The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-12-24

be found about the house. Even his library
Is made the receptacle for cricket ana ten
mis- Kits guns and trout tackle are spread
all over the place, for while the family at
Hinchead Is small. excluding the six SER
wants friends from London or nearby are
being entertained The doctor Is a nleln-
Der of one of the best amateur cricket
teams in the country, and during his week
every year as host II is an open house 10
all lovers of the sport Nothing is re-
served from them. The players generally
have contest daily and are driven to IL
IN the brake. a vehicle very essential to
English country llfe which win carry the
entire eleven with room to spare. on the
return TO evening tea, the table is tllum-
mated by a banquet lamp shaded by
design In salmon silk. This is called the
Victory shade. as II is considered n sign
of good luck and is always brought out
by Mrs. Doyle during Cricket Week.
Through its influence several trophies are
supposed to have been won. The hostess
is as enthusiastic as her husband over
the sport, and If necessary to afford room
VIII bundle" the children off to some
relatives to remain until the guests have
departed. As the cricket season occupies
nearly two months, il may be surmised
that very little literary work Is done about
"Gndershaw" until its close or between
spring and autumn. In addition to cricket.
however spring trap and the fragments
the grounds attest his fondness for shoot
ing. The six horses in the stable include
two fine saddle mares one OF which has
record as a jumper. AT the side of the
house Is a grass tennis court bearing the
indications of frequent usage, while one
oil the largest rooms-in fact, that apart
ment opposite the drawing room is given
up to billiard and pool tables for indoor
sport In Indictment weather although the
rain must fan fast or the snow be deep
to keep the author-sportsman from en-
Joying some outdoor pastime If he feels
thus inclined
"Undershaw'' is very much Of to-day
like its host. 1t cannot boast of anything
historical as 1t was built but two years
ago. The exterior is that of the modern
villa so popular In Surrey. All of the dec
orations are In light tints. The drawing
room and chambers are also furnished In
light designs, and with the numerous win
dows 1t may very properly be called a
sunny home. The front door opens into
square hall large enough TO accommo-
date a sofa and numerous chairs. A gen.
erous fireplace as 10 size suggests to the
attractiveness of this part Of the home
during the long cold evenings of winter
and as gathering place for the family
and friends. Opening into II are the bill
Hard room, drawing room, library and din
ing room. Probably the good wife select
ed for the author the location of the libra
| ry, which Is one of the pleasantest in the
| house. From 1t he can look away down
| the valley with Its ever varying hues upon
picture which nothing enters to mar its
| peaceful beauty. Near at hand he can see
| his own grounds partly level and partly
| hillside the latter covered with gorse and
| heather and alive with rabbits. The long
| writing table of oak, upholstered i'm leath-
| er, contains the necessary room for writ
Ing materials, also for a box Of tobacco
and an assortment Of pipes as well as a
| dictionary and one or two other reference
books. Each OF the two cases against the
wall holds perhaps a hundred books of
poetry, history, travel, biography and fic-
ton, including several of his own works,
also an elaborate edition of Scott. But
! the selection Is very miscellaneous and Is
| principally for family reading.
| Perhaps the most notable feature of
| DR.. Doyle's library is a bust Of Sherlock
| Holmes, the detective whose marvellous
performances as depleted by the author
| have been the wonder of the English read
| ing world. IL has been questioned wheth-
er Holmes was true parsonage or whetn-
| or he was myth conjured up to play
| his part in the novelist's several dramas
| such as 1.-The Sign of the Four" etc. II
| was well known that Holmes friend, "Dr
! Watson" was none other than the author
| but the identity of Holmes himself was
| questioned. The writer can positively
| state that he did exist, although the name
of Holmes was naturally fictitious. The
man, whose right name was DR.. Belden,
was a Scotchnan residing in Edinburgh.
| His study of human nature led him to
| play the part of detective. and he met
| with success in hunting down several not
| ed criminals who had eluded the profess
sional detective force of the kingdom. DR..
Doyle CHANGED to make his acquaintance,
and an intimacy -Sprang up between the
two men, which resulted in the produc-
| ton of the detective stories" which have
been so interesting because the reader was
| forced by the narration to believe that
| they were true. The famous character
was man of medium hight, and, though
| delicate in appearance, very wiry and
| muscular. He was what Americans would
| call a dead shot with a revolver, and
| the knowledge of his skill among the Grim
inal classes undoubtedly saved his life on
several occasions when tracing out the
| perpetrators of crimes
Throughout the home the evidences Of
woman's presence are numerous-in the
dainty rosettes and other ornaments on
| the furniture. i'm the tasteful arrangement
Of the draperes in the apartments, in the
| touches here and there TO convert the
commonplace into the ornamental-aH in
dications Of woman's pride Ia her house
And the mistress OF Undershaw is truly
| what one imagines after seeing her handi-
work. She is decidedly petite in con-
trast to her big athletic husband, and her
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