Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-07-24
AN ENGLISH OUTING,
The Britons Know Better
Than the Americans How
to Go on a Picnic.
PACKING THE HAMPERS.
Pies, Jams and the Other Sticky
StuffS Never Go Into Them.
ENJOYING THE HENLEY REGATTA.
Peeps Into the Luxurious Houseboats That
Line the Thames.
ONE VOTE THAT MRS. STANLEY WON
PACKING THE HAMPERS.
ENJOYING THE HENLEY REGATTA.
Peeps Into the Luxurious Houseboats That
Line the Thames.
ONE VOTE THAT MRS. STANLEY WON
CORRESPONDENCE OF THE DISPATCH

having an enjoyable outing the English d
things rather better than we do in America
/ asked an Englishman to tell me why
Said he: Really, now, / don't dnow,
suppose it's because we've been doing then
90 long"
That is the secret, truly. They've beel
doing them so long that they have overcom
the mistakes we make; and they know how
best to supply themselves with all that
comfort demands A days outing her,
doesn't mean what Mrs. Josiah Allen aptly
describes as pleasure e1ertion." Wher
one gets home one doesn't feel harassed ano
dusty and overheated and suffering with an
indigestion, and say I'm glad that's over. D
One only feels gratefully, drowsily, sen
sually tired-a WEAKNESS that bath and 8
good dinner dispel readily enough and
prepares one for an evenings pleasure, and
one looks hopefully forward toward
doing it again next year" They've
been doing it SO long, too, that
the hustle of preparation doesn't disturb
them or arouse an1ieties any longer. So far
as the lunch is concerned, they've gone on
outings that always include lunch so many
times that they have gotten that part down
fine" They have the most convenient
hampers-no English household, with any
pretensions to responsibility, is without a
luncheon hamper" as we'll be without a
sitz bathtub or tea table or some equally
important adjunct of English life.
The English Lunch Hamper.
These hampers are of wicker or tin, di-
vided into compartments, sometimes also
with trays, to keep the edibles from getting
mixed up; and on the under side of the
cover, held by loops, there's an array of
knives, forks and spoons, and, we'll secured,
that depraved object that has such an apti-
tude ior disappearing or staying behind, the
corkserew. There's always likewise a little
tin case for packing the sandwiches in, to
keep them moist and fresh Long expert
ence has taught what are the good things a
stomach on an outing Graves, and it is need
less TO say the list does not include vari-
ETY. Of messy things.
In a well-regulated English household it
is a matter OF but a few moments to get a
hamper ready. There are always cold meat,
beer, wine and usually meat pie cake and
the like on hand. An abundance of thin
sandwiches is the first essential, the next
Is champagne il possible, if not, then sherry,
ciaret or ale, with glasses, of course. For
a more elaborate lunch or a large party
there is added game pie, or, failing in
that, some sort of meat pie; a herb salad,
with the dressing in bottle to be added
when served, perhaps also an OK tongue, |
roast duck or chicken. Some biscuit, which
we prefer calling crackers, a seed cake, cur
rant loaf or a mild, inoffensive, shabby sort
of fruit cake, a stack of plates and if there's
going 10 be Spread" a table CLOTH
That's simple enough, isn't it? No pre-
serves, no jam, no cakes, or pies with soft
insides. 1t isn't feast 1t is just what it
pretends to be, lunch.
A Better Climate for Outings.
The question of weather never deters an
or woman either, from eniov-
ing an outing. SIT We wait for sunshiny
day we may stay home forever" they'll tell
you, so unless it is very threatening Gn
which case old clothes are worm they wear
their gayeSt garments, take along mackin-
toshes and umbrellas, and defy Jupiter Plu-
vius- And they can safely wear their gay
est and prettiest belongings, for England is
such delightfully."- clean, fresh turf-covered
island that there is no danger of getting
muddy or dusty, torn on snags, or gather an
Oyercoat of burrs or "beggar lice
Another essential of an Eneiis picnic is
picnic" and then have it. No, indeed. |
There must be horse race, boat race, a |
cricket match lawn tennis game, or golf. |
or ruins, or something to see. You can't |
get an English party to start out aimlessly |
on picnic An object in view, and the |
picnic comes naturally tripping on its heels. |
To be sure, not much attention is paid to |
the object that draws them. The purpose
is ignored But it is there, and that is |
enough. Its existence does away with that
helpless feeling of idle gadding, and it fur
nishes the answer if some misanthrope
heartlessly and ill-manneredly asks: "Why
ire we here?"
We have raw edges, the inexperience that |
results from the intrequency of our outings, |
and so far as host or hostess is concerned an
over-weening desire to do it up we'll, >" to
contend with. Our pleasures are, alas, too |
of the efforts that produce them.
At the Henley Regatta.
] never had this so strongly impressed on
me or SO fully appreciated the placid |
enjoyment of an English outing as at the
Henley regatta, We are 0'm not good at
figures but I'll make venture), / should !,
say, century behind doing the same thing,
0n such scale, so smoothly and beauti-
tully even to the smallest detail, and so
without our native bustling 1t
vas like a midsumm n day dream.
After 35-mile ride by rail with the dav
lot spoiled by too early starting), that gave
me glimpse Of Windsor Castle and the
E;ou chapel and playground by the way,
through charming rural scenes, thatch-
oofed and rose-embowered cottages hand
ome houses pouring flowers out of their
windows like floral horns of plenty, wheat
lelds gay with the scarlet poppies that
ouse the admiration of an artist and the ire
Il farmer, the turf sparkling with bright
title wild flowers that grow even close be-
ide the rails, one comes suddenly
pon Henley, and the Henley of
he day means two miles of CAV
title river almost covered by CAV little
gater craft filled with gay idlers. The
anks are green and mossy to the waters
dge. Along one side of the two mile
tretch there's a line of houseboats. built
omething on the model of our canal boats,
decorated, luxuriously and
aintily furnished, with the top of each-I
ont know whether You call it roof or deck,
hen you're speaking of a houseboat-
lrned into flower garden. Some are
ainted red, some white, some soft blue,
Dme ecru, with trimmings in white or
liver or gold or green. From e100 to $500
frequently spent on the decorations and
of these pleasure boats.
Interiors of the Houseboats.
The windows of saloon have dainty cur
Iins OF silk or satin or fresh muslin looped
lck; color schemes of the prettiest are
lrried out IN the furnishings; the state
,oms are as neat as the traditional band
,x, and marvels OF luxury considering the
ches OF snace; the decks are shaded by
light awnings and fitted up with wicker
.sy chairs, tea tables, work baskets and the
ke between the borders of flowers, for the ,
orid like a drawing room in a summer cot