The times., 1898-04-17
CHEAP SUMMERING.
Woman Gives Her Experience of
One Outing

1
IF American women generally only
knew the ease. the absolute freedom from
fuss and worry with which they can es-
| tablish their families or a small house
party in an English country house for the
| Summer" said the charming young wife.
more OF them would certainly try it,
l am not exaggerating in the least when
| l say that you can get anything you
want. within reason, of course at any
price for any time.
The English are such inveterate trav-
elers. you know euriousIy enough re-
Versing the usual order of things and
making general exodus from their love-
ly country homes during the Summer
time. and nearly every house owner in
| England, when he wants trip TO Switzer-
| land or run up into Scotland for tha
shooting. is very glad of an opportunity
| to rent his establishment. so thar ha
may retain his servants on fun pay and
nave a little extra money besides The
servants are equally well pleased with tha
arrangement.
My husband and myself had spent
sufncient time in England to be perfectly
familiar with the ropes. when I was ioin-
ed Dy my mo-Eer and three younger
brothers making in all family of seven.
What we wanted was a country home,
where we could command beautiful seen
cry, good roads, neishboring points of in
terest. and where we could entertain our
friends in ease and comfort
After looking at any number or de-
hghtful places we finally decided upon
Down house. Gloucestershire 100 miles
from London. and about nine miles from
Bristol The house itself was large old
fashioned stone building. covered with
roses. clematis and passion vines. and was
surrounded by seven acres of grounds. In
the center of the lawn was a pond orna-
mental flower beds, and a drive leading
up from the lodge gate. At the right was
line tennis court and paddock for the
pony, and at the left an unusually fine
Kitchen garden. presided over by a gard
ener renowned through all the country
side for his magnificent fruit and veGeta-
bles. There were two little fox terriers
in their kennels. five cats. some fifty
chickens, supplying fresh eggs galore. We
paid for this $50 week-linen. plate and
servants included. The servants were
four in number. groom. gardener. cook
and housemaid- Our entire living for the
Sums1er averaged less than so a week
apiece.
We had almost no eggs frBit or vege-
tables TO buy Indeed the gardener so
arranged his planting that up 10 the end
OF September we had peas. beans and
other Spring vegetables, together with
tomatoes and grapes grown under glass
and peaches, apples and pears pIucked
from the wall upon which they had been
/ trained to grow.
The market man called every other
day for orders. the dry grocer. milkman
and other tradespeopie at convenient in
tervals- Our letters were brought TO our
door, and kilograms delivered immediate
Iy. and we had eevn better porIice patrol
than we have at home. Hot and cold wa
ter were brought to our rooms every
morning at an early hour by the maid.
together with our gowns well brushed and
our boots black and shining.
We engaged this place by corresDOnd-
ence entirely. upon the representation OF
its agents. Upon our arrival in the after
noon We were met at the door by cheerful
looking servants who asked US if We
would not have cup of tea Our trunks
were taken to our rooms, We brushed up
a Bit and in half an hour were having
delicious tea upon the lawn exactly as
though we had always lived there. We
found that dinner had been ordered. and
all that we had TO do was to unpack our
trunks and enter at once upon our Inherit
anee.
"Of all my many charming Summers
count this as decidedly the most IDEAL
We secured the surrounding country on
our wheels, made trips 10 b autiful ruins
and historic sDots-Itntera Abbey. not FAR
away, being surely the most perfect ruin
in all England. Then there was Berke-
ley castle, L miles from Down House,
where Queen Elizabeth shot the fallOw
deer. and where Edward the Confessor
was murdered in MS tower.
The point of all this is that we could
have done exactly as well in hundred
other places. 1t was only by accident
that we did not go to Tunbridse Wells
where we could have secured a larger
establishment with more servants at 10
guineas a week But that sum divided
among q comfortable house party would
not prove expensive for the individual
Wherever you choose your home. you
are sure to ind yourself within easy
reach of delightful inns, good roads.
charming points OF interesI-and the mel
low haze OF history IS over it all
las to methods of securing such quar-
ters. 1t involves nothing beyond a study
of places advertised IN the daily papers
and interviews with the house agents
The whole thing is so Systema tiZed and
has become so much a part of life over
there especially since Americans have
taken to spending so much time in Eng
land, that the methods are not only SIM
pie but absolutely reliable OF course.
tenants are held responsible for any un-
necessary damage, but there is no at
tempt to defraud them under this plea as
neighbors across the channel