,note3 ,images of the original pages are available through ,internet ,archive4 ,see http3_/_/archive4org_/details_/artofente rtainin#jjsher ,transcriber's note3 ,text enclosed by underscores is in italics 7italics74 ,,the ,,art ,,of ,,entertaining by ,m4 ,e4 ,w4 ,,sherwood ,this night ,beneath my roof my dearest friends ,i entertain ,,homer ,new ,york ,dodd1 ,mead and ,company #ahic ,copyright1 #ahib1 by ,dodd1 ,mead and ,company4 ,all rights reserved4 ,university ,press3 ,john ,wilson and ,son1 ,cambridge4 ,with a grateful recognition of his services to ,the ,art of ,entertaining1 ,both at home and abroad1 and with a profound respect for his wit1 eloquence1 and learning1 this book is dedicated ,,to ,,the ,,hon4 ,,chauncey ,m4 ,,depew1 ,,by ,,his ,,friend1 ,,the ,,author4 ,,preface4 ,in ,america the art of entertaining as compared with the same art in ,england1 in ,france1 in ,italy and in ,germany may be said to be in its infancy4 ,but if it is1 it is a very vigorous infant1 perhaps a little overfed4 ,there is no such prodigality of food anywhere nor a more genuinely hospitable people in the world than those descendants of the ,pilgrims and the ,cavaliers who peopled the ,north and ,south of what we are privileged to call the ,united ,states4 ,exiles from ,fatherland taught the ,indians the words ,welcome6 and ,what ,cheer8--a beautiful and a noble prophecy4 ,well might it be the motto for our national shield4 ,we1 who welcome to our broad garden-lands the hungry and the needy of an overcrowded old world1 can well appropriate the legend4 ,no stories of that old ,biblical world of the patriarchs who lived in tents have been forgotten in the ,new ,world4 ,the ,western settler who placed before his hungry guest the last morsel of jerked meat1 or whose pale1 overworked wife broiled the fish or the bird which had just fallen before his unerring gun1--these people had mastered in their way the first principle in the art of entertaining4 ,they have the hospitality of the heart4 ,from that meal to a ,newport dinner what an infinite series of gradations6 ,perhaps we may help those on the lower rungs of the ladder to mount from one to the other4 ,perhaps we may hint at the poetry1 the romance1 the history1 the literature of entertaining2 perhaps with practical hints of how to feed our guests we may suggest where meat faileth to feed the soul1 and where intellect1 wit1 and taste come in4 ,american dinners are pronounced by foreign critics as overdone4 ,the great too much is urged against us4 ,we are a wasteful people as to food2 we should learn an elegant and a wise economy4 ,in a ,french family1 eggs and lumps of sugar are counted4 ,economy is a part of the art of entertaining2 if judiciously studied it is far from niggardliness4 ,such economy leads to judicious selection4 ,one has but to read the ,odes of ,horace to learn how much of the mind can be appropriately devoted to the art of entertaining4 ,milton does not disdain1 in ,paradise ,lost1 to give us the menu of ,eve's dinner to the ,angel4 ,we find in all great poets and historians stories of great feasts4 ,and with us in the nineteenth century1 dinner is not alone a thing of twelve courses1 it is the bright consummate flower of the day1 which brings us all together from our various fields of work4 ,it is the open sesame of the soul1 the hour of repose1 of amusement1 of innocent hilarity1--the hour which knits up the ravelled sleeve of care4 ,the body is carefully apparelled1 the mind swept and garnished1 the brain prepared for fresh impress4 ,it is said that no important political movement was ever inaugurated without a dinner1 and we may fancifully state that no great poem1 no novel1 no philosophical treatise1 but has been made or marred by a dinner4 ,there is much entertaining1 however1 which is not eating4 ,we do not gorge ourselves1 as in the days of ,dr4 ,johnson1 until the veins in the forehead swell to bursting1 but perhaps we are just as far from those banquets which ,horace describes1--a glass of ,falernian1 a kid roasted1 a bunch of grapes1 and a rose1 with good talk afterward4 ,we have not mingled enough of the honey of ,hymettus with our cookery4 ,lady ,morgan described years ago a dinner at ,baron ,rothschild's in ,paris where the fineness of the napery1 the beauty of the porcelain and china1 the light1 digestible ,french dishes1 seemed to her a great improvement on the heaviness of an ,english dinner4 ,that one paper is said to have altered the whole fabric of ,english dinner-giving4 ,english dinners of to-day are superlatively good and agreeable in the best houses1 and although national ,english cookery is not equal to that on the other side of the ,channel1 perhaps we could not have a better model to follow4 ,we can compass an all round mastery of the art of entertaining if we choose4 ,it is not alone the wealth of ,america which can assist us1 although wealth is a good thing4 ,it is our boundless resource1 and the capability1 spirit1 and generosity of our people4 ,venice alone at one imperial moment of her success had such a chance as we have2 she was free1 she was industrious1 she was commercial1 she was rich1 she was artistic4 ,all the world paid her tribute4 ,and we see on her walls to-day1 fixed there by the pencils of ,tintoretto and ,titian1 what was her idea of the art of entertaining4 ,poetry1 painting1 and music were the hand-maidens of plenty2 they wait upon those ,godlike men and those beautiful women4 ,it is a saturnalia of colour1 an apotheosis of plenty with no vulgar excess1 with no slumberous repletion4 ',tis but the fool who loves excess1 says our ,american ,horace in his ,ode to an ,old ,punch ,bowl4 ,when we read ,charles ,lamb's ,essay on ,roast ,pig1 ,brillat ,savarin's grave and witty ,physiologie du ,gout1 ,thackeray's ,fitz ,boodle's ,professions1 ,sydney ,smith's poetical recipe for a salad2 when we read ,disraeli's description of dinners1 or the immortal recipes for good cheer which ,dickens has scattered through his books1 we learn how much the better part of dinner is that which we do not eat1 but only think about4 ,what a liberal education to hear the late ,samuel ,ward talk about good dinners6 ,variety not vegetables1 manners not meat1 was his motto4 ,he invested the whole subject with a sort of classic elegance and a humorous sense of responsibility4 ,anacreon and ,charles ,delmonico seemed to mingle in his brain1 and one would gladly now be able to dine with him and ,longfellow at their yearly ,christmas dinner4 ,cookery books1 receipts1 and menus are apt to be of little use to young housekeepers before they have mastered the great art of entertaining4 ,then they are like the system of logarithms to the mariner4 ,almost all young housekeepers are at sea without a chart4 ,a great1 turbulent ocean of butchers1 bakers and ,irish servants swim before their eyes4 ,how grapple with that important question1 ,how shall ,i give a dinner8 ,who can help them8 ,shall we try8 ,,contents4 ,,page ,,our ,,american ,,resources ,,and ,,foreign ,,allies #ac ,,the ,,hostess #bb ,,breakfast #ce ,,the ,,lunch #di ,,afternoon ,,tea #ei ,,the ,,intellectual ,,components ,,of ,a ,,dinner #fh ,,conscientious ,,diners #gi ,,various ,,modes ,,of ,,gastronomical ,,gratification #id ,,soups #aje ,,fish #aac ,,salad #abd ,,desserts #acd ,,german ,,eating ,,and ,,drinking #adc ,,the ,,influence ,,of ,,good ,,cheer ,,on ,,authors ,,and ,,geniuses #aeb ,,bonbons #afb ,,famous ,,menus ,,and ,,receipts #agf ,,cookeries ,,and ,,wines ,,of ,,southern ,,europe #ahe ,,some ,,oddities ,,in ,,the ,,art ,,of ,,entertaining #aig ,,the ,,servant ,,question #bjf ,,something ,,about ,,cooks #bba ,,furnishing ,a ,,country ,,house #bcc ,,entertaining ,,in ,a ,,country ,,house #bda ,a ,,picnic #bec ,,pastimes ,,of ,,ladies #bfj ,,private ,,theatricals #bga ,,hunting ,,and ,,shooting #bhj ,,golf #bhh ,,games #bii ,,archery #cac ,,the ,,season--,,balls ,,and ,,receptions #cba ,,weddings #cca ,,how ,,royalty ,,entertains #cdj ,,entertaining ,,at ,,easter #cec ,,how ,,to ,,entertain ,,children #cfa ,,christmas ,,and ,,children #cga ,,certain ,,practical ,,suggestions #cha ,,the ,,comparative ,,merits ,,of ,,american ,,and ,,foreign ,,modes ,,of ,,entertaining #chi ,,the ,,art ,,of ,,entertaining4 ,,our ,,american ,,resources1 ,,and ,,foreign ,,allies4 ,let observation1 with extensive view1 ,survey mankind from ,china to ,peru4 ,the amount of game and fish which our great country and extent of sea-coast give us1 the variety of climate from ,florida to ,maine1 from ,san ,francisco to ,boston1 which the remarkable net-work of our railway communication allows us to enjoy1--all this makes the ,american market in any great city almost fabulously profuse4 ,then our steamships bring us fresh artichokes from ,algiers in mid-winter1 and figs from the ,mediterranean1 while the remarkable climate of ,california gives us four crops of delicate fruits a year4 ,there are those1 however1 who find the fruits of ,california less finely flavoured than those of the ,eastern ,states4 ,the peaches of the past are almost a lost flavour1 even at the ,north4 ,the peach of ,europe is a different and far inferior fruit4 ,it lacks that essential flavour which to the ,american palate tells of the best of fruits4 ,it may be well1 for the purposes of gastronomical history1 to narrate the variety of the larder in the height of the season1 of a certain sea-side club-house1 a few years ago3 ,the season lasted one hundred and eighty days1 during which time from eighty thousand to ninety thousand game-birds1 and eighteen thousand pounds of fish were consumed1 exclusive of domestic poultry1 steaks and chops4 ,on busy days twenty-four kinds of fish1 all fit for epicures1 embracing turbot1 ,spanish mackerel1 sea trout2 the various kinds of bass1 including that gamest of fish the black bass1 bonito from the ,gulf of ,mexico1 the purple mullet1 the weakfish1 chicken halibut1 sole1 plaice1 the frog1 the soft crab from the ,chesapeake1 were served4 ,here1 packed tier upon tier in glistening ice1 were some thirty kinds of birds in the very ecstasy of prime condition1 and all ready prepared for the cook4 ,let us enumerate 'this royal fellowship of game4' ,there were owls from the ,north 7we might call them by some more enticing name71 chicken grouse from ,illinois1 chicken partridge1 ,lake ,erie black and summer ducks and teal1 woodcock1 upland plover 7by many esteemed as the choicest of morsels71 dough-birds1 brant1 ,new ,jersey millet1 godwit1 jack curlew1 jacksnipe1 sandsnipe1 rocksnipe1 humming-birds daintily served in nut-shells1 golden plover1 beetle-headed plover1 redbreast plover1 chicken plover1 seckle-bill curlew1 summer and winter yellow-legs1 reed-birds and rail from ,delaware 7the latter most highly esteemed in ,europe1 where it is known as the ortolan71 ring-neck snipe1 brown backs1 grass-bird1 and peeps4 ,is not this a list to make the rash gazer wipe his eye8 ,and to show our riches and their poverty in the matter of game1 let us give the game statistics of ,france for one ,september4 ,there are thirty thousand communes in ,france1 and in each commune there were killed on the average on ,september #a1 ten hares1--total1 three hundred thousand2 seventeen partridges1--total1 five hundred and ten thousand2 fourteen quail1--total1 four hundred and twenty thousand2 one rail in each commune1--thirty thousand total as to rails4 ,that was all ,france could do for the furnishing of the larder2 of course she imports game from ,savoy1 ,germany1 ,norway1 and ,england4 ,and oh1 how she can cook them6 ,woodcock1 it is said1 should be cooked the day it is shot1 or certainly when fresh4 ,birds that feed on or near the water should be eaten fresh2 so should snipe and some kinds of duck4 ,the canvasback alone bears keeping1 the others get fishy4 ,snipe should be picked by hand1 on no account drawn2 that is a practice worthy of an ,esquimaux4 ,nor should any condiment be cooked with woodcock1 save butter or pork4 ,a piece of toast under him1 to catch his fragrant gravy1 and the delicious trail should alone be eaten with the snipe2 but a bottle of ,chambertin may be drunk to wash him down4 ,the plover should be roasted quickly before a hot fire2 nor should even a pork jacket be applied if one wishes the delicious juices of the bird alone4 ,this bird should be served with water-cresses4 ,red wine should be drunk with game1--,chambertin1 ,clos de ,vougeot1 or a sound ,lafitte or ,la ,tour claret4 ,champagne is not the wine to serve with game2 that belongs to the filet4 ,with beef brais a glass of good golden sherry is allowable1 but not champagne4 ,the deep purple1 full-bodied1 velvety wines of the ,cte d',or1--the generous vintages of ,burgundy1--are in order4 ,indeed these wines always have been in high renown4 ,they are passed as presents from one royal personage to another1 like a cordon d'honneur4 ,burgundy was the wine of nobles and churchmen1 who always have had enviable palates4 ,chambertin is a lighter kind of ,volnay and the vin velout par excellence of the ,cte d',or4 ,it was a great favourite with ,napoleon ,i4 ,to considerable body it unites a fine flavour and a suave bouquet of great finesse1 and does not become thin with age like other ,burgundies4 ,as for the ,clos de ,vougeot1 its characteristics are a rich ruby colour1 velvety softness1 a delicate bouquet1 which has a slight suggestion of the raspberry4 ,it is a strong wine1 less refined in flavour than the ,chambertin1 and with a suggestion of bitterness4 ,it was so much admired by a certain military commander that while marching his regiment to the ,rhine he commanded his men to halt before the vineyard and salute it4 ,they presented arms in its honour4 ,chteau ,lafitte1 renowned for its magnificent colour1 exquisite softness1 delicate flavour1 and fragrant bouquet1 recalling almonds and violets1 is one of the wines of the ,gironde1 and is supposed of late to have deteriorated in quality2 but it is quite good enough to command a high price and the attention of connoisseurs4 ,chteau ,la ,tour1 a grand ,mdoc claret1 derives its name from an existing ancient1 massive1 round tower1 which the ,english assailed and defended by turns during the wars in ,guienne4 ,it has a pronounced flavour1 and a powerful bouquet1 common to all wines of the ,gironde4 ,it reminds one of the odour of almonds1 and of ,noyau cordials4 ,these vineyards were in great repute five centuries ago2 and it would be delightful to pursue the history of the various crs1 did time permit4 ,the ,cos d',estoumet of the famous ,st4 ,estephe crs is still made by the peasants treading out the grapes1 foule pied1 to the accompaniment of pipes and fiddles as in the days of ,louis ,,xiv4 ,we will mention the two premiers grands crs of the ,gironde1 the growth of the ancient vineyards of ,leoville and the ,st4 ,julian wines1 distinguished by their odour of violets4 ,thackeray praises ,chambertin in verse more than once3-- ',oui1 oui1 ,monsieur1' 's the waiter's answer2 ',quel vin ,monsieur desire-t-il8' ',tell me a good one4'--',that ,i can1 sir3 ,the ,chambertin1 with yellow seal4' ,then again he speaks of dipping his gray beard in the ,gascon wine 'ere ,time catches him at it and ,death knocks the crimson goblet from his lips4 ,in countries where wine is grown there is little or no drunkenness4 ,it is to be feared that drunkenness is increased by impure wines4 ,it is shocking to read of the adulterations which first-class wines are subjected to1 or rather the adulterations which are called first-class wines4 ,wilkie ,collins has a hit at this in his ,no ,name1 where he makes the famous ,captain ,wragge say1 ,we were engaged at the time in making1 in a small back parlour in ,brompton1 a fine first-class sherry1 sound in the mouth1 tonic in character1 and a great favourite with the ,court of ,spain4 ,our golden sherry1 our ,chambertin1 our ,chteau ,lafitte is said often to come from the vineyards of ,jersey ,city and the generous hillsides of ,brooklyn2 and we might perhaps quote from the famous song of ,the ,canal3-- ,the tradesmen who in liquor deal1 ,of our ,canal good use can make2 ,and when they mean their casks to fill1 ,they oft its water freely take4 ,by this device they render less ,the ills that spring from drunkenness2 ,for harmless is the wine1 you'll own1 ,from vines that in canals is grown4 ,a large proportion of the so-called foreign wines sold in ,america are of ,american manufacture4 ,the medium grade clarets and so-called ,sauternes are made in ,california1 in great quantities4 ,our ,senator1 ,leland ,stanford1 makes excellent wines4 ,on the islands of ,lake ,erie1 the lake region of ,central ,new ,york1 and along the banks of the ,ohio and ,missouri ,rivers1 are vineyards producing excellent wines4 ,an honest ,american wine is an excellent thing to drink2 and yet it disgusted ,commodore ,mc,vicker1 who was entertained in ,london as ,president of our ,yacht ,club1 to be asked to drink ,american wines4 ,yet the ,catawbas1 dulcet1 delicious and creamy1 are not to be despised2 neither are the sweet and dry ,california growths4 ,the indigenous wines which come from ,ohio1 ,iowa1 ,missouri and ,mississippi are likely to be musty and foxy1 and are not pleasant to an ,american taste4 ,the ,catawbas are pleasant1 and are of three colours1--rose colour1 straw colour1 and colourless1 if that be a colour4 ,in taste they are like sparkling ,moselle1 but fuller to the palate4 ,the wine produced from the ,isabella grape is of a decided raspberry flavour4 ,the finest ,american wines are those produced from the vines known as ,norton's ,virginia and the ,cynthiana4 ,the former produces a well-blended1 full-bodied1 deep-coloured1 aromatic1 and almost astringent wine2 the second1--probably