gossip about the fashions,
or You can read the history of the old
house. You can gain strength and health
| bathing WITH the tennis or cricket balls, or
you can drive ont behi a wonderful pair
OF ponies managed by the most beautiful of
Parsiennes and visit at neighboring
chateau.
WITH PRETTY WOMAN TO POUR TEA
Five O'clock brings everybody together
again--to have tea and see the children. Tea
is really tea, nothing being served with it
but bread and butter, me simple cake.
aud little fruit. The hostess is in a
japanese get-up, for Pierre LotI has made
the Japanese craze spread afresh, and the
amber-hued beverage is served at quaint
little table from under huge Japanese UNI
brella that occupies one corner of the draw
ing-room. Everybody has something to tell
about what has happened since they last met,
and the something to tel when it comes
from French BRAN is always interesting.
the children are simply dressed and
pleasant, plump little dots. They are
handed about something after the fashion
of sugar plums, and are ready for a romp
or a play with whoever may be ready to
romp with them. This is the time when
les clnvenances are forgotten-that is, in
their disagreeable sense for a French
woman never fOrgets to be polite under
any circumstances. When she is Young
she has grace of manner and wonderful
tact by Inheritance; as she grows older 1t is
all increased, until it is marvellous, from