Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-07-05

| shown in the actual relation of host x
! guest in a British uobleu.un'S home than
viii be az any time confronted IL the house.
of Hoboken brewer, or a Kansas City
merchant in hogs. The first coachman,
with the family close carriage jf rainy, and
with the wagonette, if in tine weather,
Drugs the titled guests from the station,
traps following after with the luggage; and
the groom, with another carriage, attend.
to the guests servants NilOrd'S valet and
milady'S maid meet the arriving guests al
the castle entrance and conduct them al
on, 10 the drawing room, where the host
ana hostess receive and welcome them; out
they are not delayed in being shown to their
apartments. Meantime the hOuSekeeper il
attending to the guests servants. Every
gentleman brings his valet and every lady
her maid, and often her own footmau, I'M
IL. an express request 70 the con-
trJry has been maze in the invita-
ti,uS The visiting valet Is assigned
4 room IN the servants hall, and
aides maids are provided with separate
rooms. usually en- suite with their mis-
tresStS apartments. There are few of the
British castles or country seats that airs
nor able "a house from forty To one hundred
guests, with 4 separate dpar' mout tor each,
.,sld equal accommodations in the servants
hall tor cues : servants. The service III
that in our bcst-ciasS Scmi-privatc hotels;
save that each occupant OF the castle has
the exclusive attention Of his or her own
servant, in addition 10 the general service
Of the castle. always on cal. At any hour OF
the day or night
Whatever number of guests may 10
found Al any one time al these great eStaD-
.ishmentS-aud except on special occasions
they VIII not exceed 4 dozen or twenty -ln
provision for the cuisine, in complete STATS
of servants. and i'll the number OF servants
employed, they are al all times. during the
occupancy OF Milford and mllady. or either
is well prepared for entertainment Of the
highest rs the least number. That Is Cue
Of the penalties Of being a n0b.eman. But
10 illustrate details OF the ordinary regime,
we viii suppose that dozen or Il score ot
guests are already gathered AT the castle
and the invitations read Tor "a week
The usual hours for meals are. break
fast n 9 10 10; luncheon NJ . tea AZ >;
dinner at 5: and supper at from II O'Clock
until midnight Whether guests have ar
rived before luncheon or before dinner,
etiquette requires that all shall gather II
the drawing room for iutroductlonS. This
Is absolutely the first and last of formal-
lily among these titled people during their
soiourn Whatever the difference III rank,
none whatever is thereafter recognized.
The story books do not put il this way,
but the fact remains. II IS the unWrlttCu
and inviOldble law OF such occasions that
while mere distinction IL rank Ill form OF
address, IS adhered 10, for the time being
the offensive distinction of precedence IS
wholly abolished. Socially and ethIcally
while Won are his lurdship'S guest YOU
are neither mis- superior nor his inferior.
Otherwise yOu would not be there. Not
only IS this true. out there can he only
two possible occasions Tor extreme dress
ing Those are 1T dinner, where OF Late
years everything sdvoriug OF full dress
has occn taboocd, and in the event of
ball being given to which
NEIGHBORING NOBILITY ARE INvITED.
There is probably 40 other place i'll the
world where 4 guest for week is So much
the master of his or her own inciinations.
Etiquette and form make no demands what
ever upon YOU. You are as free 10 follow
your own whims, either for rest or activity,
as though chartered iii Il glen-side cabin.
Remain up all night; sleep all day; never
appear at a meal save the first luncheon or
dinner: and there Is none TO wonder, ques-
ton or criticise. The entire motif of the
hospitality of the British nobility IS, IN
short, the diguified but complete indulgence
of the guest in rational activities, simple
pleasures or complete rest.
There are many sources of amusement.
There is certain to be one or more grand
meets, - where the ladies Join i'll the eXcit-
ing hunt across country to tine music of the
yelping hounds. Often the occupants Of
near castles Join in these Then there will
be return sport of like nature, and delicious
''hunt breakfasts" are given. For the gen.
tlemen exclusively, there will perhaps be
pheasant shoot" ON the grounds, or the
more spOrtsmanlikl pleasure of grouse
on the moors. The ladies often
join in fishing parties to some distant
stream, when lunch Is served in the open
wood beside some spring. Even when
Z here 1.itiDCr after the hounds tina
pleasant roads and lanes swarm with merry
cavalcades OF hOrSewOmen ana men, distant
bits Of scenery, castle ruins or historic alb
beys being thus visited. The drives are the
finest in the world, and most brilliant inter-
course Is had between castle and castle
Within and without the great establish
ment itself there is always provision for
almost every imaginable sport. Billiards
and ten-pius are as great favorites with
ladies as with gentlemen. There is
always a superb cricket field. Free
qucntly football matches are gotten up be-
tween the lordly old boys. The ten
uiS-cOurtS are nowhere eXcelled. Nearly
every castle demense has its well stocked
of trout and its reaches of natural
or artificial lakes for sailing and rowing.
But III every feature of all this high-clasS
life at the British nobleman's home, there
is an utter absence of theatric show. so in
sufferable in the American lordero's home.
balls, YOU will find lorily frames almost ex-
clusively hung with old clothes. Whatever
is comfortable is in form. The baggy pa
jana fOrroOm-lounging; the ancient slipper,
cap and jacket for the lawn, the lake and
the tennis court; the lOosest and most an
cient of toggery for the breakfast table,
and, among real noblemen, the most faded,
spotted and ragged old pink jackets for the
meet are the rule rather than the eycep-
ton, despite those whose pens cannot but
run riot in portrayal Of British high life.
The truth IS that, despite the immense cstab-
the great retinues, and the enOr-
nous general outlay as penance TO rank
and station, the real life home life Of tho
British nobility is an accusative contrast, in
all essentials to comfort and sterling enter
to the dollhouse home life and
social writings of many of our
own people Of equal wealth
EDGAR L. WAKEMAS.