New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-02-08
COUNTRY HOUSE LIFE.
IT'S LUXURIOUS FEATURES IN ENGLAND:
WHAT AN ENGLsHMAN SAYS ABOUT 1.-THE
PRINCE OF wALESs RULE-THE
ATROC' rY OF TIPS.

lean kinsmeE. Only an occasional yearnihS ioi
a few days stay in orc of those typical country
houses which constitute the most delightful feature
of life in Great Britain. There is nothing in the
world to be compared to them. Neither the col
onial home of America the French chateau. the
German and Austrian schlOss, nor the magnificent
castles of the Galican, Polish and Russian no.
bity can be regarded as having much in common
with the stately country-seat of one of the old
county families of England. The Englishman's
" place down in the country is absolutely unique.
II bears the reflection of his character far more
than docs his town-house For whereas the
latter is at the best but temporary pied-a-terre.
erected on leasciod property, the former is justly
regarded as being the real home of the family. and
has been considered thus for many generations
back into the bygone centuries.
This feeling concerning his country-seat is man.
ifestcd ny the care with which an Englishman
selects the guests composing the housc-parties
As n rule he divides into four catcgories the
acquaintance to whom, for one reason or another
he is anxious to show some attention. The least
desirable he invites to dinner at his club, or TO
some other kind Of entertainment not beneath
his roof. To those who are less Objectionable he
send cards for his wifcs drums, receptions
and balls while the acquaintance TO whom he
desires to pay special honor invited to his
who rank highest in his estimation and in his
regard who are invited to his country house. where
the presence of an u1congenial guest would prove
sufficient to spoil the entire house-party. Invita-
tons to the country house are always carefully
dcliber1tcd; they form the subject of consider
able discussion, and arc not lightly rendered.
man who loves his wife and daughters, who is
fond of his horses and Of his dogs, and is attached
10 his old homestead, rendered almost sacred to
him by many memories and traditions, hesitates
to bring across its threshold acQuaintaHces with
whose character and history and with whose skill
in the saddle and among the coverts he is not thor
oughly satisfied. For tie principal feature Of life
in an English country house is its absolute
freedom Every one is at liberty TO follow out
the bent of his or her inclinations with regard
to the method employed ~ pass away time. You
are treated more as member Of the family than
as n guest. Unlike many foreign country houses
where the host and hostess r. ard themselves as
being under the obligation TO entertain and amuse
their guests, the members OF the English house
party are left absolutely to their own devices,
the horses and carriages, the shooting, the billiard
rooms and racket -corrts being nj their disposal.
The day begins with breakfast. generally the
chcerest meal in the day. and which is usually
preceded by family prayers, a function attended
ug-room or brcalitast-room. and range themselves
at either one end or on one side of the apart
mcnt, the maids with their trim little caps ard
delightfully."- fresh and tidy aspect, and the men,
from the butler down 70 the most recently re.
crutcd footman, in neat morning suits. Every
body then knccs down, the servants kneeing
against the chairs with their faces toward the wall
and the members of the family and house-party
mostly the other way, that is away from the
wall, while the master Of the house reads out
N SonorOus voice AMI 10 the tuneful accom-
panimcnt of the Sizing tea-urn before him, those
sane old family prayers which his father and
fathers father have read before him. / am afraid
that Tie whole affair is rather a matter Of CON
vcrtional usage and tradition than act of down.
right devotion and picrv. Bat it seems TO act
as kind of moral cocktail a sort Of bracer for the
conscience, and on rising from their knees all APP
pear to feel that they have fulfilled their duty To-
ward Providence fer the day
one Of the most prepoSscSsing features Of the
breakfast fable of an English country house is
the appearance Of the people seated around.
They all look so fresh and trim and bear such
striking evidence Of having but shortly before
emerged from their cold tub. The men are clean
shaven-nonc Of these abominable daily visits 10
the BARRIERS for thcm-and the women, so natty il
morning gowns The meal is without constrant,
and the servants vanish from the room before it is
over leaving the men TO help themselves and the
ladies' Both table and sdeboards are loaded
down with all that multitude of good things
which 20 to make up an English breakfast. and
through the great windows the eye roams down
on 10 the sun-iumined terraces and the green
sward below where deer browsing under
the shade of oak trees such as one sees nowhere
but in England.
After breakfast everybody goes his her own
way, some to the stables and for cantcr. others
ont driving. whlr some stroll down to the covcrts
under the guidance Of one of the keepers.
| The master of the house usually goes over
TO the home farm, or dcv0tcs himself TO conSulta-
tons with his stewards and bailihs Luncheon
at . is a somewhat irrcgularly attended meal
and is far from being considered with the same
importance as the French dcieuner or the Anglo
Indian thin. Most of the men. however, and of
course all the ladies, hand for the hoStesss
; o'clock tea-a very serious function. with its
pate de loie gras sandwiches and delicious thin
slices of brown bread and butter. At Sandringham
in particular the ) o'clock tea Of the Princess
abounds with all kinds Of dclicacies, which. how
ever. never appear in any way 10 impair the
appetite for dinner. Easy chairs everywhere, n
soft light, almost none at all, II IL Just the moment
Of all others in the day for sentiment, confidential
talks. and quiet Hrtations. This goes on until
the first dressing bell rings AT :. when the ladies
vanish to the upper regions to adorn themselves
for dinner. BY halfpast :. when the second
dressing bell rings almost all the men are en-
gagged in the same process, and at s, when the
dinner bell sounds, every one is downstairs wait
| ing for dinner to be announced.
no ri ba had
as very Characteristic. 1t is much the same as
other dinners, the men in evening dress and the
women as a rule in decollete gowns. One differ
encc. however, between English and American
dinner tables worthy of being noted is the absence
of tie little butter dishes which frequently
form an adjunct of dinner tables in this country.
hnttcr il nnNer snrycl Of dinner