The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-10-18
NAFRENCH CHATEAU
Skill and Aptitude in Dispens-
ing Country Hospitality.
THE LINEN. CHINA AND SILVER.
Century-Old Habitations, and How They
Are Arranged-Stabie and Parks
-vestiges of Feudal Days.

enemies and even friends sometimes think
them. incapable of managing their houses
and households. would that those who
think SO could see them dispensing hos
pltality In their country seats. What gen.
uine skill and aptitude they display, what
taste, what luxury, refinement and ele-
| gance! Perhaps it may not approach the
snmptuousness of our neighbors, but the
thousand little characteristic touches have
their own charm, a charm which surely is
no triaing one
| Every housemistress, worthy of the
! name. imprints on the minutest detail of
her entertainments the stamp of her own
| personal taste; in the installation of her
| guests, the arrangement of the rooms and
attendance, in the luxurious table linen
and services; she does not content herself
| with being personally elegant, but is so in
| everything and everywhere, especially in
her home. There is in her, pretty woman
| though she be, the faculty of housekeeper
of true Flemish housekeeper. She has
| weakness for her linen, for the large
| lavender-scented cupboards, the piles of
white table and house linen, embroidered
| sheets, soft and brilliant as satin. The
linen is one of her ''fads" and constitutes
the grand luxury of the Chateau of S.
| Her friends tease and find fault and call
| her expravagant, because she insists on
| fresh table linen to every repast. A few
| years ago the dinner cloth served for
lunch next day, but with the present
fashion of colored linen for the morning a
double set is necessary. For lunch some
times it Is white ground thrown up
| with designs in red, blue or rust color
punches of fruit or hunting scene. Some
times the ground is color and the pattern
white. Then there is a special linen for
the afternoon lunch (gouter), and lastly
| and specially the linen of the famous first
| breakfast-served at o'clock to each guest
| in his room. The platter, however hand
| some In itself, whether Of silver, Japan
| or inlaid work of the famous Gale de
| Nancy, must be covered with a cloth
woven in color or embroidered la Richel-
| leu. All kinds of extravagances are COM
mitted for the morning service of tea,
coffee or chocolate. There are porcelains
| OF delicious forms and colors, chased or in
| crusted silver, English ware, Japanese,
etc. There is lovely Danish ware, blue
and white, picked out in gold. Nothing
can be prettier than when these dainty
cups, these coquettish mugs, the delicate
crystal butter shells, the darling salt cell
lars, the gilt toast racks are luxuriously
spread over a delicate cloth frequently
trimmed with fine guipure and even Valen-
ciennes.
Some few hostesses have kept the old
custom of asking their guests what they
will take for breakfast, but it appears that
this is now out of date, and the first style
today is to send up into the rooms plat
ter laden with all sorts of things: Soup in
A.
with lid-called 'bouDlon de la marice,"
tea, coffee, chocolate; one chooses accord
ing to the caprice of the moment. What
do you think of this prodigality?
The luxurious toilet linen is on the same
scale. always large wool dressing gown,
and another of Turkish travelling, album
dance of every sort of towels and on the
marble washstands. as we'll as the
dressing table, pretty worked cloth
adjusted to the surface, either of
white dimity or some lighter material
thrown up in blue or red to match the
hangings. The edge is festooned or
trimmed with microscopic thread lace;
on the shelves above, the same cover
festooned, or perhaps a long band on
which the bottles and all the little micro
scopic but indispensable objects are tend
erly ranged
We must not forget in this dressing
room the medicine chest, refinement
which the guests appreciate greatly. 1t is
most frequently a tiny Norman cupboard,
a toy placed upon a table or an angle,
where are found the lamp, ready for light
ing, tea, teapot and kettle, the lime and
orange-fiower water. with all the little ap-
pliances for headache, abuse of cream
cheese, etc.
The habitation is of very ancient date
and severe aspects-the centuries have left
their traces upon the bricks and granite
which compose the facade and pavil-
ions, and although the drawbridges have
been replaced by roadways which traverse
the dry meats, the chains which sustained
them are still seen over the doors, and as
vestiges of feudal times they give to the
dwelling stamp of remarkable austerity.
But with the exception of the gigantic
hall, ornamented with the chestnut wood
work and the large stone staircase
whose nakedness is enlivened only by
few sculptures in the granite, all this
external barbarism expires on the thresh-
old of the apartments. The style of that
epoch was the negation of all comfort, and
one had to choose between being badly
located or very luxuriously and warmly,
with carpets, cushions. hangings and soft
seats, and resolutely tread in the track of
heresy. That is the part they have chosen,
and no one complains of il, not even the
Psychologists invited to dinner.
The family occupies the facade, the wings
being assigned TO the visitors; on one side
are the bachelors, who content themselves
with bed, dressing and smoking-room; on
the other several suites of compartments
complete.
Into the LARGE corridor opens the ante
room preceding madame's room; lofty,
pure Louis XIV. white and simple. All is
white, the wainscotiDg and wood work.
the marbles, the soft Indian cambria hang
ings. fine and brilliant as satin; the bed is
one flood of muslin, no doubt about its
composing lovely picture when the
blonde locks of the sleeping beauty"
mingle with the white lace pillows.
In summer the window opens onto a
balcony large enough to hold the table
upon which is served madame's perfumed
chocolate in cup of old Saxon porcelain.
To the left the little boudoir commune
Gates with the apartments of monsieur,
composed of large room and dressing
room.
You see the guests of the Chateau de s.
are not to be pitied. The hospitality
throughout is on the same scale. The
stables are full of horses. which one can
use and even abuse. But let US look in
detail at these stables, which, TO say the
truth, are celebrated.
The construction in itself is very in
genious Imagine a fine grass-plot circular
aud surrounded by wide, sanded alley,
upon which open all the stables; behind
are the back premises, work-roons, all that
is ugly and dirty and yet Indispensable.
The buildings are low, covered with warm
colored tiles showing that southern sun
has passed over them; in the background
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