the finer of the two1--is a darker1 less astringent1 and more delicate product4 ,among the ,american red wines may be mentioned the product of the ,schuylkill ,muscadel1 which was the only esteemed growth in the country previous to the cultivation of the ,catawba grape1 being in fact ambitiously compared to the crs of the ,gironde4 ,it was a bitter1 acidulous wine1 little suited to the ,american palate1 and invariably requiring an addition of either sugar or alcohol4 ,longfellow sings of the wine of the ,mustang grape of ,texas and ,new ,mexico3-- ,the fiery flood ,of whose purple blood ,has a dash of ,spanish bravado4 ,the ,carolina ,scuppernong is detestable1 reminding us of the sweet and bitter medicines of childhood4 ,the ,herbemont1 a rose-tinted wine is very like ,spanish ,manganilla4 ,longfellow says of sparkling ,catawba1 that it fills the room with a benison on the giver4 ,it has1 indeed1 a charming bouquet1 as says the poet4 ,the name of ,nicholas ,longworth is intimately connected with the subject of ,american wines4 ,to him will ever be given all honour1 as being the father of this industry in the ,new ,world2 but the superior excellence of the ,california wines has driven the ,new ,york and ,ohio wines1 it is said1 to a second place in the market4 ,in the expositions of #ahhi at ,paris1 and in ,melbourne1 silver medals were awarded to the ,inglenook wines1 which are of the red claret1 burgundy and ,mdoc type2 also white wines1--,sauterne ,chasselas1 and ,hock1 ,chablis1 ,riesling1 etc4 ,the right soil for the cultivation of the grape is a hard thing to find2 but ,captain ,niebaum1 a rich ,california grower1 has hit the key-note1 when he says1 ,i have no wish to make any money out of my vineyard by producing a large quantity of wine at a cheap or moderate price4 ,i am going to make a ,california wine which1 if it can be made1 will be worthily sought for by connoisseurs2 and ,i am prepared to spend all the money needed to accomplish that result4 ,he says frankly that he has not yet produced the best wine of which ,california is capable1 but that he has succeeded in producing a better wine than many of the foreign wines sold in ,america4 ,he might have added that hogsheads of ,california grape-juice are sent annually to ,bordeaux to be doctored1 and returned to ,america as ,french claret4 ,the misfortunes of the vine-grower in ,europe1 the ruin of acres of grape-producing country by the phyloxera1 should be the opportunity for these new vine-growers in the ,united ,states4 ,it is only by travel1 experiment1 and by a close study of the methods of the foreign wine-growers that a ,californian can possibly make himself a vineyard which shall be successful4 ,he must induce ,nature to sweeten his wines1 and he can then laugh at the chemist4 ,of vegetables we have not only all that ,europe can boast1 excepting perhaps the artichoke1 but we have some in constant use and of great excellence which they have not4 ,for instance1 sweet corn boiled or roasted and eaten from the cob with butter and salt is unknown in ,europe4 ,they have not the sweet potato1 so delicious when baked4 ,they have not the pumpkin-pie although they have the pumpkin4 ,they have egg-plant and cauliflower and beans and peas1 but so have we4 ,they have bananas1 but never fried1 which is a negro dish1 and excellent4 ,they have not the plantain1 good baked1 nor the avocado or alligator pear1 which fried in butter or oil is so admirable4 ,they have not the ochra1 of which the negro cooks make such excellent gumbo soup4 ,they have all the salads1 and use sorrel much more than we do4 ,they do not cook summer squash as we do1 nor have they anything to equal it4 ,they use vegetables always as an entre1 not served with the meat1 unless the vegetable is cooked with the meat1 like beef stewed in carrots1 turnips1 and onions1 veal and green peas1 veal with spinach1 and so on4 ,the peas are passed as an entre1 so is the cauliflower1 the beet-root1 and the turnips4 ,they treat all vegetables as we do corn and asparagus1 as a separate course4 ,for asparagus we must give the ,french the palm1 particularly when they serve it with ,hollandaise sauce2 and the ,italians cook cauliflower with cheese1 ravir4 ,,the ,,hostess4 ,a creature not too bright or good ,for human nature's daily food2 ,for transient sorrow1 simple wiles1 ,praise1 blame1 love1 kisses1 tears1 and smiles4 ,the house-mother1--the mistress of servants1 the wife1 the mother1 the hostess1--is the first person in the art of entertaining2 and considering how busy1 how hard worked1 how occupied1 are ,american men1 she is generally the first person singular4 ,in nine cases out of ten1 ,american men neither know nor care much about the conduct of the house if the wife will assume it2 they only like to be made comfortable1 and to find a warm1 clean home1 with a good dinner awaiting them4 ,it is the wife who must struggle with the problems of domestic defeat or victory4 ,when ,washington ,irving was presented at the ,court of ,dresden his ,saxon ,majesty remarked1 ,mr4 ,irving1 with a republic so liberal1 you can have no servants in ,america4 ,yes1 ,sire1 we have servants1 such as they are1 said the amiable author of the ,sketchbook2 but we do not call them servants1 we call them help4 ,i cannot understand that1 said the king4 ,the king's mental position was not illogical2 for1 with his experience of the servile position of the domestic in ,europe1 he could not reconcile to his mind the declaration of social equality in ,america4 ,the ,american hostess must1 it would seem1 for many centuries if not forever1 have to struggle against this difficulty4 ,as some writer said twenty years ago1 of this question3 ,rich as we are in money1 profuse in spending it to heighten the enjoyment of life1 the good servant1 that essential of comfort and luxury1 seems beyond our reach4 ,superfine houses we have1 and superfine furniture1 and superfine ladies1 and all the other superfineties to excess1 but the skilful cook1 the handy maid1 and the trusty nurse we rarely possess4 ,thus1 afar from the great cities and even in them1 we must forge the instruments with which we work1 instead of finding them ready to hand1 as in other countries4 ,that is to say1 the mistress of a household must teach her cook to cook1 her waiter to wait1 her laundress to get up fine linen4 ,she is happy if she can get honest people and willing hands1 but trained servants she durst not expect away from the great centres of life4 ,considering what has been expected of the ,american woman1 has she not done rather well8 ,that she must be first servant-trainer1 then housekeeper1 wife1 mother1 and conversationist1 that she must keep up with the always advancing spirit of the times1 read1 write1 and cipher1 be beautifully dressed1 play the piano1 make the wilderness to blossom as the rose1 be charitable1 thoughtful1 and good1 put the mind at its ease1 strive to learn how to do all things in the best way1 be a student of good taste and good manners1 make a house luxurious1 ornamental1 cheerful1 and restful1 have an inspired sense of the fitness of things1 dress and entertain in perfect accord with her station1 her means1 and her husband's ambition1 master1 unassisted1 all the ins and outs of the noble art of entertaining1--has not this been something of the nature of a large contract8 ,she must go to the cooking-lecture1 come home and visit the kitchen1 go to the intelligence office1 keeping her hand on all three4 ,she must be the mind1 while the ,maggies and ,bridgets furnish the hands4 ,she must never be fussy1 never grotesque2 she must steer her ship through stormy seas1 and she must also learn to enjoy ,wagner's music4 ,there is proverbially no sea so dangerous to swim in as that tumultuous one of a new and illy regulated prosperity2 and in the changeful1 uncertain nature of ,american fortunes an ,american woman must be ready to meet any fate4 ,judging from many specimens which we have seen1 may we not claim that the ,american woman must be stamped with an especial distinction8 ,has she not conquered her fate8 ,curiously enough1 fashion and good taste seem to lackey to the ,american woman1 no matter where she was born or where educated4 ,in spite of all drawbacks1 and the counter-currents of destiny1 she is a well bred and tasteful woman4 ,no matter what the ,american woman has to fight against1 poverty or lack of opportunities1 she is likely1 if she is called upon to do so1 to administer gracefully the hospitalities of the ,white ,house or to fill the difficult rle of an ambassadress4 ,some of them have bad taste perhaps4 ,what is good taste but an instantaneous1 ready appreciation of the fitness of things8 ,to most of us who observe it in others1 it seems to be an instinct4 ,we envy those few who are always well dressed1 who never buy unbecoming stuffs1 who have the gift to make their clothes look as if they had simply blossomed out of their inner consciousness1 as a rose blossoms out of its calyx4 ,some women always dress their hair becomingly2 others1 even if handsome1 look like beautiful frights4 ,some wear their clothes as if they had been hurled at them by a tornado1 and remind one of the poor husband's remark1 ,i feel as if ,i had married a hurricane4 ,the same exceptions1 which only prove the rule1 because you notice them1 may extend to the housewives who aim at more than they can accomplish1 who make their house an anguish to look at1 pretentious without beauty1 overloaded or incorrect1 who have not tact1 who say the awkward thing4 ,such people exist sometimes1 sinning from ignorance1 but they are decidedly in the minority4 ,the ,american woman is generally a success4 ,she has fought a hard battle1 but she has won4 ,she has had her defeats1 however4 ,who does not remember the failure of that first dinner-party8--when the baby began to cry so loud2 when the hostess was not dressed when the bell rang2 when the cook spilled the soup all over the range and filled the house with a bad odour2 when the waitress1 usually so cool1 lost all her presence of mind and fell on the basement stairs1 breaking all the plates2 when one failure succeeded another until the husband looked reproachfully at his wife1 who1 poor creature1 had been working day and night to get up this dinner1 who was responsible for none of the failures1 and who had an attack of neuralgia afterward which lasted all winter4 ,who has not read ,thackeray's witty descriptions of the dinners1 poor and pretentious1 ordered in from the green-grocer's1 and uneatable1--in ,london8 ,if they would have a leg of mutton and an apple pudding and a glass of sherry1 they could do well2 but they must shine1 they must outdo their neighbours4 ,and that is the first mistake4 ,people with three thousand a year should not try to emulate those who have fifty thousand a year4 ,and ,thackeray says again3 ,but there is no harm done1 not as regards the dinner-givers1 though the dinner-eaters may have to suffer4 ,it only shows that the former are hospitably inclined1 and wish to do the very best in their power4 ,if they do badly1 how can they help it8 ,they know no better4 ,the first thing at which a young housekeeper must aim is to live well every day4 ,her tablecloth must be fresh1 her glass and silver clean2 a few flowers must be on her table to make it dainty1 a few dishes well cooked1--such a table as will be well for her children and acceptable to her husband2 and then she has but to add a little more and it is fit for any guest1 and any guest will be glad to join such a dinner-party4 ,but here ,i am met by the almost unanswerable argument that the simplest dinner is the most difficult to find4 ,who knows how to cook a beefsteak1 to roast a piece of mutton so that its natural juices are retained1--to roast it so that the blood shall follow the knife2 to mash potatoes and brown them2 to make a perfect rice-pudding that is said to deserve that cordon bleu which ,vatel1 ,ude1 and ,bechamel craved8 ,the young housekeeper of to-day with very modest means has1 however1 now to meet a condition of prosperity which even twenty-five years ago was unknown4 ,all extremes of luxury and every element of profusion is now fashionable1--one may say expected4 ,but agreeable young people will be entertained by the man who is worth fifty thousand dollars a day1 and they will wish to return the civility4 ,herein lie the difficulties in the art of entertaining2 but let them remember that there is one simple dinner which covers the whole ground1 which the poor gentleman may aspire to give1 and to which he might invite a prince4 ,the essentials of a comfortable dinner are but few4 ,the beauty of a ,grecian vase without ornament is perfect4 ,you may add cameo and intaglio1 vine1 acanthus leaf1 satyrs1 and fauns1 handles of ram's horns and circlet of gems to your vase if you wish1 and are rich enough1 but unless the outline is perfect the splendour and the arabesque but render the vase vulgar4 ,so with the simple dinner2 it is the ,grecian vase unadorned4 ,remember that rich people1 stifled with luxury at home1 like to be asked to these dinners4 ,a lady in ,england1 very much admired for her witty conversation1 said she intended to devote herself to the amelioration of the condition of the upper classes1 as she thought them the most bored and altogether the least attended to of any people2 and we have heard of the rich man in ,new ,york who complained that he was no longer asked to the little dinners4 ,there is too much worship and fear of money in our country4 ,in ,england and on the ,continent there is no shame in acknowledging1 ,i cannot afford it4 ,i have been asked to a luncheon in ,england where a cold joint of mutton1 a few potatoes1 and a plate of peaches constituted the whole repast2 and ,i have heard more delightful conversation and have met more agreeable people than at more expensive feasts4 ,who in ,america would dare to give such a lunch8 ,the simple dinner might be characterized1 giving the essentials1 as a soup1 a fish1 a roast1 one entre1 and a salad1 an ice and fruit 7simply the fruit in season71 a cup of coffee afterward1 with a glass of sherry1 claret1 or champagne4 ,such a dinner is good enough for anybody1 and is possible to the person of moderate means4 ,from this up to the splendid dinners of millionnaires1 served on gold and silver and priceless ,svres1 ,dresden1 ,japanese1 and ,chinese porcelain1 with flagons of ruby glass bound in gold1 with ,benvenuto ,cellini vases1 and silver candelabra1 the ascent may be gradual4 ,in the one the tablecloth is of spotless damask2 in the other it may be of duchesse lace over red4 ,the very mats are mirrors1 the crystal drops of the epergne flash like diamonds4 ,it may be served in a picture-gallery4 ,each lady has a bouquet1 a fan1 a ribbon painted with her name1 a basket or bonbonnire to take home with her4 ,the courses are often sixteen in number1 the wines are of fabulous value1 antiquity1 and age4 ,each drop is like the ,river ,pactolus1 whose sands were of gold4 ,the viands may come from ,algiers or ,st4 ,petersburg2 strawberries and peaches in ,january1 the roses of ,june in ,february1 fruit from the ,pacific1 from the ,gulf1 artichokes from ,marseilles1 oranges and strawberries from ,florida1 game from ,arizona and ,chesapeake ,bay1 mutton and pheasants from ,scotland1 luxury from everywhere4 ,the primal condition of this banquet is1 that everything should be unusual4 ,but remember that1 after all1 it is only the ,grecian vase heavily ornamented4 ,no one person can taste half the dishes2 it takes a long time1 and the room may be too hot4 ,the limitations of a dinner should be considered4 ,it is a splendid picture1 no doubt1 but it need not appall the young hostess who desires to return the civility4 ,a vase of flowers or a basket of growing plants can replace the epergne4 ,some pretty dinner-cards may be etched by herself1 with a ,shakspearean quotation showing a personal thought of each guest4 ,her spotless glass and silver1 her good soup1 her fresh fish1 the haunch of venison roasted before a wood fire1 the salad mixed by her own fair hands1 perhaps a dessert over which she has lingered1 a bit of cheese1 a cup of coffee1 a smiling host1 a composed hostess1 a congenial company1 and wit withal1--who shall say that the little dinner is not as amusing as the big dinner8 ,to be composed3 yes1 that is the first thing to be remembered on the part of a young hostess4 ,she may be essentially nervous and anxious1 particularly if she is just beginning to entertain1 but here she must resolutely put on a mask of composure1 and assume a virtue if she have it not4 ,nothing is of much importance1 excepting her own demeanor4 ,a fussy hostess who scolds the servants1 wrinkles her brow1 or even forgets to listen to the man who is talking to her is the ruin of a dinner4 ,the author of ,cecil tells his niece that if stewed puppy-dog is brought to the table she must not notice it4 ,few hostesses are subjected to so severe an ordeal as this1 but the remark contains a goodly hint4 ,as1 however1 it is a great intellectual feat to achieve a perfect little dinner with a small household and small means1 perhaps that form of entertaining may be postponed a few years4 ,never attempt anything which cannot be well done4 ,there is the afternoon tea1 the musical evening1 the reception1 the luncheon2 they are all easier to give than the dinner4 ,the young hostess ambitious to excel in the art of entertaining can choose a thousand ways4 ,let her alone avoid attempting the impossible2 and let her remember that no success which is not honestly gained is worth a pin4 ,if it is money1 it stings2 if it is place and position1 it becomes the shirt of ,nessus4 ,but for the well mannered and well