It is true that the buildings are of the most primitive, and the furnishings, too.  The bureau drawers do stick, and there is only “curtained” closet room, and mirrors are few and diminutive, and orders for hot water have to be given ahead of time, but there is no discomfort, except bathing in the cold!  The huge fire, lighted early every morning by one of the guides in each guest house, keeps the main part fairly warm but the temperature of one of the bathrooms on a cold morning is scarcely welcoming.

=CAMP MANNERS=

People do not “dress” for dinner, that is, not in evening clothes.  After coming in from walking or shooting or fishing, if it is warm they swim in the pool or have their guides bring them hot water for a bath.  Women change into house gowns of some sort.  Men put on flannel trousers, soft shirts, and flannel or serge sack coats.

In the evening, if it is a beautiful night, every one sits on steamer chairs wrapt in rugs around the big fire built out doors in front of a sort of penthouse or windbreak.  Or if it is stormy, they sit in front of a fire, almost as big, in the living-room.  Sometimes younger ones pop corn or roast chestnuts, or perhaps make taffy.  Perhaps some one tells a story, or some one plays and everyone sings.  Perhaps one who has “parlor tricks” amuses the others—­but as a rule those who have been all day in the open are tired and drowsy and want nothing but to stretch out for a while in front of the big fire and then turn in.

The etiquette of this sort of a party is so apparently lacking that its inclusion perhaps seems out of place.  But it is meant merely as a “picture” of a phase of fashionable life that is not much exploited, and to show that well-bred people never deteriorate in manner.  Their behavior is precisely the same whether at Great Estates or in camp.  A gentleman may be in his shirt sleeves actually, but he never gets into shirt sleeves mentally—­he has no inclination to.

To be sure, on the particular party described above, Mrs. Worldly wore a squirrel fur cap in the evening as well as the daytime; she said it was because it was so warm and comfortable.  It was really because she could not do her hair!

Perhaps some one asks about Ernest?  At the end of two days of aloof and distasteful idleness, Ernest became quite a human being; invaluable as baiter of worms for the children’s fish-hooks, as extra butler, and did not scorn even temporary experiments as kitchen-maid.  In fact, he proved the half-hearted recommendation that he “might be useful” so thoroughly that the first person of all to be especially invited for next year and future years, was—­exactly—­Ernest.

CHAPTER XXVII

NOTES AND SHORTER LETTERS

In writing notes or letters, as in all other forms of social observance, the highest achievement is in giving the appearance of simplicity, naturalness and force.