The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-06-28


,oinlv has no lack OF magnificent country
houses extravagantly equipped with every
modern invention that spells comfort and
luxury The summer palaces at Lenox
and Newport in certain parts OF New Jer-
sev and Long Island. up the Hudson and
elsewhere, may not include the haunted
chamber and subterranean passages OF
European castles, but nothing else tha'
money can purchase is hcking.
Not long ago a house erected in west
chester for newly married New YORK
couple was described by the architect as
including fifty suites OF rooms, each con-
tanning a private bath Another country
house in the Wheatley Hills on Long Island.
put up lately by New York millionaire
has a stable with accommodations Tor loo
horses One Newport household includes
forty servants another at Lenox has thirty
two. These facts are indications OF the
scale on which these country homes are
maintained.
No privations are suffered in these days
nv people who visit at country houses
Yet there is a drawback to all this luxury
most irving feature Of it all to some good
old-fashioned folk liz that one may scarcely
break bread in these establshnents-et
alone pass a night there without special
invitation.
Despite an equipment of servants large
enough to handle any probable party OF
guests, the old-time jolly informal way
of having a wagon load of friends or reia-
tions drive up to spend the day and night
Is frowned upon by the modern fashionable
hostess Informal and spontaneous hos
pitality may still be had in plenty among
the summer homes of America, but it IL
generally found in less pretentious estab-
hlhments.
The etiquette of the summer palaces
demands that visitors shall come only
when they are asked and stay not an hour
longer than the time stated in the INVITA-
ton A distant relative Of Long lsand
hostess, an old -fashioned spinster not up
on the ways of smart house parties, realized
this fact with something Of a shock the
other day.
She had been invited to stay from Nom
day until Saturday and purposely at
time when there were only two or three
other guests, of quiet turn OF mind, IN the
house She accepted the invitation eagerly.
delighted at the chance to see her cousins
splendid new house, and found her quarters
so satisfactory that she decided to stay
on for few days longer. But she reckoned
without her host,
On Saturday, soon after breakfast APP
peared maid before her as she sat placidly
knitting, and asked II she should help her
to pack and il she meant to take the noon
train or the one at O'Clock.
.Oh, think l shall not be going for sew
eral days yet ;" snilinely replied the visitor.
Evidently the maid reported the answer
to her mistress A few minutes later the
hostess strolled up and, repeating very
much what the maid had said. added sweetly.
u am sorry, cousin Phosby, l can't ask
you to stay longer, but you SEE a lot OF peo-
ole are coming on the afternoon train and
I need your room
Cousin Phoebe left in hufT remarking
sarcastica.y az she said good-bye
Come and see me soon in Ruralville
and stay as long as you like.
recent visitor to one OF the finest OF
the new country houses up the Hudson.
who has visited in many country houses
on both sides Of the Atlantic, deplores the
fact that the tray breakfast has obtained
such vogue ir this country.
-One can scarcely visit in any OF the
American country houses now and find
woman who comes down to breakfast, not
even the hostess" she said. Breakfast
may be- served in the dining room too, but
none save the host and the men guests
seems to expect to take breakfast down.
stairs
1T seems TO be taken for granted that
the women are not coming down" Ser
Il IL. ,,1, EAfN I,ot hnt
this one and that one would like to have
her tray brought up which, by the way, il
not often later than o clock.
Americans. of course, have taken this
fashion from the French. In the English
country house. even to-day, unless spe-
cially requested, breakfast Is never sent
to the room, and when coffee and rolls are
taken to guest it is generally understood
that it is because the guest is indisposed
The English country house, In fact, glories
In it's elaborate breakfast served fraction
ally from until IL.
Il Unjust say think it has great advantage
over the plan which is fast being adopted
over here and far healthier,
Except in the case Of very young women
who are anxious, perhaps, to get to out-of-
door sports, the tray breakfast, which, by
the way, includes a good deal more than
coffee and rolls. means that women dawdle
about their rooms until nearly the luncheon
hour before getting out of doors. In most
of the country houses over here at which
visited last summer, there was hardly
a person in evidence before noon.
in the house I just came from up the
Hudson, there were at least two dozen oblong
breakfast trays included in the furnishings
Of the buffers pantry and as many COM
plete sets OF decorated china to he used
only for those trays. These sets were OF
many different designs and colors and each
was matched with a tray cloth of white
linen, embroidered in corresponding tints
"his shows what an established feature
the tray breakfast is
An Englshwon-n. who spent the greater
part of last summer in this country, told a
friend that one of the most impressive
features of the country houses OF the rich
over here was the clothes closets and
furthermore, the convenences these clos
cts contained for women guests who came
perhaps just for night and without their
full complement of baggage.
We have nothing like these closets in
England" she confessed -Why, in two
l. l. n l. IL =