behaved ,american woman what a noble success1 what a perfect present1 what a delightful future there is6 ,she is the founder of the ,american nobility4 ,all men bow down to her4 ,she is the queen of the man who loves her2 he treats her with every respect4 ,she is to teach the future citizen honour1 loyalty1 duty1 respect1 politeness1 kindness1 the law of love4 ,such a man could read his ,philip ,sidney and yet not blush to find himself a follower4 ,an ,american woman wields the only rod of empire to which ,american men will bow4 ,she should try to be an empress in the best sense of the word2 and to a young woman entering society we should recommend a certain exclusiveness4 ,not snobbish exclusiveness2 but it is always well to choose one's friends slowly and with due consideration4 ,we are not the most perfect beings in all the world2 we do not wish to be intimate with too much imperfection4 ,a broken friendship is a very painful thing4 ,we should think twice before we give an intimate friendship to any one4 ,no woman who essays to entertain should ask everybody to her house4 ,the respect she owes to herself should prevent this2 her house becomes a camp unless she has herself the power of putting a coarse sieve outside the door4 ,we have no such inviolable virtue that we can as yet rate ,dives and ,lazarus before they are dead4 ,very rich people are apt to be very good people2 and in the realms of the highest fashion we find the simplest1 best1 and purest of characters4 ,it is therefore of no consequence as to the shade of fashion and the amount of the rent-roll4 ,it must not be supposed because some leaders of fashion are insolent that all are4 ,a young hostess must try to find the good1 true1 honourable1 generous1 well bred1 well educated member of society1 no matter in what conditions of life4 ,read character first1 and hesitate before drawing general deductions4 ,a hostess is the slave of her guests after she has invited them2 she must be all attention1 and all suavity4 ,if she has nothing to offer them but a small house1 a cup of tea1 and a smile1 she is just as much a hostess as if she were a queen4 ,if she offers them every luxury and is not polite1 she is a snob and a vulgarian4 ,there is no such detestable use of one's privileges as to be rude on one's ground4 ,the man who eats your salt is sacred4 ,to patronize is a great necessity to some natures4 ,there is little opportunity for it in free1 brave ,america1 but some mistaken hostesses have gone that way4 ,every one feels pleasantly toward the woman who invites one to her house2 there is something gracious in the act4 ,but if1 after opening her doors1 the hostess refuses the welcome1 or treats her guests with various degrees of cordiality1 why did she ask at all8 ,every young ,american can become a model hostess2 she can master etiquette1 and create for herself a polite and cordial manner4 ,she should be as serene as a summer's day2 she should keep all her domestic troubles out of sight4 ,if she entertains1 let her do it in her own individual way1--a small way if necessary4 ,there was much in ,touchstone's philosophy1--a poor thing1 but mine own4 ,she must have the instinct of hospitality1 which is to give pleasure to all one's guests2 and it seems unnecessary to say to any young ,american hostess1 ,noblesse oblige4 ,she should be more polite to the shy1 ill-dressed visitor from the country--if indeed there is such a thing left in ,america1 where1 as ,bret ,harte says1 ,the fashions travel by telegraph--than to the sweeping city dame1 that can take care of herself4 ,a kindly greeting to a gawky youth will never be forgotten2 and it is to the humblest that a hostess should address her kindest attentions4 ,there are born hostesses1 like poets1 but a hostess can also be made1 in which she has the advantage of the poets2 and to the very wealthy hostess we should quote this inestimable advice3-- ,si tibi deficiant medici1 medici tibi fiant ,hc tria3 mens hilaris1 requies1 moderata dita4 ,,horace4 ,do not over-feed people4 ,who is it that says1 ,if simplicity is admirable in manners and in literary style1 in the matter of dinners it becomes exalted into one of the cardinal virtues8 ,the ambitious housewife would do well to remember this when she cumbers herself1 and thinks too much about her forthcoming banquet4 ,if she ignores this principle of simplicity and falls into the opposite extreme of ostentation and pretentiousness1 she may bore her guests rather than entertain them4 ,it is an incontestable fact that dinners are made elaborate only at a considerable risk2 as they increase in size and importance1 their character is likely to deteriorate4 ,this is true not only with regard to the number of guests1 but with reference to the number of dishes that go to make up a bill-of-fare4 ,in fact we1 as ,americans1 generally err on the side of having too much rather than too little4 ,the terror of running short is agony to the mind of the conscientious housewife4 ,how much will be enough and no more8 ,it stands to reason that the fewer the dishes1 the more the cook can concentrate her attention upon them2 and here is reason for reducing the menu to its lowest terms4 ,then to consult the proper gradation4 ,brillat ,savarin recounts a rather cruel joke perpetrated on a man who was a well-known gourmand4 ,the idea was that he should be induced to satisfy himself with the more ordinary viands1 and that then the choicest dishes should be presented in vain before his jaded appetite4 ,this treacherous feast began with a sirloin of beef1 a fricandeau of veal1 and a stewed carp with stuffing4 ,then came a magnificent turkey1 a pike1 six entremets1 and an ample dish of macaroni and ,parmesan cheese4 ,nor was this all4 ,another course appeared1 composed of sweetbread1 surrounded with shrimps in jelly1 soft roes1 and partridge wings1 with a thick sauce or pure of mushrooms4 ,last of all came the delicacies1--snipes by the dozen1 a pheasant in perfect order1 and with them a slice of tunny fish1 quite fresh4 ,naturally1 the gourmand was hors du combat4 ,as a joke1 it was successful2 as an act of hospitality1 it was a cruelty2 as pointing a moral and adorning a tale1 it may be useful4 ,this anecdote has its historical value as showing us that the present procession of soup1 fish1 roast1 entre1 game1 and dessert was not observed one hundred years ago1 as a fish was served after beef and after turkey4 ,dr4 ,johnson describes a dinner at ,mrs4 ,thrales which shows us what was considered luxurious a hundred years ago4 ,the dinner was excellent4 ,first course3 soups at head and foot1 removed by fish and a saddle of mutton4 ,second course3 a fowl they call galenan at head1 a capon larger than our ,irish turkeys at foot4 ,third course3 four different ices1--pineapple1 grape1 raspberry1 and a fourth4 ,in each remove four dishes2 the first two courses served on massive plate4 ,these gentlemen of ,england who live at home at ease1 these earls by the king's grace1 viceroys of ,india1 clerks and rich commoners1 would laugh at this dinner to-day2 so would our clubmen1 our diners at ,delmonico's1 our millionnaires4 ,imagine the feelings of that chef who received ten thousand a year1 with absolute power of life or death1 with a wine-cellar which is a fortress of which he alone knows the weakest spot1--what would he say to such a dinner8 ,but there are dinners where the gradation is perfect1 where luxury stimulates the brain as ,chteau ,yquem bathes the throat4 ,it would seem as if the ,golden ,age1 the age of ,leo ,x4 had come back2 and our nineteenth century shows all the virtues of the art of entertaining since the days of ,lucullus1 purified of the enormities1 including dining at eleven in the morning1 of the intermediate ages4 ,it must not be forgotten that this simplicity which is so commended can only be obtained by the most studied1 artful care4 ,as ,gray's ,elegy reads as the most consummately easy and plain poetry in the world1 so that we feel that we have but to sit down at the writing-desk and indite one exactly like it1 we learn in giving a little1 simple1 perfect dinner that its combinations must be faultless4 ,gray wrote every verse of his immortal poem over many times4 ,the hostess who learns enough art to conceal art in her simple dinner has achieved that perfection in her art which ,gray reached4 ,perfect and simple cookery are1 like perfect beauty1 very rare4 ,however1 if the art of entertaining makes hostesses1 hostesses must make the art of entertaining4 ,it is for them to decide the juste milieu between the not enough and the great too much4 ,,breakfast4 ,before breakfast a man feels but queasily1 ,and a sinking at the lower abdomen ,begins the day with indifferent omen4 ,,browning4--,the ,flight of the ,duchess4 ,and then to breakfast with what appetite you have4 ,,shakspeare4 ,breakfast is a hard thing to manage in ,america1 particularly in a country-house1 as people have different ideas about eating a hearty meal at nine o'clock or earlier4 ,all who have lived much in ,europe are apt to prefer the ,continental fashion of a cup of tea or coffee in one's room1 with perhaps an egg and a roll2 then to do one's work or pleasure1 as the case may be1 and to take the djener la fourchette at eleven or twelve4 ,to most brain-workers this is a blessed boon1 for the heavy ,american breakfast of chops1 steaks1 eggs1 forcemeat balls1 sausages1 broiled chicken1 stewed potatoes1 baked beans1 and hot cakes1 good as it is1 is apt to render a person stupid4 ,it would be better if this meal could be rendered less heavy1 and that a visitor should always be given the alternative of taking a cup of tea in her room1 and not appearing until luncheon4 ,the breakfast dishes most to be commended may begin with the omelet4 ,this the ,french make to perfection4 ,indeed1 ,gustav ,droz wrote a story once for the purpose of giving its recipe4 ,the story is of a young couple lost in a forest1 who take refuge in a wood-cutter's hut4 ,they ask for food1 and are told that they can have an omelet3 ,the old woman had gone to fetch a frying-pan1 and was then throwing a handful of shavings on the fire4 ,in the midst of this strange and rude interior ,louise seemed to me so fine and delicate1 so elegant1 with her long gants de ,sude1 her little boots1 and her tucked-up skirts4 ,with her two hands stretched out she sheltered her face from the flames1 and from the corner of her eye1 while ,i was talking with the splitters1 she watched the butter that began to sing in the frying-pan4 ,suddenly she rose1 and taking the handle of the frying-pan from the old woman's hand1 ',let me help you make the omelet1' she said4 ,the good woman let go the pan with a smile1 and ,louise found herself alone in the position of a fisherman at the moment when his float begins to bob4 ,the fire hardly threw any light2 her eyes were fixed on the liquid butter1 her arms outstretched1 and she was biting her lips a little1 doubtless to increase her strength4 ',it is a bit heavy for ,madame's little hands1' said the old man4 ',i bet that it is the first time you ever made an omelet in a wood-cutter's hut1 is it not1 my little lady8' ,louise made a sign of assent without removing her eyes from the frying-pan4 ',the eggs6 the eggs6' she cried all at once1 with such an expression of alarm that we all burst out laughing4 ',the eggs6 the butter is bubbling6 quick1 quick6' ,the old woman was beating the eggs with animation4 ',and the herbs6' cried the old man4 ',and the bacon1 and the salt1' said the young man4 ,then we all set to work1 chopping the herbs and cutting the bacon1 while ,louise cried1 ',quick6 quick6' ,at last there was a big splash in the frying-pan1 and the great act began4 ,we all stood around the fire watching anxiously1 for each having had a finger in the pie1 the result interested us all4 ,the good old woman1 kneeling down by the dish1 lifted up with her knife the corners of the omelet1 which was beginning to brown4 ',now ,madame has only to turn it1' said the old woman4 ',a little sharp jerk1' said the old man4 ',not too strong1' said the young man4 ',one jerk6 houp6 my dear1' said ,i4 ',if you all speak at once ,i shall never dare2 besides1 it is very heavy1 you know--' ',one little sharp jerk--' ',but ,i cannot--it will all go into the fire--oh6' ,in the heat of the action her hood had fallen2 she was red as a peach1 her eyes glistened1 and in spite of her anxiety1 she burst out laughing4 ,at last1 after a supreme effort1 the frying-pan executed a rapid movement and the omelette rolled1 a little heavily ,i must confess1 on the large plate which the old woman held4 ,never was there a finer-looking omelet4 ,this is an excellent description of the dish which is made for you at every little cabaret in ,france1 as well as at the best hotels4 ,that dexterous turn of the wrist by which the omelet is turned over is1 however1 hard to reach4 ,let any lady try it4 ,i have been taken into the kitchen in a hotel in the ,riviera to see a cook who was so dexterous as to turn the frying-pan over entirely1 without spilling the omelet4 ,however1 they are innumerable1 the omelet family1 plain1 and with parsley1 the fancy omelet1 and the creamy omelet4 ,learn to make every sort from any cooking-book1 and your family will never starve4 ,conquer the art of toasting bacon with a fork2 it is a fine relish for your egg1 no matter how cooked4 ,to fry good ,english bacon in a pan until it is hard1 is to disfigure one of ,fortune's best gifts4 ,study above all things to learn how to produce good toast2 not all the cooks in the great kingdom or empire or republic of ,france 7whatever it may be at this minute7 can produce a good slice of toast4 ,they call it pain rti1 and well they may2 for after the poor bread has been burned they put it in the oven and roast it4 ,no human being can eat it4 ,it is taken away and grated up for sawdust4 ,they make delicious toast in ,england1 and in a few houses in ,america4 ,the bread should be a little stale1 the slice cut thin1 the fire perfect1 a toasting-fork should hold it before coals1 which are as bright as ,juno's eyes4 ,it should be a delicate brown1 dropped on a hot plate1 fresh butter put on at once1 and then1 ah6 't would tempt the dying anchorite to eat4 ,then conquer cream toast2 and there is an exalted substance called ,boston brown bread which is delicious1 toasted and boiled in milk4 ,muffins are generally failures in these ,united ,states4 ,why1 after conquering the ,english1 we cannot conquer their muffins1 ,i do not know4 ,they are well worth repeated efforts4 ,we make up on our hot biscuits and rolls2 and as for our waffles1 griddle-cakes1 and ,sally ,lunns1 we distance competition4 ,do not believe that they are unhealthy6 ,nothing that is well cooked is unhealthy to everybody2 and all things which are good are unhealthy to somebody4 ,every one must determine for himself what is healthy and unhealthy4 ,a foreign breakfast in ,france consists of eggs in some form1--frequently au beurre noir1 which is butter melted in a little vinegar and allowed to brown1--a stew of vegetables and meat1 a little cold meat 7tongue1 ham1 or cold roast beef17 a very good salad1 a small dish of stewed fruit or a little pastry1 cheese1 fruit1 and coffee1 and always red wine4 ,or perhaps an omelet or egg au plat 7simply dropped on a hot plate71 mutton cutlets1 and fried potatoes1 perhaps stewed pigeons1 with spinach or green peas1 or trout from the lake1 followed by a beefsteak1 with highly flavoured ,alpine strawberries or fresh apricots or figs1 then all eating is done for the day1 until seven o'clock dinner4 ,this is of course the mid-day djener la fourchette4 ,at the earlier breakfast a ,swiss hotel offers only coffee1 rolls1 butter1 and honey4 ,all sorts of stews--kidney1 liver1 chicken1 veal1 and beef--are good1 and every sort of little pan-fish4 ,in our happy country we can add the oyster stew1 or the lobster in cream1 the familiar sausage1 and the hereditary hash2 if any one knows how to make good corned-beef hash she need not fear to entertain the king4 ,there are those who know how to broil a chicken1 but they are few1--,amongst the few1 the immortal names which are not born to die4 ,there are others1 also few1 who know how to broil ham so that it will not be hard1 and on it to drop the egg so that it be like ,saturn1--a golden ball in a ring of silver4 ,amongst the good dishes and cheap dishes which ,i have seen served in ,france for a breakfast ,i recommend lambs' feet in a white sauce1 with a suspicion of onion4 ,all sorts of fricassees and warmed over things can be made most deliciously for breakfast4 ,many people like a salt mackerel or a broiled herring for breakfast2 these are good avant gots1 stimulating the appetite4 ,the ,danes and ,swedes have every form of dried fish1 and even some strange fowl served in this way4 ,dried beef served up with eggs is comforting to some stomachs4 ,smoked salmon appeals to others2 and people with an ostrich digestion like toasted cheese or ,welsh rarebits4 ,the fishball of our forefathers is a supreme delicacy if well made1 as is creamed codfish2 but warmed over pie1 or warmed over mutton or beef1 are detestable4 ,the appetite is in a parlous state at nine o'clock and needs to be tempted2 a bit of breakfast bacon1 a bit of toast1 an egg1 and a fresh slice of melon or a cold sliced tomato in summer1 voil tout6 as the ,french say4 ,begin with the melon or a plate of strawberries4 ,these early breakfasts at nine o'clock may be followed by the hot cake1 but later on the djener la fourchette1 which with us becomes luncheon1 demands another order of meal1 as we have seen1 more like a plain dinner4 ,it is a great comfort to the housekeeper1 or to the lady who has been