New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-05-23
BRITISH FESTIVITIES.
THE DECAY OF OLD FASHIONS AND
INSTITUTIONS.

from Inc LONDON f1elO.
The ordinary provincial festivities which are
current In the present day during Christmas hoii-
days have just sufficient leaven OF old custom TO
Christmas county programme of their own youth.
before railways had broken up the isolation which
ment of Her Majesty's reign. In most provincial
centres Hunt Ball still survives. and in many
Yeomanry Ball maintains its footing as an annual ,
fixture. These institutions were the leading public
terpsichorean features Of tho county in grand,
parents youth and. though dimmed in lustre they
retain sufficient vitality to command popularity N
their own centres In some points they are even
locomotion 1t Is now an easy matter to MI coun-
try house for the occasion Win s,Ses ssM wbo
popular in their own sets may succeed IN dove
falling plurality Of ar 81 the sns winter
But while the leading county dances are enaolea 20
ticn the minor public dances-of which there were
legion half century and mere afS,naye nave gone 30
refer those entertainments at the various
miner county Other nah r. the S Sg ny
families within n ten-mile radius Of them at the
period referred to- Many country girls then never
spinster days; and # they had been solely Deepen.
dent upon the hurt and yeomanry balls s 0c INC
the High sherns and Lord Leutenants they
would have had "a but fey 0f yonE
tho county. and would have been mainly reIcGatea
Ser rse sGGSy Gf ete
Its hospital or public snd hese GfpnS
sary balls" at which even the leading magnates OF
a county delgned TO put in an appearance.
when novi homines, though rot scarce. were by no
means so plentiful as now Wnen squiTes nau 10
make 70 ends meet. and when wheat was often 80
shings a quarter They helped to link sections o.
a county together when families residing twenty
miles anart met at halfway house such as one
OF these minor provincial bathrooms Tho slres OF
these distant families foregathe1ed Mt quarter sea-
sions. and now and then chatted in the hunting
field, at halfway meets; but the younger MEMBERS
ana especially the girls had tower opportunities o.
scoiDP each other. Some or these minor pnIlS NCIo
even OF sufficient importance 10 be reckoned worthy
OF first appearances Of dtbutantes whose parents
held leading positions IN the county. We may read
in conjunction with the records OF these now almost
obsolete minor provincial balls inc oId aGase'
Thrice bridesmaid never bride" In these loco
motive days q young lady may officiate as brides
Britain ali in one season. and be herself hancee
before she reaches twenty-one years OF age. But
sixty years ago tho spnster friendships OF a coun-
try-bred girl mainly limited TO the radius OF
drive from homs b is qS anS 6eed anG
won in preference to herself, sho might be sup up
posed TO be in mSh RISK R OF nny cbe eng mem
within range TO court her, until she had begun 10
FOR the male sex existed In those days in the post
prandial pariaments which took place when the
SnnsT nGTr ,S Mas anq or smoking
room was practically unknown In those days, save
Sad petred the bottle went round far
freely and for longer time than Is the case IN thess
pTSndia sessions that polltcs-loca ana nperia
and social and sporting questions the hounds' tns
quarter sessions tho hiRnWays tle eiecI'oi,'' aI.
tho like were ventilated from lip TO lip and mind
10 mind. Interchange OF ideas Improved UNDER
standings and In the absence OF a cheap ca'ly
press with editorial comment 10 condense lnstruc,
ton topics, these port ana claret sessions uIu
much toward ventilation of idea and instruction
of The rising youth, who listened TO seniors OF may
be chlmed in and then on their own account.
such entertainments served .he purposes OF their
t.mc II men did not dine out freely in the provinces
IN thoss days. they saw but little OF those OF their
own class. ..,,,. ., =.
the present day many paterfHm mill s feels d5 !,
O positive inhiction to DO asked 10 TURN out on
| mill
| narty and only Yields now and then TO me IN
evltahle because his better half mpresses on him
that K Is for the advantage OF the young ioIk OF
the family that they should put IN an appearance &c
| adapted ourselves ENVIRONMENTS thcre arc
| now divers other opportunities FOR young men 20
mako themselves agreeable and Young iadiee 10 DC
| admired which have tended to Guperscde the old
minor provincial bail and the en-nile distant din
| ner psrty or charades.
| Even for those who are out OF range OF London;
save for special visits. there are provincial golt
clubs tennis clubs, bicycle meets Tor paper chase9
| or nerhaps beagles which energetic gathered dam.
| sells follow on foot. unfcttercd by supervision OF
chaperons And the bicycle Itself, both FOR cruis-
| Ing in company and also as bare medium foT
| locomotion takes many country girl nleld' ana
| from house house on call untrarnmeled, whereas
| her grandmother would have sat at nome ana
| nra ctsod the harp. stitched n sampler or char
| over tnle half told implied Mt the late county
| bell and for the second chapter or which there
| might DO no opportunity for another tweivemonth'
| There IA an innate conservatism In county tastes
fashions and Institutions: but We cannot fairly :e
nine II II appears that the same change or environ,
ment which has caused the lapse OF one set or old
| associations has been productive or inc various
modern substitutes Tor soclallly WHICH d'e ARISEN
| on their ashes.