Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-12-22
0LD-TIME YULETIDE
Great Preparations for Christmas
Celebrations in England.
EFFORT TO FORGET SOUTH AFRICA
Revival of the Customs of a
Century Ago.
THE SERVANTS AS GUESTS

LONDON, December 22-There will be a
merry Christmas in England though, in
dullest spots In the united kingdom. The
fashionable world has incontinently desert
ed the metropolis and sought refuge in the
country places. There will be such round
of house parties as has been unknown for
several years. They will be accompanied
by the revival of the queer old customs
which, a century ago, made the season the
occasion for unrestrained merrymaking
among rich and poor alike. 1t would seem
that those who able to celebrate realize
the necessity for detracting public attention
from the events in South Africa.
AT Osborne, the queen will be surrounded
by the Duke and Duchess of York. the
Princess Of Battenberg and several of her
grandchildren. At Sandringham, the Prince
OF Wales will entertain the Duke and
Duchess of Fife and their children with
royal Christmas trees. Welbeck Abbey.
Blenheim Palace. Hatfield House and all
the stately homes Of Englands aristocracy
are filling up with scores of guests pre-
pared to make the most Of Yuletide. Balls,
amateur theatricals and entertainments
without end have been arranged, conspicu-
Gus among which is the old English custom
of a dance in the Servants Hail. At the
Duke and Duchess of Devonshire's, Earl
and Countess Spencer's, the Marquis and
Warehouses of Londonderry's and other
places Of the nobility Christmas eve will be
marked by the strange spectacle of buffers
dancing with duchesses, footmen with
countesses, and grooms with the daughters
bermaids and cooks will hang onto the
arms of cabinet ministers and other male
heads Of illustrious lines.
Old Customs Revived.
The ancient practice of the land owners
enjoying the servants quadrille had almost
lapsed, except in the case of a few families.
The revival is. perhaps, no little due to the
increasing necessity for pampering the
British servant The Onlooker says the
householders now have to study the COM
fort of their domestics as much as their
own, and quotes one country house where
a set Of rooms Is specially allotted to them
for recreation, comprising a ball room
music room, library and billiard room, in
which market is kept for the servants
sole use.
In striking contrast to this is the treat
ment accorded to Bernard Nichols, the
American golfer who defeated the English
crack, Peter Paxton. Thursday. Nichols,
who Is Of English birth. returned here after
having passed many years in America The
Testing Bee Golf Club compelled him
to lunch In the workshop. though the club
members were glad to face the December
Had l never been in America and wit
messed the lavish kindness bestowed on
Vardon and other English players 1 might
not have resented this treatment; but, you
may be assured I will never remain in
England long, and If 1t were not for meet
Ing Braid. Saturday. who is a personal
friend. | would not play on another Eng
fish link. You may depend on 1t Vardon
Will not remain here long, for l know he
Will be unable to stand this sort Of thing
after the kindness he has received in the
United States.
The curious thing about 1t all ia that
America will soon outsrip England not only
In golf playing. but in the manufacture Of
golf equipment. for they are getting the
best talent in England. which, under bet
ter auspices. is sure to outstrip the home
talent.
Mrs. Maybricl Again.
Once again Mrs. Florence MAVERICK
spends an unhappy Christmas in her pris-
on cell. In spite of the various reports
her chances Of liberty are no brighter than
last year. Secretary Hay has forwarded to
Mr. Choate several private letters which
will shortly be presented to the new home
secretary, Mr.. Richie. in accordance with
the custom of approaching each new oc-
Press learns there Is no possible chance of
anything being DONE so long as Lord
Halsbury is lord high chancellor Were
the cabinet to discuss the matter as it did
crowns chief adviser, Lord Halsbury, who
apparently made the Maybrick case the
basis of a feud with the late lord chief
Justice. Baron Russell Of Killowen, and
cherishes 1t just as bitterly now as before
Lord Russell's death. When a new chan
cellor is appointed Mrs. Maybrick will have
good chance Of freedom. The Duchess
OF Bedford, who is reported to be especial
ly interested in Mrs. Maybrick, tells the
Associated Press that she only sees the
celebrated prisoner in the course Of her
regular visits to Aylesbury prison. not es-
pecially in the interest of her case, and
does not intend to express any opinion of
her guilt or innocence
To He Elevated to the PeeraRe.
Another American woman Is likely to be
elevated to the British peerage, as Lord
Salisbury intends to recognize the Right
Hon. Arthur Hugh smith-Barry's services
to his party by putting him in the house of
lords. Mr.. Smith-Barry married the widow
of Mr.. Arthur Post Of New York, whose sis
ter, Mrs. Adair. is also we'll known in Lon
don society.
Others mentioned for peerage include
Mr.. Henry Cosmo Orme Bonsor chairman
of the Southeastern railroad, and Mr. Jas.
Lowther, NJ. p. Lord Salisbury has al
ready created nearly ninety peers. If the
present rate is kept up the upper house
VIII soon be in numerical superiority over
the commons
w. r. Hobbs, head of the recently formed
Canadian furniture combine. now in Lon
don. has decided that the Canadians have
no need of the assistance or cooperation
Of English f1nanciers, which was originally
projected. significant fact, showing Can
ada's progress, is that sufficient funds are
easily obtanable there. while the new law
coming into force January 1 in the united
Kingdom imposes an almost prohibitory
taxation on new corporations.
Marine COrps Orders,
Major II. c. Haines has been ordered to