imprisoned behind the tea and coffee pot that she may serve thence a large family1 to sometimes escape and have both tea and coffee served from the side tables4 ,of course1 for a small and intimate breakfast there is nothing like the steaming urn1 and the tea made by the lady at the table2 and the ,hon4 ,thomas ,h4 ,benton declared that he liked to drink his tea from a cup which had been washed by a lady4 ,woman is the genius of the tea-kettle4 ,to make a good cup of coffee is a rare accomplishment4 ,perhaps the old method is as good as any3 a small cupful of roasted and ground coffee1 one third ,mocha and two thirds ,java1 a small egg1 shell and all1 broken into the pot with the dry coffee4 ,stir well with a spoon and then pour on three pints of boiling water2 let it boil from five to ten minutes1 counting from the time it begins to boil4 ,then pour in a cupful of cold water1 and turn a little of the coffee into a cup to see that the nozzle of the pot is not filled with grounds4 ,turn this back1 and let the coffee stand a few minutes to settle1 taking care that it does not boil again4 ,the advantages of boiled egg with coffee is1 that the yolk gives a rich flavour and good colour2 also the shells and the white keep the grounds in order1 settling them at the bottom of the pot4 ,but the most economical and the easiest way of making coffee is by filtering4 ,the ,french coffee biggin should be used4 ,it consists of two cylindrical tin vessels1 one fitting into the other1 the bottom of the upper being a fine strainer4 ,another coarser strainer1 with a rod coming from the centre1 is placed on this4 ,then the coffee1 which must be finely ground1 is put in1 and another strainer is placed on the top of the rod4 ,the boiling water is poured on1 and the pot set where it will keep hot1 but not boil1 until the water has gone through4 ,this will make a clear1 strong coffee with a rich1 smooth flavour4 ,the advantage of the two strainers is1 that the one coming next to the fine strainer prevents the grounds from filling up the fine holes1 and so the coffee is clear1--a grand desideratum4 ,boiled milk should be served with coffee for an early breakfast4 ,clear coffee1 caf noir1 is served after dinner1 and in ,france1 always after the twelve o'clock breakfast4 ,for a nine o'clock breakfast the hostess should also serve tea1 and perhaps chocolate1 if she has a large family of guests1 as all cannot drink coffee for breakfast4 ,pigs' feet la poulette find favour in ,paris1 and are delicious as prepared there2 also calf's liver l',alsacienne4 ,chicken livers are very nice1 and cod's tongues with black butter cannot be surpassed4 ,mutton kidneys with bacon are desirable1 and all the livers and kidneys en brochette with bacon1 empaled on a spit1 are excellent4 ,hashed lamb la ,zingara is highly peppered and very good4 ,broiled fish1 broiled chicken1 broiled ham1 broiled steak and chops are always good for breakfast4 ,the gridiron made ,saint ,lawrence fit for heaven1 and its qualities have been elevating and refining ever since4 ,the summer breakfast can be very nice4 ,crab1 clam1 lobster1--all are admirable4 ,fresh fish should be served whenever one can get it4 ,devilled kidneys and broiled bones do for supper1 but fresh fish and easily digested food should replace these heavier dainties for breakfast4 ,stewed fruit is much used on the ,continent at an early breakfast4 ,it is thought to avert dyspepsia4 ,americans prefer to eat fruit fresh1 and therefore have not learned to stew it4 ,stewing is1 however1 a branch of cookery well worth the attention of a first-class housekeeper4 ,it makes canned fruit much better to stew it with sugar4 ,stewed cherries are delicious and very healthy2 and all the berries1 even if a little stale1 can be stewed into a good dish1 as can the dried fruits1 like prunes1 etc4 ,stewed pears make an elegant dessert served with whipped cream2 but this is too rich for breakfast4 ,baked pears with cream are sometimes offered1 and eggs in every form1--scrambled1 dropped1 boiled1 stuffed1 and even boiled hard1 sliced and dressed as a salad4 ,what is so good as an egg salad for a hungry person8 asked a hostess in the ,adirondacks who had nothing else to offer6 ,eggs are the staple for breakfast4 ,ham omelet with a little parsley1 lamb chops with green peas1 tripe la ,bourdelaise1 hashed turkey1 hashed chicken with cream1 and breaded veal with tomato sauce1 calf's brains with a black butter1 stewed veal la ,chasseur1 broiled shad's roe1 broiled soft-shell clams1 minced tenderloin with ,lyonnaise potatoes1 blue-fish au gratin1 broiled steak with water-cress1 picked-up codfish1 and smoked beef in cream are of the thousand and one delicacies for the early breakfast1--if one can eat them4 ,it is better to eat a saucer of oatmeal and cream at nine o'clock1 take a cup of tea1 and do one's work2 then at twelve to sit down to as good a breakfast as possible1--a regular djeuner la fourchette4 ,the digestion is then active2 the brain after several hours work needs repose1 and at one or two o'clock can go to work again like a giant refreshed4 ,an early breakfast with meat is thought by foreign doctors not to be good for children4 ,but in ,france they give children wine at a very early age1 which is rarely done in this country4 ,at all boarding-schools and hospitals wine is given to young children4 ,certainly there are fewer drunkards and fewer dyspeptics in ,france than in ,america4 ,brillat ,savarin says of coffee1 ,it is beyond doubt that coffee acts upon the functions of the brain as an excitant4 ,voltaire and ,buffon drank a great deal of coffee4 ,if it deprives persons of sleep it should never be taken4 ,it is to many a poison2 and hospitals are full of men made cripples by the immoderate stimulus of coffee4 ,the ,spanish people live and flourish on chocolate2 introduced into ,spain during the seventeenth century1 it crossed the ,pyrenees with ,anne of ,austria1 daughter of ,philip ,,ii4 and wife of ,louis ,,xiii41 and at the commencement of the ,regency was more in vogue than coffee4 ,many modern writers advise a good cup of chocolate at breakfast as wholesome and easily digested1 and it is good for clergymen1 lawyers1 and travellers4 ,in ,america it is considered heavy and headachy2 and doubtless the climate has something to do with this4 ,cocoa and the lighter preparations of chocolate are good at sea1 and very comforting to those who find their nerves too much on the alert to stand coffee or tea4 ,every one must consult his own health and taste in this as in all matters4 ,the boldest attempts to increase the enjoyments of the palate1 or to tell people what they shall eat or drink1 are constantly overthrown by some subtile enemy in the stomach2 and breakfasts should especially be so light that they can tickle the palate without disturbing the brain4 ,a red herring is a good appetizer4 ,meet me at breakfast alone1 ,and then ,i will give you a dish ,which really deserves to be known1 ,though 'tis not the genteelest of fish4 ,you must promise to come1 for ,i said ,a splendid red herring ,i'd buy4 ,nay1 turn not aside your proud head2 ,you'll like it1 ,i know1 when you try4 ,if moisture the herring betray1 ,drain till from the moisture 'tis free4 ,warm it through in the usual way1 ,then serve it for you and for me4 ,a piece of cold butter prepare1 ,to rub it when ready it lies2 ,egg sauce and potatoes don't spare1 ,and the flavour will cause you surprise4 ,it is not only the man who has eaten a heavy supper the night before2 it is not only the heavy drinker1 although brandy and soda are not the best of appetite provokers1 so they say2 but it is also the brainworker who finds it impossible to eat in the morning4 ,for sleep has the effect of eating4 ,who sleeps1 eats1 says the ,french proverb2 and we often find healthy children unwilling to eat an early breakfast4 ,appetites vary both in individuals and at various seasons of the year4 ,nothing can be more unwise than to make children eat when they do not wish to do so4 ,during the summer months we are all of us less inclined for food than when sharp set by hard exercise in the frosty air2 and we loathe in ,july what we like in winter4 ,the heavy domestic breakfast of steak and mutton-chops in summer is often repellent to a delicate child4 ,the perfection of good living is to have what you want exactly when you want it4 ,a slice of fresh melon1 a plate of strawberries1 a thin slice of bread and butter may be much better for breakfast in summer than the baked beans and stewed codfish of a later season4 ,do not force a child to eat even a baked potato if he does not like it4 ,it is maintained by some that a strong will can keep off sea-sickness or any other malady4 ,this is a fallacy4 ,no strong will can make a delicate stomach digest a heavy breakfast at nine o'clock4 ,therefore we begin and end with the same idea1--breakfast is a hard thing to manage in ,america4 ,in ,england1 however1 it is a very happy-go-lucky meal2 and although the essentials are on the table1 people are privileged to rise and help themselves from the sideboard4 ,i may say that ,i have never seen a fashionable ,english hostess at a nine o'clock breakfast1 although the meal is always ready for those who wish it4 ,for sending breakfasts to rooms1 trays are prepared with teapot1 sugar1 and cream1 a plate of toast1 eggs boiled1 with cup1 spoon1 salt and pepper1 a little pat of butter1 and if desired a plate of chops or chicken1 plates1 knives1 forks1 and napkins4 ,for an ,english country-house the supply of breakfast trays is like that of a hotel4 ,the pretty little ,satsuma sets of small teapot1 cream jug1 and sugar-bowl1 are favourites4 ,when breakfast is served in the dining-room1 a white cloth is generally laid1 although some ladies prefer variously coloured linen1 with napkins to match4 ,a vase of flowers or a dish of fruit should be placed in the centre4 ,the table is then set as for dinner1 with smaller plates and all sorts of pretty china1 like an egg dish with a hen sitting contentedly1 a butter plate with a recumbent cow1 a sardine dish with fishes in ,majolica1--in fact1 any suggestive fancy4 ,hot plates for a winter breakfast in a plate-warmer near the table add much to the comfort4 ,finger bowls with napkins under them should be placed on the sideboard and handed to the guest with the fruit4 ,it is a matter of taste as to whether fruit precedes or finishes the breakfast2 and the servant must watch the decision of the guest4 ,a grand breakfast to a distinguished foreigner1 or some great home celebrity at ,delmonico's for instance1 would be1-- ,a table loaded with flowers4 ,oysters on the half-shell4 ,chablis4 ,eggs stuffed4 ,eggs in black butter1 7au beurre noir74 ,chops and green peas4 ,champagne4 ,lyonnaise potatoes4 ,sweetbreads4 ,spinach4 ,woodcock4 ,partridges4 ,salad of lettuce4 ,claret4 ,cheese fondu4 ,,dessert3 ,charlotte ,russe4 ,fruit ,jelly4 ,ices4 ,liqueurs4 ,grapes4 ,peaches4 ,pears4 ,coffee4 ,a breakfast even at twelve o'clock is thus made noticeably lighter than the meal called lunch4 ,it may be introduced by clam juice in cups1 or bouillon1 but is often served without either4 ,these breakfasts are generally prefaced by a short reception1 where all the guests are presented to the foreigner of distinction4 ,there is no formality about leaving4 ,indeed1 these breakfasts are given in order to avoid that4 ,for an ordinary breakfast at nine o'clock in a family of ten1 we should say that the menu should be something as follows3 ,the host and hostess being present1 the lady makes the tea4 ,oatmeal and cream would then be offered2 after that a broiled chicken would be placed before the host1 which he carves if he can4 ,an omelet is placed before the lady or passed2 stewed potatoes are passed1 and toast or muffins4 ,hot cakes finish this breakfast1 unless fruit is also added4 ,it is considered a very healthful thing to eat an orange before breakfast4 ,but who can eat an orange well8 ,one must go to ,spain to see that done4 ,the seorita cuts off the rind with her silver knife4 ,then putting her fork into the peeled fruit1 she gently detaches small slices from the pulp1 leaving the core and seeds untouched2 passing the fork upward1 she detaches every morsel with her pearly teeth1 looking very pretty the while1 and contrives to eat the whole orange without losing a drop of the juice1 and lays down the core with the fork still in it4 ,it seems hardly necessary to say to an ,american lady that she should be neatly dressed at breakfast4 ,the pretty white morning dresses which are worn in ,america are rarely seen in ,europe1 perhaps because of the difference of climate4 ,in ,england elderly ladies and young married women sometimes appear in very smart tea gowns of dark silk over a colour2 but almost always the young ladies come in the yachting or tennis dresses which they will wear until dinner-time1 and almost always in summer1 in hats4 ,in ,america the variety of morning dresses is endless1 of which the dark jacket over a white vest1 the serviceable merino1 the flannel1 the dark foulards1 are favourites4 ,in summer1 thin lawns1 percales1 ,marseilles suits1 calicos1 and ginghams can be so prettily made as to rival all the other costumes for coquetry and grace4 ,still to be neat1 still to be drest ,as she were going to a feast1 such should be the breakfast dress of the young matron4 ,it need not be fine2 it need not be expensive2 but it should be neat and becoming4 ,the hair should be carefully arranged1 and the feet either in good1 stout shoes for the subsequent walk1 or in the natty stocking and well fitting slipper1 which has moved the poet to such feeling verses4 ,,the ,,lunch4 ,a ,gothic window1 where a damask curtain ,made the blank daylight shadowy and uncertain2 ,a slab of agate on four eagle-talons ,held trimly up and neatly taught to balance2 ,a porcelain dish1 o'er which in many a cluster ,plump grapes hung down1 dead ripe1 and without lustre2 ,a melon cut in thin1 delicious slices1 ,a cake1 that seemed mosaic-work in spices2 ,two china cups1 with golden tulips sunny1 ,and rich inside1 with chocolate like honey2 ,and she and ,i the banquet scene completing ,with dreamy words1 and very pleasant eating4 ,if all lunches could be as poetic and as simple and as luxurious as this1 the hostess would have little trouble in giving a lunch4 ,but1 alas6 from the slice of cold ham1 or chicken1 and bread and butter1 has grown the grand hunt breakfast1 and the ladies' lunch1 most delicious of luxurious time-killers4 ,the lunch1 therefore1 has become in the house of the opulent as elaborate as the dinner4 ,twenty years ago in ,england ,i had the pleasure of lunching with ,lord ,houghton1 and ,i well remember the simplicity of that meal4 ,a cup of bouillon1 a joint of mutton1 roasted1 and carved by the host1 a tart1 some peaches1 very fine hot-house fruit1 and a glass of sherry was all that was served on a very plain table to twenty guests4 ,but what a company of wits1 belles1 and beauties we had to eat it6 ,i once lunched with ,browning on a much simpler bill of fare4 ,i have lunched at the beautiful house of ,sir ,john ,millais on what might have been a good family dinner with us4 ,and ,i have lunched in ,hampton ,court1 in the apartments of ,mr4 ,beresford1 now dead1 who was a friend of ,george the ,fourth and an old ,tory whipper-in1 on a slice of cold meat1 a cutlet1 a gooseberry tart1 and some strawberries as large as tomatoes from the garden which was once ,anne ,boleyn's4 ,what a great difference between these lunches and a ladies' lunch in ,new ,york1 which1 laid for twenty-eight people1 offers every kind of wine1 every luxury of fish1 flesh1 and fowl1 flowers which exhibit the most overwhelming luxury of an extravagant period1 fruits and bonbons and bonbonnires1 painted fans to carry home1 with ribbons on which is painted one's monogram1 etc4 ,i have seen summer wild-flowers in winter at a ladies' lunch1 as the last concession to a fancy for what is unusual4 ,the order having been given in ,september1 the facile gardener raised these flowers for this especial lunch4 ,far more expensive than roses at a dollar apiece is this bringing of ,may into ,january4 ,it is impossible to say where luxury should stop2 and1 if people can afford it1 there is no necessity for its stopping4 ,it is only to be regretted that luxury frightens those who might like to give simple lunches4 ,a lunch-party of ladies should not be crowded1 as handsome gowns take up a great deal of room2 and therefore a lunch for ten ladies in a moderate house is better than a larger number4 ,as ladies always wear their bonnets the room should not be too hot4 ,the menu is very much the same as a dinner1 excepting the soup4 ,in its place cups of bouillon or of clam juice1 boiled with cream and a bit of sherry1 are placed before each plate4 ,there follows presumably a plate of lobster croquettes with a rich sauce1 filet de boeuf with truffles and mushrooms1 sweetbread and green peas1 perhaps asparagus or cauliflower4 ,then comes sorbet1 or ,roman punch1 much needed to cool the palate and to invigorate the appetite for further delicacies4 ,the ,roman punch is now often served in very fanciful frozen shapes of ice1 resembling roses1 or fruit of various kinds4 ,if a lady is not near a confectioner she should learn to make this herself4 ,it is very easy1 if one only compounds it at first with care1 ,maraschino cordial or fine old ,jamaica rum being mixed with water and sugar as for a punch1 and well frozen4 ,the game follows1 and the salad4 ,these two are often served together4 ,after that the ices and fruit4 ,cheese is rarely offered at a lady's lunch1 excepting in the form of cheese straws4 ,chteau ,yquem1 champagne1 and claret are the