The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-11-03
Picturesque Wales
in Hdfdn(n Dress
Varied Scenes of Loneliness and Incl
dents Both Grave and Gay.
ONE HARVEST HOME FESTIVAL
Miss Kaiser vivaciously Describes One OF
the Most Delightful Of British Autumn.
nal Cnstoms-Welsh Singers and
Their Work-Other Themes.


Their Work-Other Themes.
Special Correspondence of The Tribune.
Pont-y-Pridd, South Wales Oct IL.
have just come home from Treforest,
where | have been to take tea with
dear friend of mine and her mother.
may as well mention that l am at last
converted to tea, and drink 1t like the
rest of the world over here. We had a
delightful holiday. Afternoon tea is
great institution, l think. We sat
around little square table-four of us
and had as coZy time as four young
women could have. feasting on their
bread and cheese, jam, cold meats, de-
licious pastries with "sweetmeats" at
the end for dessert. do so like this
five-o'clock tea custom over here. 1t Is
nothing like our fashionable function
of 'tive-o'clock tea" which, / suppose.
was brought over, with many varia-
tions, from here, and means to us
gathering of from ten to a mob, perhaps,
with elaborate table decorations, French
cookery, swell dresses and tea-goWns,
bright lights and much chatter. This,
instead of cosy room, with the light OF
day just beginning to fade from the
windows and a big fire cracking on
the hearth, near which is a snowy little
table drawn up. The bread Is sweet,
the jam just too good for anything, the
tea-things as pretty as Il picture, and
the smell Of the steaming pot full of
tea draws you irresistibly over To 1t.
You sit down softly opposite your host
ess: and let uSsuppose two other friends
take the remaining places. The light
has grown little DINNER, and it Is
almost twilight, and you talk to each
other softly, as though there were
spell upon you. Your hostess pours out
cup after cup, and you drink without
knowing ii, almost, you are having
such a good, quiet homely time. Put
yourself in my place, and suppose your
feet do not quite reach TO the floor, but
a big curly dog wanders under the tea
table and lies down there, and you use
his warm and furry dogship for a foot
stool. What more, now, could YOU ask
than this, for solid comfort? SO there
you sit, at your ease, and take little
bites of things and little SIPS Of tea,
while conversation tlourishes.
1t Is not time, this quiet hour, for
discussion of the fashions, nor theater-
talks, nor yet opera or current gossip.
You do not ever feel like arguing
among yourselves over your pet VOICE
teachers differing. and in each case,
only correct methods. Your thoughts
go home across the sea to America. and
you begin To think of your mother and
little brothers there, and you tell the
other girls about u letter you just re-
ceived from one of these little fellows,
the spelling of which left much Ia be
desired, but which nevertheless made
your heart very glad. You talk about
your little piano at home, and the
youngster who used to take pleasure
in performing dreadful thunder-claps
thereon, in order to ascertain if his sis
ter had nerves. and his intense and
wicked delight upon their discovery;
and you wonder if the winter in London,
ahead of you. won't seem interminable,
without the home-folks. They tell you
that you won't mind it when you get
settled and that you must be sure to
get good quiet, comfortable lodging;
and just as you reply you shall con-
where they spread Il tive-o'clock tea
table, the maid breaks in upon the
charmed circle with lights, the spell is
broken, and tea is ended.
Handsome Welsh Ponies.
If I should ever get rich,1 should
have little Welsh pony They are
little beauties. Larger than a Shet-
land, and so very pretty they are, that
one falls in love with them, almost.
They are SO cute that they make me
laugh with pleasure to look at them.
Their bodies are somewhat round and
sturdy, and they have pretty, intelli-
gent looking little heads and very
slender, graceful little legs, with
small, dainty feet. which carry them
over the ground at quite a rapid rate,
considering they are only ponies. ]
have heard them called the hardest
little animals in the world. and ! do
not doubt it in the least, since / have
often seen one Of them pulling big cart
with two good-siZed men in it-and
often some produce as well-running up
hill and down hill. at smart little
pace. They are allowed to work very
hard, TO pull very much, and to run
entirely too much, especially up and
down hill,wbere they energetically keep
up the same gait as on level ground.
We see quite q number of these plucky
little beasts. (which would be very
handsome but for their being sadly
kneesprung from their too frequent
brisk canters down the steep hills. They
are very gentle little animals too, and
whenever l see one / can hardly help
envying its possessor.
cannot think of anything to tell
about fha nnncnrtC really
as they are all alike, to us. at least. and
their sameness renders them very UNI
Interesting to the performers, especially.
Our receptions, as i said before, have
never failed in being cordial both mus
ically and socially speaking. Day
after tomorrow we sing at Abertillery,
the next day at Newcastle Emlyn. the
next at Cardigan, and so on through
the week. Some amusing incidents be-
fall us sometimes in our travels, and
we often hear very odd, and, Of course,
totally unfounded remarks concerning
ourselves. Last week for instance,
when we arrived at certain town to
sing, l was informed that the manager
of the town hall there had had rather
confused idea Of my name, having ad.
vertised Inc to his friends as Sadie
Gwent Kistler.
lie tHOuBnl L was lne lannon's GWllH
events daughter, Mrs. Kistler Mr.
Anwyl, on account of his rather short
stature and very engaging appearance
on the stage, is often taken by people to
be very young, almost a boy, in fact, and
he and have really twice been suppos.
ed to he the interesting son and
daughter of our esteemed basso, Mr.
Burns. Things like these amuse us by
the way, and we get a great deal OF
pleasure as well as profit in our wan.
derlngs. We are always giving our.
selves away as Americans wherever
we go by our chatter, badinage ant
general good time.
Practical Jokes.
Mr.. Anwyl is quite a wag, and can SCI
a whole compartment full of staid
sober Englishmen laughing withou
half trying. Only yesterday lady will
whom | was talking about America
broke in with, "Well, you Americans d,
know how to enjoy yourselvesw AnC
indeed l think we do. We have ouI
faults of furry and worry, but we alsC
.I.I.. e,.Il.. 4 4 n.