New-York tribune., 1907-11-03

none are absolutely strangers to the others,
closely are these little cques maintained. BY
looking at the bedroom doors. too. one learns
ones neighbor's titles for every door has little
brass plate, into which the card Of the tenn
porary occupant is slipped by the housekeeper.
no mistake can possibly occur.
Dinner is extremely formal Each house
guest, with others from outside sources, is eN-
pected 10 be in the drawing room SeNeral mo
ments before 1t is announced. and the man that
takes you in is introduced The conversation is
apt To be extremely local, and therefore TO an
alien almost uninteiligibe.
The order of going and coming is thing to
be remembered, for precedence is most strictly
and wonderfully observed and thoroughly
understood by every British matron Of high
caste The most important title holds first
place and the titled ones are followed by any
colonial officials who may he present in their
proper order. Next comes army and navy rank
the man gazetted even an hour before another
leading in this instance. Bishops rank with
lords, and the wife OF each individual holds his
rank, and makes the move for departure at any
function where she may be chief. An army post
is the place to witness thrilling scenes in cases
where precedence has been broken. The cnmity
thus engendered is undying
Following dinner, unless a dance IS on in
the house or at some neighboring place. bridge
and billiards usual, and the play the for
mer is almost invariably for high stakes-very
nigh stakes, IN fact-the craze Tor gambling
being almost more furouSly developed among
the women than among the men.
The maid detailed for your service usually
awaits you in your room, and after the days
excitement and fatigue sleep is more than well
come when one is permitted to seek It, which is
morning tea will be served you. The waken-
ing at such early hour is very odd TO an
American girl of luxurious ways, tinged with
laziness, II might he said; but whether one
wishes it or not, the tea comes in. and IS
thought strangely constituted if 1t is not taken
and enjoyed. The maid then puts out the
clothes to be worn that morning. and the start
for either hunt or shoot. which the two
autumn sports, is soon after breakfast.
In many of the houses bathrooms have been
introduced, the guest always having the choice
between the use Of one or of the dearly beloved.
time honored institution entirely British, the
tub The latter is far the easier to use, for
there is no-yaiting. and for the bathroom there
is. as even the most mOderp OF English houses
has not arrived at the state of luxury usual
here, where each room is built with its own tiled
bath. The maid spreads down a large blanket
rug on the floor on which she places tho tub
Then a can of cold and a can of hot water with
bath towels. etc. brought, and you are left
10 your own devices. the maid responding to
your summons to aid you in dressing afterward
For breakfast you proceed directly To the break
fast room. You told the hour Of this rcpast
but do not expect to find your hostess. although
she may be there. Here every one is for him
self. The guests pour their own coffee and take
as they please Of the pate or cold potted rabbit
or whatever other delcaCies constitute this
morning meal, the butler second man bring
ing in relays of delicious. crisp toast. which is
as much feature of this meal scones and
jam of afternoon There is on a side
table a device unknown even tardy Ameri-
cans called the "sluggards delight" This is a
nickel or plated silver stand heated by spirit
lamps, on which things are kept hot in casse-
roles. At breakfast, as at luncheon no courses
are served, the two meals varying but little. If
you do not feel equal TO stalking with the men,
you spend the morning going over the conserva-
tories or the house and play little tennis or
amuse yourself as you see fit until the time
comes to drive TO the luncheon for those shoot
ing. which is served at the gamekeeperS'
lodges From this you return only in time for
afternoon tea. which is usually at 4: 30 or pos
sibly as late as .. depending mostly on the time
of yea England is so far north that the
autuma days are very short, the sun in late
autumn coming up at and setting at 3. Be
tween times the light has been described aptly
by an American girl as very weak mixture of
sun and water" Our brilliant days are a rarity
by the shortness of the afternoon
A curious feature seems to be the differences
made in the selection Of guests for house party
and those asked in for dinner, for in the first
care is taken that they shall he congenial For
dinner heterogeneous collection is invariable
and the pairing of that ensues is almost joke
from the American point of view. debutante
is given to a man old enough to be her grand
father, and on the other side will be another un-
interesting specimen, the object seeming to
be the paying off of social duties, the duties
being taken wholesale and divided off into lots
no matter how uncongenial. 1t is taken as a
matter of course. however, and accepted with !
the best possible spirit
One thing that must be recognized is the alb
solute independence of both guest and hostess
dinner being frequently the only time of meet
ing In this American matrons could find n
good lead TO follow, for 1t would relieve them Of
much anxiety, this leaving the guests to their
own devices after having provided pleasure
of a definite kind In this way the wear and
tear of hospitality are greatly lessened.
The question of tipping is somewhat appalling
TO men visitors, who to the head keeper alone
give two guineas at least lord gives ten For
the American traveller it is well to know that
one can engage a competent maid in London
merely for house party visiting and have the
comfort of her entire attention at a small ex-
pense. An unmarried girl is only expected to
tip the maid delegated TO her use If her own is
not with her Married people are finding visits
an expensive pleasure, each has TO tip all the
servants that in any way aid them and in no
small coin. be 1t understood. Fortunately. mat
tcrs are not in the extreme state reached in !
Germany, where even a dinner guest tips the |
entire staff Of house servants, from footman 10 |
cook.