favourite wines4 ,cordial is offered afterward with the coffee4 ,a lady's lunch-party is supposed to begin at one o'clock and end at three4 ,it is a delightful way of showing all one's pretty things4 ,at a luncheon in ,new ,york ,i have seen a tablecloth of linen into which has been inserted duchesse lace worth1 doubtless1 several hundred dollars1 the napkins all trimmed with duchesse1 worth at least twenty dollars apiece4 ,this elegant drapery was thrown over a woollen broadcloth underpiece of a pale lilac4 ,in the middle of the table was a grand epergne of the time of ,louis ,seize2 the glass and china were superb4 ,at the proper angle stood silver and gold cups1 ornamental pitchers1 and claret jugs4 ,at every lady's plate stood a splendid bouquet tied with a long satin ribbon1 and various small favours1 as fans and fanciful menus were given4 ,as the lunch went on we were treated to new surprises of napery and of ,svres plates4 ,the napkins became ,russian1 embroidered with gold thread1 as the spoons and forks were also of ,russian silver and gold1 beautifully enamelled4 ,then came those embroidered with heraldic animals1--the lion and the two-headed eagle and griffin1--the monogram gracefully intertwined4 ,plates were used1 apparently of solid gold and beautiful workmanship4 ,the ,roman punch was hidden in the heart of a water lily1 which looked uncommonly innocent with its heart of fire4 ,the service of this lunch was so perfect that we did not see how we were served2 it all moved as if to music4 ,pleasant chat was the only addition which our hostess left for us to add to her hospitality4 ,i have lunched at many great houses all over the world1 but ,i have never seen so luxurious a picture as this lunch was4 ,it has been a question whether oysters on the half-shell should be served at a lady's lunch4 ,for my part ,i think that they should1 although many ladies prefer to begin with the bouillon4 ,all sorts of hors d'oeuvres1 like olives1 anchovies1 and other relishes1 are in order4 ,in summer1 ladies sometimes serve a cold luncheon1 beginning with iced bouillon1 salmon covered with a green sauce1 cold birds and salads1 ices and strawberries1 or peaches frozen in cream4 ,cold asparagus dressed as a salad is very good at this meal4 ,in ,english country-houses the luncheon is a very solid meal1 beginning with a stout roast with hot vegetables1 while chicken salad1 a cold ham1 and various meat pies stand on the sideboard4 ,the gentlemen get up and help the ladies2 the servants1 after going about once or twice1 often leave the room that conversation may be more free4 ,it might well improve the young housekeeper to study the question of potted meats1 the preparation of ,melton veal1 the various egg salads1 as well as those of potato1 of lobster and chicken1 so that she may be prepared with dishes for an improvised lunch4 ,particularly in the country should this be done4 ,the etiquette of invitations for a ladies' lunch is the same as that of a dinner4 ,they are sent out a fortnight before2 they are carefully engraved1 or they are written on note paper4 ,,mrs4 ,,somerville ,requests the pleasure of ,,mrs4 ,,montgomery',s ,company at lunch on ,thursday1 #aeth1 at #a o'clock4 ,r4 ,s4 ,v4 ,p4 ,this should be answered at once1 and the whole engagement treated with the gravity of a dinner engagement4 ,these lunch-parties are very convenient for ladies who1 from illness or indisposition to society1 cannot go out in the evening4 ,it is also very convenient if the lady of the house has a husband who does not like society and who finds a dinner-party a bore4 ,the usual custom is for ladies to dress in dark street dresses1 and their very best4 ,that with an ,american lady means much1 for an ,american husband stops at no expense4 ,worth says that ,american women are the best customers he has1--far better than queens4 ,the latter ask the price1 and occasionally haggle2 ,american women may ask the price1 but the order is1 the very best you can do4 ,luncheons are very fashionable in ,england1 especially on ,sunday4 ,these lunches1 although luxurious1 are by no means the costly spreads which ,american women indulge in4 ,they are attended by gentlemen as well as ladies1 for in a land where a man does not go to the ,house of ,commons until five in the afternoon he may well lunch with his family4 ,what time did our forefathers lunch8 ,in the reign of ,francis the ,first the polite ,french rose at five1 dined at nine1 supped at five1 and went to bed at nine4 ,froissart speaks of waiting upon the ,duke of ,lancaster at five in the afternoon after he had supped4 ,if our ancestors dined at nine1 when did they lunch8 ,after some centuries the dinner hour grew to be ten in the morning1 by which time they had besieged a town and burned up a dozen heretics1 probably to give them a good appetite1 a sort of avant got4 ,the later hours now in vogue did not prevail until after the ,restoration4 ,lunch has remained fastened at one o'clock1 for a number of years at least4 ,in ,england1 curiously enough1 they give you no napkins at this meal1 which certainly requires them4 ,a hunt breakfast in ,america is1 of course1 a hearty meal1 to which the men and women are asked who have an idea of riding to hounds4 ,it is usually served at little tables1 and the meal begins with hot bouillon4 ,it is a heartier meal than a lady's lunch1 and as luxurious as the hostess pleases2 but it does not wind up with ices and fruits1 although it may begin with an orange4 ,much more wine is drunk than at a lady's lunch1 and yet some hunters prefer to begin the day with tea only4 ,everything should be offered1 and what is not liked can be refused4 ,what is hit1 is ,history1 ,and what is missed is ,mystery4 ,there are famous breakfasts in ,london which are not the early morning meal1 neither are they called luncheons4 ,it is the constant habit of the literary world of ,london to have reunions of scientific and agreeable people early in the day1 and what would be called a party in the evening1 is called a breakfast4 ,we should call it a reception1 except that one is asked at eleven o'clock4 ,but the greatest misnomer of all is the habit in ,london of giving a dinner1 a ball1 and a supper out of doors at five o'clock1 and calling that a breakfast4 ,except that the gentlemen are in morning dress and the ladies in bonnets this has no resemblance to what we call breakfast4 ,breakfast at nine1 or earlier1 is a solemn process4 ,it has no great meaning for us1 who have our children to send to school1 our husbands to prepare for business1 ourselves for a busy day or a long journey4 ,for the very luxurious it no longer exists4 ,luncheon on the contrary is apt to be a lively and exhilarating occasion4 ,it is the best moment in the day to some people4 ,a thousand dollars is not an unusual sum to expend on a lady's lunch in ,new ,york for eighteen or twenty-five guests1 counting the favours1 the flowers1 the wines1 and the viands1 and even then we have not entered into the cost of the china1 the glass1 porcelain1 cloisonn1 ,dresden1 ,svres1 and silver1 which make the table a picture4 ,the jewelled goblets from ,carlsbad1 the knives and forks with crystal handles1 set in silver1 from ,bohemia1 and the endless succession of beautiful plates1--who shall estimate the cost of all this8 ,as to the precedence of plates1 it is meet that ,china1 oldest of nations1 should suffice for the soup4 ,the oysters have already been served on shell-like ,majolica4 ,england1 a maritime nation surrounded by ocean1 must furnish the plates for the fish4 ,for the roast1 too1 what plates so good as ,doulton1 real ,english1 substantial faence8 ,for the ,bouchers la ,reine and all the entres we must have ,svres again4 ,japanese will do for the filet aux champignons1 the venison1 the pices de resistance1 as well as ,english4 ,japanese plates are strong4 ,but here we are running into dinner2 indeed1 these two feasts do run into each other4 ,one should not have a roast at ladies' lunch1 unless it be a roast pheasant4 ,dresden china plates painted with fruits and flowers should be used for the dessert4 ,on these choice plates1 with perforated edges marked ,a ,r on the back1 should lie the ices frozen as natural fruits4 ,we can scarcely tell the frozen banana or peach before us1 from the painted banana on our plate4 ,for the candied fruit1 we must again have ,svres4 ,then a gold dish filled with rose-water must be passed4 ,we dip a bit of the napkin in it1 for in this country we do have napkins with our luncheon1 and wipe our lips and fingers4 ,this is called a trempoir4 ,the cordials at the end of the dinner must be served in cups of ,russian gold filagree supporting glass4 ,there is an analogy between the rival1 luscious richness of the cordial and the cup4 ,the coffee-cups must be thin as egg-shells1 of the most delicate ,french or ,american china4 ,we make most delicate china and porcelain cups ourselves nowadays1 at ,newark1 ,trenton1 and a dozen other places4 ,there is a vast deal of waste in offering so much wine at a ladies' lunch4 ,american women cannot drink much wine2 the climate forbids it4 ,we have not been brought up on beer1 or on anything more stimulating than ice-water4 ,foreign physicians say that this is the cause of all our woes1 our dyspepsia1 our nervous exhaustion1 our rheumatism and hysteria4 ,i believe that climate and constitution decide these things for us4 ,we are not prone to over-eat ourselves1 to drink too much wine2 and if the absence of these grosser tastes is visible in pale cheeks and thin arms1 is not that better than the other extreme8 ,all entertaining can go on perfectly well without wine1 if people so decide4 ,it would be impossible1 however1 to make many poetical quotations without an allusion to the ruby1 as ,dick ,swiveller called it4 ,since ,cleopatra dissolved the pearl1 the wine-cup has held the gems of human fancy4 ,champagne ,cup3 ,one pint bottle of soda water1 one quart dry champagne1 one wine-glass of brandy1 a few fresh strawberries1 a peach quartered1 sugar to taste2 cracked ice4 ,another recipe3 ,one quart dry champagne1 one pint bottle of ,rhine wine1 fruit and ice as above2 cracked ice4 ,mix in a large pitcher4 ,claret ,cup3 ,one bottle of claret1 one pint bottle of soda water1 one wine-glass brandy1 half a wine-glass of lemon-juice1 half a pound of lump sugar1 a few slices of fresh cucumber2 mix in cracked ice4 ,mint ,julep3 ,fresh mint1 a few drops of orange bitters and ,maraschino1 a small glass of liqueur1 brandy or whiskey1 put in a tumbler half full of broken ice2 shake well1 and serve with fruit on top with straws4 ,another recipe for ,mint ,julep3 ,half a glass of port wine1 a few drops of ,maraschino1 mint1 sugar1 a thin slice of lemon1 shake the cracked ice from glass to glass1 add strawberry or pineapple4 ,turkish ,sherbets3 ,extract by pressure or infusion the rich juice and fine perfume of any of the odouriferous flowers or fruits2 mix them in any number or quantity to taste4 ,when these essences1 extracts1 or infusions are prepared they may be immediately used by adding a proper proportion of sugar or syrup2 and water4 ,some acid fruits1 such as lemon or pomegranate1 are used to raise the flavour1 but not to overpower the chief perfume4 ,fill the cup with cracked ice and add what wine or spirit is preferred4 ,claret ,cobbler3 ,one bottle wine1 one bottle ,apollinaris or ,seltzer1 one lemon1 half a pound of sugar2 serve with ice4 ,champagne ,cobbler3 ,one bottle of champagne1 one half bottle of white wine1 much cracked ice1 strawberries1 peaches or sliced oranges4 ,sherry ,cobbler3 ,full wine-glass of sherry1 very little brandy1 sugar1 sliced lemon1 cracked ice4 ,this is but one tumblerful4 ,kmmel3 ,this liqueur is very good served with shaved ice in small green claret-cups4 ,punch3 ,one bottle ,arrack1 one bottle brandy1 two quart bottles dry champagne1 one tumblerful of orange curaoa1 one pound of cracked sugar1 half a dozen lemons sliced1 half a dozen oranges sliced4 ,fill the bowl with large lump of ice and add one quart of water4 ,shandygaff3 ,london porter and ginger ale1 half and half4 ,,afternoon ,,tea4 ,and while the bubbling and loud-hissing urn ,throws up a steamy column1 and the cups ,that cheer but not inebriate wait on each1 ,so let us welcome peaceful evening in4 ,whatever objections can be urged against all other systems of entertaining1 including the expense1 the bore it is to a gentleman to have his house turned inside out1 the fatigue to the lady1 the disorganization of domestic service1 nothing can be said against afternoon tea1 unless that it may lead to a new disease1 the delirium teamens4 ,there is danger to nervous women in our climate in too great indulgence in this delicious beverage4 ,it sometimes murders sleep and impairs digestion4 ,we cannot claim that it is always safer than opium4 ,it was very much abused in ,england in #afgh1 ten years after ,lords ,arlington and ,ossory brought it over from the meditative ,dutchman1 who was the first ,european to appreciate it4 ,it was then called a black water with an acrid taste4 ,it cost1 however1 in ,england sixty shillings a pound1 so that it must have been fashionable4 ,pepys in his diary records that he sent for a cup of tea1 a ,china drink which he had not used before4 ,he did not like it1 but then he did not like the ,midsummer ,night's ,dream4 ,the most insipid1 ridiculous play ,i ever saw in my life1 he writes2 so we do not care what he thought about a blessed cup of tea4 ,in the middle of the sixteenth century1 with pasties and ale for breakfast1 with sugared cakes and spiced wines at various hours of the day1 with solid noonings1 and suppers with strong potations of sack and such possets as were the ordinary refreshments1 it is not probable that tea would have been appreciated4 ,the ,dutch were crafty1 however2 they saw that there was a common need of a hot1 rather stimulating beverage1 which had no intoxicating effects4 ,they exported sage enough to pay for the tea1 and got the better of even the wily ,chinaman1 who avowed some time after1 in their trade with ,america1 ,that spent tea-leaves1 dried again1 were good enough for second-chop ,englishmen4 ,jonas ,haunay wrote a treatise against tea-drinking in ,johnson's time1 and that vast1 insatiable1 and shameless tea-drinker took up the cudgels for tea1 settling it as a brain-inspirer for all time1 and wrote ,rasselas on the strength of it4 ,cobbett wrote against its use by the labouring classes1 and the ,edinburgh ,review endorsed his arguments1 stating that a prohibition absolute and uncompromising of the noxious beverage was the first step toward insuring health and strength for the poor1 and asserting that when a labourer fancied himself refreshed with a mess of this stuff1 sweetened with the coarsest brown sugar and diluted by azure-blue milk1 it was only the warmth of the water which consoled him for the moment4 ,cobbett claimed that the tea-table cost more to support than would keep two children at nurse4 ,the ,quarterly ,review in an article written perhaps by the most famous chemist of the day1 said1 however1 that tea relieves the pains of hunger rather by mechanical distention than by supplying the waste of nature by adequate sustenance1 but claimed for it the power of calm1 placid1 and benignant exhilaration1 greatly stimulating the stomach1 when fatigued by digestive exertion1 and acting as an appropriate diluent of the chyle4 ,more recent inquiries into the qualities of the peculiar power of tea have tended to raise it in popular esteem1 although no one has satisfactorily explained why it has become so universally necessary to the human race4 ,an agreeable little book called ,the ,beverages ,we ,indulge ,in1 ,the ,herbs ,which ,we ,infuse1 or some such title1 had a great deal to do with the adoption of tea as a drink for young men who were training for a boat-race1 or who desired to economize their strength for a mountain climb4 ,but every one1 from the tired washerwoman to the student1 the wrestler1 the fine lady1 and the strong man1 demands a cup of tea4 ,to the invalid it is the dearest solace1 dangerous though it may be4 ,tannin1 the astringent element in tea1 is bad for delicate stomachs and seems to ruin appetite4 ,tea1 therefore1 should never be allowed to stand4 ,hot water poured on the leaves and poured off into a cup can hardly afford the tannin time to get out4 ,some tea-drinkers even put the grounds in a silver ball1 perforated1 and swing this through a cup of boiling water1 and in this way is produced the most delicate cup of tea4 ,the famous ,chinese lyric which is painted on almost all the teapots of the ,empire is highly poetical4 ,on a slow fire set a tripod2 fill it with clear rain-water4 ,boil it as long as it would be needed to turn fish white and lobsters red4 ,throw this upon the delicate leaves of choice tea2 let it remain as long as the vapour rises in a cloud4 ,at your ease drink the pure liquor1 which will chase away the five causes of trouble4 ,the tea of the cells of the ,dragons1 the purest ,pekoe from the leaf-buds of three-year-old plants1 no one ever sees in ,europe2 but we have secured many brands of tea which are sufficiently good1 and the famous ,indian tea brought in by the great ,exposition in ,paris in #ahhi is fast gaining an enviable reputation4 ,it has a perfect bouquet and flavour4 ,green tea1 beloved by our grandmothers and still a favourite with some connoisseurs1 has proved to have so much theine1 the element of intoxication in tea1 that it is forbidden to nervous people4 ,tea saves food by its action in preventing various wastes to the system4 ,it is thus peculiarly acceptable to elderly persons1 and to the tired labouring-woman4 ,doubtless ,mrs4 ,gamp's famous teapot with which she entertained ,betsy ,prig contained green tea4 ,there is an unusually large amount of nitrogen in theine1 and green tea possesses so large a proportion of it as to be positively dangerous4 ,in the process of drying and roasting1 this volatile oil is engendered4 ,the ,chinese dare not use it for a year after the leaf has been prepared1 and the packer and unpacker of the tea suffer much from paralysis4 ,the tasters of tea become frequently great invalids1 unable to eat2 therefore our favourite herb has its dangers4 ,more consoling is the legend of the origin of the plant4 ,a drowsy hermit1 after long wrestling with sleep1 cut off his eyelids and cast them on the ground4 ,from them sprang a shrub whose leaves1 shaped like eyelids and bordered with a fringe of lashes1 possessed the power of warding off sleep4 ,this was in the third century1 and the plant was tea4 ,but what has all this to do with that pleasant visage of a steaming kettle boiling over a blazing alcohol lamp1 the silver tea-caddy1 the padded cozy to keep the teapot warm1 the basket of cake1 the thin bread and butter1 the pretty girl presiding over the cups1 the delicate china1 the more delicate infusion8 ,all these elements go to make up the afternoon tea4 ,from one or two ladies who stayed at home one day in the week and offered this refreshment1 to the many who came to find that it was a very easy method of entertaining1 grew the present party in the daytime4 ,the original five o'clock tea arose in ,england from the fact that ladies and gentlemen after hunting required some slight refreshment before dressing for dinner1 and liked to meet for a little chat4 ,it now is used as the method of introducing a daughter1 and an ordinary way of entertaining4 ,the primal idea was a good one4 ,people who had no money for grand spreads were enabled to show to their more opulent neighbours that they too had the spirit of hospitality4 ,the doctors discovered that tea was healthy4 ,english breakfast tea would keep nobody awake4 ,the cup of tea and the sandwich at five would spoil nobody's dinner4 ,the ladies who began these entertainments1 receiving modestly in plain dresses1 were not out of tone with their guests who came in walking-dress4 ,but then the other side was this1--ladies had to go to nine teas of an afternoon1 perhaps taste something everywhere4 ,hence the new disease1 delirium teamens4 ,it was uncomfortable to assist at a large party in a heavy winter garment of velvet and fur4 ,the afternoon tea lost its primitive character and became an evening party in the daytime1 with the hostess and her daughters in full dress1 and her guests in walking-costume4 ,the sipping of so much tea produces the nervous prostration1 the sleeplessness1 the nameless misery of our overwrought women2 and thus a healthful1 inexpensive and most agreeable adjunct to the art of entertaining grew into a thing without a name1 and became the large1 gas-lighted ball at five o'clock1 where half the ladies were in decollet dresses1 the others in fur tippets4 ,it was pronounced a breeder of influenzas1 and the high road to a headache4 ,if a lady can be at home every ,thursday during the season1 and always at her position behind the blazing urn1 and will have the firmness to continue this practice1 she may create a salon out of her teacups4 ,in giving a large afternoon tea for which cards have been sent out1 the hostess should stand by the drawing-room door and greet each guest1 who1 after a few words1 passes on4 ,in the adjoining room1 usually the dining-room1 a large table is spread with a white cloth2 and at one end is a tea service with a kettle of water boiling over an alcohol lamp1 while at the other end is a service for chocolate4 ,there should be flowers on the table1 and dishes containing bread and butter cut as thin as a shaving4 ,cake and strawberries are always permissible4 ,one or two servants should be in attendance to carry away soiled cups and saucers1 and to keep the table looking fresh2 but for the pouring of the tea and chocolate there should always be a lady1 who like the hostess should wear a gown closed to the throat2 for nothing is worse form now-a-days than full dress before dinner4 ,the ladies of the house should not wear bonnets4 ,when tea is served every afternoon at five o'clock1 whether or no there are visitors1 as is often the case in many houses1 the servant--who1 if a woman1 should always in the afternoon wear a plain black gown1 with a white cap and apron--should place a small1 low table before the lady of the house1 and lay over it a pretty white cloth4 ,she should then bring in a large tray1 upon which are the tea service1 and a plate of bread and butter1 or cake1 or both1 place it upon the table1 and retire1--remaining within call1 though out of sight1 in case she should be needed4 ,the best rule for making tea is the old-fashioned one3 one teaspoonful for each person and one for the pot4 ,the pot should first be rinsed with hot water1 then the tea put in1 and upon it should be poured enough water1 actually boiling1 to cover the leaves4 ,this decoction should stand for five minutes1 then fill up the pot with more boiling water1 and pour it immediately4 ,some persons prefer lemon in their tea to cream1 and it is a good plan to have some thin slices1 cut for the purpose1 placed in a pretty little dish on the tray4 ,a bowl of cracked ice is also a pleasant addition in summer1 iced tea being a most refreshing drink in hot weather4 ,neither plates nor napkins need appear at this informal and cosey meal4 ,a guest arriving at this time in the afternoon should always be offered a cup of tea4 ,afternoon tea1 in small cities or in the country1 in villages and academic towns1 can well be made a most agreeable and ideal entertainment1 for the official presentation of a daughter or for the means of seeing one's friends4 ,in the busy winter season of a large city it should not be made the excuse for giving up the evening party1 or the dinner1 lunch1 or ball4 ,it is not all these1 it is simply itself1 and it should be a refuge for those women who are tired of balls1 of over dressing1 dancing1 visiting1 and shopping4 ,it is also very dear to the young who find the convenient tea-table a good arena for flirtation4 ,it is a form of entertainment which allows one to dispense with etiquette and to save time4 ,five-o'clock teas should be true to their name1 nor should any other refreshment be offered than tea1 bread and butter1 and little cakes4 ,if other eatables are offered the tea becomes a reception4 ,there is a high tea which takes the place of dinner on ,sunday evenings in cities1 which is a very pretty entertainment2 in small rural cities1 in the country1 they take the place of dinners4 ,they were formerly very fashionable in ,philadelphia4 ,it gave an opportunity to offer hot rolls and butter1 escalloped oysters1 fried chicken1 delicately sliced cold ham1 waffles and hot cakes1 preserves--alas6 since the days of canning1 who offers the delicious preserves of the past8 ,the hostess sits behind her silver urn and pours the hot tea or coffee or chocolate1 and presses the guest to take another waffle4 ,it is a delightful meal1 and has no prototype in any country but our own4 ,it is doubtful1 however1 whether the high tea will ever be popular in ,america1 in large cities at least1 where the custom of seven-o'clock dinners prevails4 ,people find in them a violent change of living1 which is always a challenge to indigestion4 ,some wit has said that he always liked to eat hot mince-pie just before he went to bed1 for then he always knew what hurt him4 ,if anyone wishes to know what hurts him1 he can take high tea on ,sunday evening1 after having dined all the week at seven o'clock4 ,a pain in his chest will tell him that the hot waffle1 the cold tongue1 the peach preserve1 and that last cup of tea meant mischief4 ,oliver ,cromwell is said to have been an early tea-drinker2 so is ,queen ,elizabeth1--elaborate old teapots are sold in ,london with the cipher of both2 but the report lacks confirmation4 ,we cannot imagine ,oliver drinking anything but verjuice1 nor the lion woman as sipping anything less strong than brown stout4 ,literature owes much to tea4 ,from ,cowper to ,austin ,dobson1 the poets have had their fling at it4 ,and what could the modern ,english novelist do without it8 ,it has been in politics1 as all remember who have seen ,boston ,harbor1 and it goes into all the battles1 and climbs ,mt4 ,blanc and the ,matterhorn4 ,the ,french1 who despised it1 are beginning to make a good cup of tea1 and ,russia bathes in it4 ,the ,samovar cheers the long journeys across those dreary steppes1 and forms again the most luxurious ornament of the palace4 ,on all the high roads of ,europe one can get a cup of tea1 except in ,spain4 ,there it is next to impossible2 the universal chocolate supersedes it4 ,if one gets a cup of tea in ,spain1 there is no cream to put in it2 and to many tea drinkers1 tea is ruined without milk or cream4 ,in fact1 the poor tea drinker is hard to please anywhere4 ,there are to the critic only one or two houses of one's acquaintance where five o'clock tea is perfect4 ,,the ,,intellectual ,,components ,,of ,,dinner4 ,lend me your ears4 ,it has often perplexed me to imagine1 writes ,nathaniel ,hawthorne1 how an ,englishman will be able to reconcile himself to any future state of existence from which the earthly institution of dinner is excluded4 ,the idea of dinner has so imbedded itself among his highest and deepest characteristics1 so illuminated itself with intellect1 and softened itself with the kindest emotions of his heart1 so linked itself with ,church and ,state1 and grown so majestic with long hereditary custom and ceremonies1 that by taking it utterly away1 ,death1 instead of putting the final touch to his perfection1 would leave him infinitely less complete than we have already known him4 ,he could not be roundly happy4 ,paradise among all its enjoyments would lack one daily felicity in greater measure than ,london in the season4 ,no dinner would be worth the giving that had not one witty man or one witty woman to lift the conversation out of the commonplace4 ,as many more agreeable people as one pleases1 but one leader is absolutely necessary4 ,not alone the funny man whom the enfant terrible silenced by asking1 ,mamma would like to know when you are going to begin to be funny1 but those men who have the rare art of being leaders without seeming to be1 who amuse without your suspecting that you are being amused2 for there never should be anything professional in dinner-table wit4 ,the dinner giver has often to feel that something has been left out of the group about the table2 they will not talk6 ,she has furnished them with food and wine1 but can she amuse them8 ,her witty man and her witty woman are both engaged elsewhere1--they are apt to be1--and her room is too warm1 perhaps4 ,she determines that at the next dinner she will have some mechanical adjuncts1 even an empirical remedy against dulness4 ,she tries a dinner card with poetical quotations1 conundrums1 and so on4 ,the ,shakspeare ,club of ,philadelphia inaugurated this custom1 and some very witty results followed3-- ,enter ,froth 7before champagne74 ,what is thine age8 7,romeo and ,juliet7 brings in the ,madeira4 ,,lobster ,,salad4 ,who hath created this indigest8 ,pray you bid these unknown friends welcome1 for it is a way to make us better friends4--,winter's ,tale4 ,,roast ,,turkey4 ,see1 here he comes swelling like a turkey cock4--,henry ,,iv4 ,,york ,,hams4 ,sweet stem from ,york's great stock4--,henry ,,vi4 ,,tongue4 ,silence is only commendable in a neat's tongue dried-- ,merchant of ,venice4 ,,braised ,,lamb ,,and ,,beef4 ,what say you to a piece of lamb and mustard8--a dish that ,i do love to feed upon4--,taming of the ,shrew4 ,,lobster ,,salad4 ,sallat was born to do me good4--,henry ,,iv4 ,and so on4 ,the ,bible affords others1 well worth quoting3-- ,,oysters4 ,he brought them up out of the sea4--,isaiah4 ,and his mouth was opened immediately4--,luke i4 #fd4 ,,bean ,,soup4 ,jacob gave ,esau bread and pottage of lentils4 ,,fish1 ,,striped ,,bass4 ,we remember the fish we did eat freely4--,numbers4 ,these with many stripes4--,deuteronomy4 ,,steinberger ,,cabinet4 ,thou hast kept the good wine until now4--,john ii4 #aj4 ,,boiled ,,capon4 ,accept it always and in all places4--,acts xxiv4 #c4 ,,pigeon ,,braise4 ,pigeons such as he could get4--,leviticus4 ,,succotash4 ,they brought corn and beans4--,samuel4 ,,quail ,,larded4 ,even quail came4--,exodus4 ,abundantly moistened with fat4--,isaiah4 ,,lettuce ,,salad4 ,a pleasant plant1 green before the sun4--,isaiah4 ,pour oil upon it1 pure oil1 olive4--,leviticus4 ,oil and salt1 without prescribing how much4--,ezra vii4 #bb4 ,,ice ,,cream4 ,ice like morsels4--,psalms4 ,,cheese4 ,carry these ten cheeses unto the captain4--,samuel4 ,,fruits4 ,all kind of fruits4--,eccles4 ,,coffee4 ,last of all4--,matthew xxi4 #cg4 ,they had made an end of eating4--,amos vii4 #b4 ,,cigars4 ,am become like dust and ashes4--,job xxx4 #ai4 ,and so on4 ,written conundrums are good stimulants to conversation1 and dinner cards might be greatly historical1 not too learned4 ,a legend of the day1 as ,lady ,day1 or ,michaelmas1 is not a bad promoter of talk4 ,or one might allude to the calendar of dead kings and queens1 or other celebrities1 or ask your preferences1 or quote something from a memoir1 to find out that it is a birthday of ,rossini or ,goethe4 ,all these might be written on a dinner card1 and will open the flood gates of a frozen conversation4 ,let each dinner giver weave a net out of the gossamer threads of her own thoughts4 ,it will be the web of the ,lady of ,shalott1 and will bid the shadows of pleasant memory to remain1 not float forever adown the river1 even toward towered ,camelot where they may be lost4 ,some opulent dinner giver once made the dinner card the vehicle of a present1 but this became rather burdensome4 ,it was trying and embarrassing to carry the gifts home1 and the poorer entertainer hesitated at the expense4 ,the outlay had better come out of one's brain1 and the piquing of curiosity with a contradiction like this take its place3-- ,a lady gave me a gift which she had not1 ,and ,i received the gift1 which ,i took not1 ,and if she take it back ,i grieve not4 ,but there is something more required to form the intellectual components of a dinner than these instruments to stimulate curiosity and give a fillip to thought4 ,we must have variety4 ,mrs4 ,jameson1 the accomplished author of the ,legends of the ,madonna gives the following description of an out-of-door dinner1 which should embolden the young ,american hostess to go and do likewise3-- ,yesterday we dined al fresco in the ,pamfili ,gardens1 in ,rome1 and although our party was rather too large1 it was well assorted1 and the day went off admirably4 ,the queen of our feast was in high good humour and irresistibly charming1 ,frattino very fascinating1 ,t4 caustic and witty1 ,w4 lively and clever1 ,j4 mild1 intelligent and elegant1 ,v4 as usual quiet1 sensible1 and self-complacent1 ,l4 as absurd and assiduous as ever4 ,everybody played their part well1 each by a tacit convention sacrificing to the amour propre of his neighbour1 each individual really occupied with his own peculiar rle1 but all apparently happy and mutually pleased4 ,vanity and selfishness1 indifference and ennui were veiled under a general mask of good humour and good breeding1 and the flowery bonds of politeness and gallantry held together those who knew no common tie of thought or interest4 ,our luxurious dinner1 washed down by a competent proportion of ,malvoisie and champagne1 was spread upon the grass1 which was literally the flowery turf1 being covered with violets1 iris1 and anemones of every dye4 ,for my own peculiar taste there were too many servants1 too many luxuries1 too much fuss2 but considering the style and number of our party1 it was all consistently and admirably managed4 ,the grouping of the company1 picturesque because unpremeditated1 the scenery around1 the arcades and bowers and columns and fountains had an air altogether poetical and romantic1 and put me in mind of some of ,watteau's beautiful garden pieces4 ,now in this exquisite description ,mrs4 ,jameson seems to me to have given the intellectual components of a dinner4 ,the hostess1 good-humoured and charming1 ,frattino very fascinating1 ,t4 caustic and witty1 ,w4 lively and clever1 ,j4 mild1 intelligent1 and elegant1 ,v4 as usual quiet1 sensible1 and self-complacent1 ,l4 as absurd and as assiduous as ever4 ,there was variety for you1 and the three last were undoubtedly listeners4 ,in the next paragraph she covers more ground1 and this is most important3-- ,each by a tacit convention sacrificing to the amour propre of his neighbour4 ,that is an immortal phrase1 for there can be no pleasant dinner when this unselfishness is not shown4 ,it was said by a witty ,boston hostess that she could never invite two well-known diners-out to the same dinner1 for each always silenced the other4 ,you must not have too many good talkers4 ,the listeners1 the receptive listeners1 should outnumber the talkers4 ,in ,england1 the land of dinners1 they have1 of course1 no end of public1 semi-official1 and annual dinners1--as those of the ,royal ,literary ,fund1 the ,old ,rugbians1 the ,artists ,benevolent ,fund1 the ,regimental dinners1 the banquets at the ,liberal and the ,cobden ,club1 and the nice little dinners at the ,star and ,garter1 winding up with the annual fish dinner4 ,now of all these the most popular and sought after is the annual dinner of the ,royal ,academy4 ,few gratifications are more desired by mortals than an invitation to this dinner4 ,the president1 ,sir ,frederic ,leighton1 is handsome and popular4 ,the dinner is representative in character2 one or more members of the ,royal ,family are present2 the ,church1 the ,senate1 the ,bar1 ,medicine1 ,literature and ,science1 the ,army1 the ,navy1 the ,city1--all these have their representatives in the company4 ,who would not say that this would be the most amusing dinner in ,london8 ,intellect at its highest water mark is present4 ,the menu is splendid4 ,but ,i have heard one distinguished guest say that the thing is over-freighted1 the ship is too full1 and the crowd of good things makes a surfeit4 ,dinners at the ,lord ,mayor's are said to be pleasant and fine specimens of civic cheer1 but the grand nights at the ,middle ,temple and others of the ,inns of ,court are occasions of pleasant festivity4 ,we have nothing to do with these1 however1 except to read of them1 and to draw our conclusions4 ,i know of no better use to which we can put them than the same rereading which we gave ,mrs4 ,jameson's well-considered menu3 ,each individual really occupied with his own rle1 but all apparently happy and mutually pleased4 ,variety and selfishness or indifference or ennui well veiled under a general mask of good humour and good breeding1 and the flowery bands of politeness and gallantry holding together those who knew no common tie of thought and interest4 ,it requires very civilized people to veil their indifference and ennui under a general mask of good humour4 ,to have unity1 one must first have units2 and to make an agreeable dinner-party the hostess should invite agreeable people1 and her husband should be a good host2 and here we must again compliment ,england4 ,an ,englishman is churlish and distant1 self-conscious and prejudiced everywhere else but at his own table4 ,he is a model host1 and a most agreeable guest4 ,he is the most genial of creatures after the soup and sherry4 ,indeed the ,english dinner is the keynote to all that is best in the ,english character4 ,an ,englishman wishes to eat in company4 ,how unlike the ,spaniard1 who never asks you to dinner4 ,however courtly and hospitable he may be at other times and other hours of the day1 he likes to drag his bone into a corner and gnaw it by himself4 ,the ,frenchman1 elegant1 soign1 and economical1 invites you to the best-cooked dinner in the world1 but there is not much of it4 ,he prefers to entertain you at a caf4 ,country life in ,france is delightful1 but there is not that luxurious1 open-handed entertaining which obtains in ,england4 ,in ,italy one is seldom admitted to the privacy of the family dinner4 ,it is a patriarchal affair4 ,but when one is admitted one finds much that is simpatica4 ,the cookery is good1 the service is perfect1 the dinner is short1 the conversation gay and easy4 ,in making up a dinner with a view to its intellectual components1 avoid those tedious talkers who1 having a theme1 a system1 or a fad to air1 always contrive to drag the conversation around to their view1 with the intention of concentrating the whole attention upon themselves4 ,one such man1 called appropriately the ,bore ,constrictor of conversation in a certain city1 really drove people away from every house to which he was invited2 for they grew tired of hearing him talk of that particular science in which he was an expert4 ,such a talker could make the planet ,jupiter a bore1 and if the talker were of the feminine gender how one would shun her verbosity4 ,i called on ,mrs4 ,marjoribanks yesterday1 said a free lance once1 and we had a little gossip about ,copernicus4 ,we do not care to have anything quite so erudite1 for if people are really very intimate with ,copernicus they do not mention it at dinner4 ,it is as impossible to say what makes the model diner-out as to describe the soil which shall grow the best grapes4 ,we feel it and we enjoy it1 but we can give no receipt for the production of the same4 ,as history1 with exemplary truthfulness1 has always painted man as throwing off all the trouble of giving a dinner on his wife1 why have not our clever women appreciated the power of dinner-giving in politics8 ,why are not our women greater politicians8 ,where is our ,lady ,jersey1 our ,lady ,palmerston1 our ,princess ,belgioso8 ,the ,princess ,lieven1 wife of the ,russian ,ambassador in ,london1 was said to have held the peace of ,europe in the conduct of her entres2 and a country-woman of our own is to-day supposed to influence the policy of ,germany largely by her dinners4 ,from the polished and versatile memoirs of the ,grammonts1 ,walpoles1 ,d',azelios1 ,sydney ,smith1 and ,lord ,houghton1 how many an anecdote hinges on the efficacy of a dinner in reconciling foes1 and in the making of friends4 ,how many a conspiracy was hatched1 no doubt1 behind an aspic of plover's eggs or a vol au vent de volaille4 ,how many a budding ministry1 according to ,lord ,lammington1 was brought to full power over a well-ordered table-cloth4 ,how many a war cloud dispelled by the proper temperature of the ,burgundy4 ,it is related of ,lord ,lyndhurst that when somebody asked him how to succeed in life1 he answered1 ,give good wine4 ,a ,french statesman would have answered1 ,give good dinners4 ,talleyrand kept the most renowned table of his day1 quite as much for political as hygienic reasons4 ,at eighty years of age he still spent an hour every morning with his chef1 discussing the dishes to be served at dinner4 ,the ,emperor ,napoleon1 who was no epicure1 nor even a connoisseur1 was nevertheless pleased with ,talleyrand's luxurious and refined hospitality1 in consequence of the impression it made on those who were so fortunate as to partake of it4 ,on the other hand1 one hesitates to contemplate the indigestions and bad ,english cooking which must have hatched an ,oliver ,cromwell1 or still earlier that decadence of ,italian cookery which made a ,borgia possible4 ,social leaders in all ages and countries have thus studied the tastes and the intellectual aptitudes and capabilities of those whom they have gathered about their boards2 and ,mythology would suggest that the petits soupers on high ,olympus1 enlivened by the inextinguishable laughter of the gods1 had much to do with the politics of the ,greek heaven under ,jupiter4 ,reading the ,northern ,saga in the same connection1 may not the vague and awful conceptions of cookery which seem to have filled the ,northern mind have had something to do with the opera of ,siegfried8 ,even the music of ,wagner seems to have been inspired by a draught from the skull of his enemy4 ,it has the fascination of clanging steel1 and the mighty rustling of armour4 ,the wind sighs through the forest1 and the ice-blast freezes the hearer4 ,the chasms of earth seem to open before us4 ,but it has also the terror of an indigestion1 and the brooding horror of a nightmare from drinking metheglia and eating half-roasted kid4 ,the political aspect of a ,scandinavian heaven was always stormy4 ,listen to the ,trilogy4 ,in ,america a hostess sure of her soups and her entres1 with such talkers as she could command1 could influence ,american political movements--she might influence its music--by her dinners1 and become an enviable ,lady ,palmerston4 ,old people are apt to say that there is a decay in the art of conversation1 that it is one of the lost arts4 ,no doubt this is in a measure true all over the world4 ,a ,french salon would be to-day an impossibility for that very reason4 ,it is no longer the fashion to tell anecdotes1 to try to be amusing4 ,a person is considered a prig who sits up to amuse the company4 ,all this is bad2 it is reactionary after the drone of the ,bore ,constrictor4 ,it is going on all over the world4 ,it is part of that hurry which has made us talk slang1 the jelly of speech1 speech condensed and boiled down1 easily transported1 and warranted to keep in all climates4 ,but there is a very pleasant juste milieu between the stately1 perhaps starchy1 anecdotist of the past and the easy and witty talker of to-day1 who may occasionally drop into slang1 and what is more1 may permit a certain slovenliness of speech4 ,there are certain mistakes in ,english1 made soberly1 advisedly1 and without fear of ,lindley ,murray1 which make one sigh for the proprieties of the past4 ,the trouble is we have no standard4 ,writers are always at work at the ,english language1 and yet many people say that it is at present the most irregular and least understood of all languages4 ,the intellectual components of a successful dinner1 should1 if we may quote ,hawthorne1 be illuminated with intellect1 and softened by the kindest emotions of the heart4 ,to quote ,mrs4 ,jameson1 they must combine the caustic and the witty1 the lively and the clever1 and even the absurd1 and the assiduous above all4 ,everybody must be unselfish enough not to yawn1 and never seem bored4 ,they must be self-sacrificing1 but all apparently well-pleased4 ,the intellectual components of a dinner1 like the condiments of a salad1 must be of the best2 and it is for the hostess to mix them with the unerring tact and fine discrimination of an ,american woman4 ,,conscientious ,,diners4 ,it is chiefly men of intellect who hold good eating in honour4 ,the head is not capable of a mental operation which consists in a long sequence of appreciations1 and many severe decisions of the judgment1 which has not a well-fed brain4 ,,brillat ,,savarin4 ,a good dinner and a pretty hostess1--for there are terms on which beauty and beef can meet much to the benefit of both1--one wit1 several good talkers1 and as many good listeners1 or more of the latter1 are said to make a combination which even our greatest statesmen do not despise4 ,man wants good dinners4 ,it is woman's province to provide them2 but nature and education must make the conscientious diner4 ,it is to be feared that we are too much in a hurry to be truly conscientious diners4 ,our men have too many school-tasks yet1--politics1 money-making1 science1 mental improvement1 charities1 psychical research1 building railroads1 steam monitors1 colleges1 and such like gauds1--too many such distractions to devote themselves as they ought to the question of entres and entremets4 ,they should endeavour to give the dinner a fitting place4 ,just see how the noble language of ,france1 which ,racine dignified and ,molire amplified1 respectfully puts on its robes of state which are lined with ermine when it approaches the great subject of dinner6 ,it is to be feared that we are far off from the fine art of dining1 although many visits to ,paris and much patronage of ,le ,doyon's1 the ,caf ,anglais1 and the ,caf des ,ambassadeurs1 may have prepared us for the entremet and the pice de rsistance4 ,we are improving in this respect and no longer bolt our dinners4 ,the improvement is already manifest in the better tempers and complexions of our people4 ,but are we as conscientious as the gentleman in ,punch who rebuked the giddy girl who would talk to him at dinner8 ,do you remember1 my dear1 that you are in the house of the best entres in ,london8 ,i wish to eat my dinner4 ,that was a man to cook for6 ,he had his appropriate calm reserve of appreciation1 for the suprme de volaille4 ,he knew how to watch and wait for the sweetbreads1 and green peas4 ,not thrown away upon him was that last turn which makes the breast of the partridge become of a delicate ,vandyck brown4 ,how respectful was he to that immortal art for which the great ,french cook died1 a suicide for a belated turbot4 ,ah1 said ,parke ,godwin once1 when in one of his most brilliant ,brillat ,savarin moods1 how it ennobles a supper to think that all these oysters will become ideas6 ,but if a dinner is not a cookery book1 neither is it a matter of expense alone1 nor a payment of social debts4 ,it is a question of temperature1 of the selection of guests1 of the fitness of things1 of a proper variety1 and of time4 ,the ,french make their exquisite dinners light and short4 ,the ,english make theirs a trifle long and heavy4 ,the young hostess1 to strike the juste milieu1 must travel1 reflect1 and go to a cooking-school4 ,she must buy and read a library of cooking-books4 ,and when all is done and said1 she must realize that a cookery-book is not a dinner4 ,there are some natures which can absorb nothing from a cookery-book4 ,as ,lady ,galway said that she had put all her wits into ,bradshaw's ,railway ,guide and had never got them out again1 so some amateur cook remarked that she had tested her recipes with the cook-book in one hand and the cooking-stove in the other1 yet the wit had stayed away4 ,all young housekeepers must go through the discipline--in a land where cooks are as yet scarce--of trying and failing1 of trying and at length succeeding4 ,they must go to ,la ,belle ,france to learn how to make a soup1 for instance4 ,that is to say1 they must study the best ,french authorities4 ,the mere question of sustenance is easy of solution4 ,we can stand by a cow and drink her milk1 or we can put some bread in our pockets and nibble it as we go along2 but dinner as represented by our complicated civilization is a matter of interest which must always stand high amongst the questions which belong to social life4 ,it is a very strange attendant circumstance that having been a matter of profound concern to mankind for so many years1 it is now almost as easy to find a bad dinner as a good one1 even in ,paris1 that headquarters of cookery4 ,there would be no sense in telling a young ,american housekeeper to learn to make sauces and to cook like a ,french chef1 for it is a profession requiring years of study and great natural taste and aptitude4 ,a ,french chef commands a higher salary than a secretary of state or than a civil engineer4 ,as well tell a young lady that she could suddenly be inspired with a knowledge of the art of war or of navigation4 ,she would only perhaps learn to do very badly what they in ten years learn to do so well4 ,she would say in her heart1 ,for my part ,i am surfeited with cookery4 ,i cry1 something raw if you please for me1--something that has never been touched by hand except the one that pulled it off the blooming tree or uprooted it from the honest ground4 ,let me be a ,timon if you will1 and eat green radishes and cabbages1 or a ,beau ,brummel1 asphyxiated in the consumption of a green pea2 but no ragot1 ctelette1 compote1 crme1 or any hint or cooking till the remembrance of all that ,i have seen has faded and the smell of it has passed away6 ,thus said one who attended a cooking-school1 had gone through the mysteries of soup-making1 had learned what saut means2 had mastered entremets1 and entres1 and plats1 and hors d'oeuvres2 had learned that boudins de veau are simply veal puddings1 something a little better than a veal croquette made into a little pie2 and had found that all meats if badly cooked are much alike4 ,there is a great deal of nonsense talked about making good dishes out of nothing4 ,a ,french cook is very economical1 he uses up odds and ends1 but he must have something to cook with4 ,stone broth does not go down with a hungry man1 nor bad food1 however disguised with learned sauces4 ,a little learning is a dangerous thing1 and one who attempts too much will fail4 ,but one can read1 and reflect1 and get the general outlines of cultivated cookery4 ,as to cultivated cookery being necessarily extravagant1 that is a mistake4 ,a great1 heavy1 ill-considered dinner is no doubt costly4 ,almost all ,american housekeeping is wasteful in the extreme1 but the modern vanities which depend on the skill of the cook and the arranging mind of the housekeeper1 all these are the triumphs of the present age1 and worthy of deep thought and consideration4 ,let the young housekeeper remember that the pretty entres made out of yesterday's roast chicken or turkey will be a great saving as well as a great luxury1 and she will learn to make them4 ,amongst a busy people like ourselves1 from poorest to the richest1 dinners are intended to be recreations1 and recreations of inestimable value4 ,the delightful contrast which they offer to the labours of the day1 the pleasant1 innocent triumph they afford to the hostess1 in which all may partake without jealousy1 the holiday air of guests and of the dining-room1 which should be fresh1 well aired1 filled with flowers1 made bright with glass and silver1--all this refreshes the tired man of affairs and invigorates every creature4 ,as far as possible1 the discussion of all disagreeable subjects should be kept from the dinner-table4 ,all that is unpleasant lowers the pulse and retards digestion4 ,all that is cheerful invigorates the pulse and helps the human being to live a more brave and useful life4 ,no one should bring an unbecoming grumpiness to the dinner-table4 ,be grumpy next day if you choose1 when the terrapin may have disagreed with you1 but not at the feast4 ,bring the best bit of news and gossip1 not scandal1 the choicest critique of the last novel1 the cream of your correspondence4 ,be sympathetic1 amiable1 and agreeable at a feast1 else it were better you had stayed away4 ,the last lesson of luxury is the advice to contribute of our very best to the dinners of our friends1 while we form our own dinners on the plane of the highest luxury which we can afford1 and avoid the great too much4 ,remember that in all countries the ,american lavish prodigality of feasting1 and the expensive garniture of hothouse flowers1 are always spoken of as vulgar4 ,how well it will be for us when our splendid array of fish1 flesh1 and fowl shall have reached the benediction of good cookery2 when we know how to serve it1 not with barbaric magnificence and repletion1 but with a delicate sense of fitness4 ,mr4 ,webster1 himself an admirable dinner giver1 said of a codfish salad that it was fit to eat4 ,he afterwards remarked1 more gravely1--and it made him unpopular1--that a certain nomination was not fit to be made4 ,that led to a discussion of the word fit4 ,the fitness of things1 the right amount1 the thing in the right place1 whether it be the condiment of a salad or the nomination to the presidency1--this is the thing to consult1 to think of in a dinner2 let it be fit to be made4 ,an ,american dinner resolves itself into the following formula3-- ,the oyster is offered first4 ,what can equal the ,american oyster in all his salt-sea freshness1 raw1 on the half-shell1 a perpetual stimulant to appetite1--with a slice of lemon1 and a bit of salt and pepper1 added to his own luscious juices1 his perfect flavor8 ,the jaded palate1 worn with much abuse1 revives1 and stands1 like ,oliver1 asking for more4 ,the soup follows4 ,to this great subject we might devote a chapter4 ,what visions of white and brown1 clear and thick1 fresh beef stock or the maritime delicacies of cray fish and prawn rise before us1--in every colour1 from pink or cream to the heavy ,venetian red of the mulligatawny or the deep smoke-tints of mock turtle and terrapin6 ,the subject grows too large for mere mention2 we must give a chapter to soup4 ,when we speak of fish we realize that the ocean even is inadequate to hold them all4 ,have we not trout1 salmon1 the great fellows from the ,great ,lakes1 and the exclusive ownership of the ,spanish mackerel8 ,have we not the fee simple of terrapin and the exclusive excellence of shad8 ,this subject1 again1 requires a volume4 ,the roast6 ,ah6 here we once bowed to our great ,mother ,england1 and thought her roast beef better than ours4 ,there are others who think that we have caught up on the roasts4 ,our beef is very good1 our mutton does not equal always the ,english ,southdowns2 but we are even improving in the blacknosed woolly brethren who conceal such delicious juices under their warm coats4 ,a roast saddle of mutton with currant jelly--but let us not linger over this thrilling theme4 ,our venison is the best in the world4 ,as for turkeys1--we discovered them1 and it is fair to say that1 after looking the world over1 there is no better bird than a ,rhode ,island ,turkey1 particularly if it is sent to you as a present from a friend4 ,hang him a week1 with a truffle in him1 and stuff him with chestnuts4 ,as for chickens--there ,france has us at a disadvantage4 ,there seems to be a secret of fowl-feeding1 or rearing1 in ,france which we have not mastered4 ,still we can get good chickens in ,america1 and noble capons1 but they are very expensive4 ,the entres--here we must go again to those early missionaries to a savage shore1 the ,delmonicos4 ,they were the high priests of the entre4 ,the salads--those daughters of luxury1 those delicate expressions1 in food1 of the art of dress--deserve a separate chapter4 ,and now the sorbet cools our throats and leads us up to the game4 ,the ,american desserts are particularly rich and profuse4 ,our pies have been laughed at1 but they also are fit to eat1 especially mince-pie1 which is first cousin to an ,english plum-pudding4 ,our puddings are like our ,western scenery1 heavy but magnificent4 ,our ices have reached1 under our foreign imported artists1 the greatest perfection4 ,our fruit is abundant and highly flavoured4 ,we have not yet perhaps known how to draw the line as to desserts4 ,the great too much prevails4 ,do we not make our dinners too long and too heavy8 ,how great an artist would he be who should so graduate a dinner that there would be no to-morrow in it6 ,we eat more like ,heliogabalus than like that gourmet who took the beccafico out of the olive which had been hidden in the pigeon1 which had in its turn been warmed in the chicken1 which was cooked in the ox1 which was roasted whole for the birthday of a king4 ,the gourmet discarded the rest1 but ate the beccafico4 ,the first duty of a guest who is asked to one of these dinners is to be punctual4 ,who wishes to sit next to ,mr4 ,many-,courses1 when he has been kept waiting for his dinner8 ,imagine the feelings of an amiable host and hostess who1 after taking the trouble to get up an excellent dinner1 feel that it is being spoiled by the tardiness of one guest6 ,they are nervously watching ,mr4 ,many-,courses1 for hungry animals are frequently snappish1 and sometimes dangerous4 ,the hostess who knows how to invite her guests and to seat them afterwards is a power in the ,state4 ,she helps to refine1 elevate1 and purify our great ,american conglomerate4 ,she has not the ,englishman's ,bible1 ,the ,peerage1 to help her seat her guests2 she must trust to her own intelligence to do that4 ,our great ,american conglomerate repels all idea of rank1 or the precedence idea1 which is so well understood in ,england4 ,hereditary distinction we have not1 for although there are some families which can claim a grandfather1 they are few4 ,a grandfather is of little importance to the men who make themselves4 ,aristocracy in ,america is one of talent or money4 ,even those more choice intelligences1 which in older countries are put on glass pedestals1 are not so elevated here as to excite jealousy4 ,we all adore the good diner-out1 but somebody would be jealous if he had always the best seat4 ,therefore the hostess has to contend with much that is puzzling in the seating of her guests2 but if she says to herself1 ,i will place those people near each other who are sympathetic1 she will govern her festive board with the intelligence of ,elizabeth1 and the generosity of ,queen ,margharita4 ,she must avoid too many highly scented flowers4 ,people are sometimes weary of the rapture of roses4 ,horace says3 ,avoid1 at an agreeable entertainment1 discordant music1 and muddy perfume1 and poppies mixed with ,sardinian honey2 they give offence4 ,which is only another way of saying that some music may be too heavy1 and the perfume of flowers too strong4 ,remember1 young hostess1 or old hostess1 that your dinner is to be made up of people who have to sit two hours chatting with each other1 and that this is of itself a severe ordeal of patience4 ,good breeding is said to be the apotheosis of self-restraint1 and so is good feeding4 ,good breeding puts nature under restraint1 controls the temper1 and refines the speech4 ,good feeding1 unless it is as well governed as it should be1 inflames the nose and the temper1 and enlarges the girth most unbecomingly4 ,good breeding is the guardian angel of a woman4 ,good feeding1 that is1 conscientious dining1 must be the patron saint of a man6 ,a truly well bred and well fed man is quiet in dress1 does not talk slang1 is not prosy1 is never unbecomingly silent1 nor is he too garrulous4 ,he is always respectful to everybody1 kind to the weak1 helpful to the feeble4 ,he may not be an especially lofty character1 but good feeding inducts him into the character and duties of a gentleman4 ,he simulates a virtue if he has it not1 especially after dinner4 ,noblesse oblige is his motto1 and he feels what is due to himself4 ,can we be a thorough-bred1 or a thorough-fed1 all by ourselves8 ,it is easy enough to learn when and where to leave a card1 how to behave at a dinner1 how to use a fork1 how to receive and how to drop an acquaintance2 but what a varied education is that which leads up to good feeding1 to becoming a conscientious diner4 ,it is not given to every one1 this lofty grace4 ,a dinner should be a good basis for a mutual understanding4 ,they say that few great enterprises have been conducted without it4 ,people are sure to like each other much better after dining together4 ,it is better to go home from a dinner remembering how clever everybody was1 than to go home merely to wonder at the opulence that could compass such a pageant4 ,a dinner should put every one into his best talking condition4 ,the quips and quirks of excited fancy should come gracefully1 for society well arranged brings about the attrition of wits4 ,if one is comfortable and well-fed--not gorged--he is in his best condition4 ,the more civilized the world gets1 the more difficult it is to amuse it4 ,it is the common complaint of the children of luxury that dinners are dull and society stupid4 ,how can the reformer make society more amusing and less dangerous8 ,eliminate scandal and back-biting4 ,the danger and trials and difficulties of dinner-giving are manifold4 ,first1 whom shall we ask8 ,will they come8 ,it is often the fate of the hostess1 in the busy season1 to invite forty people before she gets twelve4 ,having got the twelve1 she then has perhaps a few days before the dinner to receive the unwelcome news that ,jones has a cold1 ,mrs4 ,brown has lost a relative1 and ,miss ,malcontent has gone to ,washington4 ,the dinner has to be reconstructed2 deprived of its original intention it becomes a balloon which has lost ballast4 ,it goes drifting about1 and there is no health in it and no purpose4 ,this is especially true also of those dinners which are conducted on debt-paying principles4 ,how many hard-worked1 rich men in ,america are bored to death by the gilded and over-burdened splendour of their wives' dinners and those to which they are to go4 ,they sit looking at their hands during two or three courses1 poor dyspeptics who cannot eat4 ,to relieve them1 to bring them into communion with their next neighbour1 with whom they have nothing in common1 what shall one do8 ,oh1 that depressing cloud which settles over the jaded senses of even the conscientious diner1 as he fails to make his neighbour on either side say anything but yes or no6 ,we must1 perhaps1 before we give the perfect dinner1 renounce the idea that dinner should be on a commercial basis4 ,of course our social debts must be paid4 ,it is a large subject1 like the lighting of a city1 the cleaning of the streets1 and must be approached carefully1 so that the lesser evil may not swamp the greater good4 ,do not invite twelve people to bore them4 ,the dinner hour differs in different cities1--from seven to half-past seven1 to eight1 and eight and a half2 all these have their adherents4 ,in ,london1 many a party does not sit down until nine4 ,hence the necessity of a hearty meal at five o'clock tea4 ,the royalties1 all blessed with good appetites1 eat eggs on toast1 hot scones and other good things at five o'clock tea1 and take often an avant got also at seven4 ,in our country half-past seven is generally the most convenient hour1 unless one is going to the play afterward1 when seven is better4 ,a dinner should not last more than an hour and a half4 ,but it does last sometimes three hours4 ,ladies dress for a large dinner often in low neck and short sleeves1 wear their jewels1 and altogether their finest things4 ,but now ,pompadour waists are allowed4 ,for a small dinner1 the ,pompadour dress1 half-open at the throat1 with a few jewels1 is in better taste4 ,men should be always in full dress1--black coat1 waistcoat1 and trousers1 and white cravat4 ,there is no variation from this dress at a dinner1 large or small4 ,for ladies in delicate health who cannot expose throat or arms1 there is always the largest liberty allowed2 but the dinner dress must be handsome4 ,in leaving the house and ordering the carriage1 name the earliest hour rather than the latest2 it is better to keep one's coachman waiting than to weary one's hostess4 ,it is quite impossible to say when one will leave1 as there may be music1 recitations1 and so on1 after the dinner4 ,it is now quite the fashion1 as in ,london1 to ask people in after the dinner4 ,everybody should go to a dinner intending to be agreeable4 ,e'en at a dinner some will be unblessed1 ,however good the viands1 and well dressed2 ,they always come to table with a scowl1 ,squint with a face of verjuice o'er each dish1 ,fault the poor flesh1 and quarrel with the fish1 ,curse cook1 and wife1 and loathing1 eat and growl4 ,such men should never be asked twice2 yet such were ,dr4 ,johnson1 and later on1 ,abraham ,hayward1 the ,english critic1 who were invited out every night of their lives4 ,it is a poor requital for hospitality1 to allow any personal ill-temper to interfere with the pleasure of the feast4 ,some hostesses send around the champagne early to unloose the tongues2 and this has generally a good effect if the party be dull4 ,excessive heat in a room is the most benumbing of all overweights4 ,let the hostess have plenty of oxygen to begin with4 ,for a little dinner of eight we might suggest that the hostess write3-- ,,dear ,,mrs4 ,,sullivan1--,will you and ,mr4 ,sullivan dine with us on ,thursday at half-past seven to meet ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,evarts1 quite informally8 ,ever yours truly1 ,,mary ,,montgomery4 ,this accepted1 which it should be in the first person1 cordially1 as it is written1 let us see what we would have for dinner-- ,sherry4 ,soup4 ,sorrel1 l'essence de veau4 ,lobsters1 saut la ,bonnefoy4 ,chablis4 ,veal ,cutlets1 la ,zingara4 ,fried sweet potatoes4 ,champagne4 ,roast ,red-,head ,ducks4 ,currant jelly4 ,claret4 ,curled ,celery in glasses4 ,olives4 ,cheese4 ,salad4 ,frozen ,pudding4 ,grapes4 ,coffee4 ,liqueurs4 ,or1 if you please1 a brown soup1 a white fish or bass1 boiled1 a saddle of mutton1 a pair of prairie chickens and salad1 a plate of broiled mushrooms1 a sorbet of ,maraschino1 cheese1 ice-cream1 fruit4 ,it is not a bad look-out1 is it8 ,how well the ,italians understand the little dinner6 ,they are frugal but conscientious diners until they get to the dessert4 ,their dishes have a relish of the forest and the field4 ,first comes wild boar1 stewed in a delicious condiment called sour-sweet sauce1 composed of almonds1 pistachio nuts1 and plums4 ,quails1 with a twang of aromatic herbs1 are followed by macaroni flavoured with spiced livers1 cocks' combs1 and eggs called risotto1 then golden fritto1 cooked in the purest cru of olive oil1 and quocchi cakes1 of newly ground ,indian corn1 which is all that our roasted green corn is1 without the trouble of gnawing it off the cob1--a process abhorrent to the conscientious diner unless he is alone4 ,one should first take monastic vows of extreme austerity before he eats the forbidden fruit1 onion1 or the delicious corn4 ,but when we can conquer ,italian cooking1 we can eat these two delicious things1 nor fear to whisper to our best friend1 nor fear to be seen eating4 ,the triumphs of the dolce belong also to the ,italians4 ,their sugared fruits1 ices1 and pastry are all matchless2 and their wines1 ,chianti1 ,broglio1 and ,vino ,santo1 a kind of ,malaga1 as frankly luscious as the first grape can make it1 are all delicious4 ,,various ,,modes ,,of ,,gastronomic ,,gratification4 ,phyllis1 ,i have a cask full of ,albanian wine upwards of nine years old2 ,i have parsley in the garden for the weaving of chaplets4 ,the house shines cheerfully with plate2 all hands are busy4 ,,horace1 ,ode ,,xi4 ,some old ,french wit spoke of an idea which could be canonized4 ,perhaps yet we may have a ,saint ,table-,cloth4 ,there have been worse saints than ,saint ,table-,cloth and clean linen1 since the days of ,louis ,,xiii6 ,we notice in the old pictures of feasting that the table-cloth was of itself a picture1--lace1 in squares1 blocks1 and stripes1 sometimes only lace over a colour1 but generally mixed with linen4 ,it was the highest ambition of the ,dutch housewife to have much double damask of snowy whiteness in her table-linen chest4 ,that is still the grand reliable table-linen4 ,no one can go astray who uses it4 ,table-linen is now embroidered in coloured cottons1 or half of its threads are drawn out and it is then sewed over into lace-work4 ,it is then thrown over a colour1 generally bright red4 ,but pale lilac is more refined1 and very becoming to the lace-work4 ,not a particle of coarse food must go on that table-cloth4 ,everything must be brought to each guest from the broad1 magnificent buffet2 all must be served la ,russe from behind a grand1 impenetrable screen1 which should fence off every dining-room from the butler's pantry and the kitchen4 ,all that goes on behind that screen is the butler's business1 and not ours4 ,the butler is a portly man1 presumably1 with a clean-shaven face1 of ,english parentage4 ,he has the key of the wine-cellar and of the silver-chest1 two heavy responsibilities2 for nowadays1 not to go into the question of the wines1 the silver-chest is getting weighty4 ,silver and silver-gilt dishes1 banished for some years1 are now reasserting their pre-eminent fitness for the dinner-table3 ,the plates may be of solid silver2 so are the high candlesticks and the salt-cellars1 of various and beautiful designs after ,benvenuto ,cellini4 ,old silver is reappearing1 and happy the hostess who has a real ,queen ,anne teapot4 ,the soup-tureen of silver is again used1 and so are the old beer-mugs4 ,our ,dutch ancestors were much alive to good silver2 he may rejoice who1 joking apart1 had a ,dutch uncle4 ,i1 for one1 do not like to eat off a metallic plate1 be it of silver or gold4 ,it is disagreeable to hear the knife scrape on it1 even with the delicate business of cutting a morsel of red canvas-back4 ,gastronomic gratification should be so highly refined that it trembles at a crumpled rose-leaf4 ,porcelain plates seem to be perfect1 if they have not on them the beautiful head of ,lamballe4 ,nobody at a dinner desires to cut her head off again1 or to be reminded of the ,french ,revolution4 ,nor should we hurry4 ,a master says1 ,i have arrived at such a point that if the calls of business or pleasure did not interpose1 there would be no fixed date for finding what time might elapse between the first glass of sherry and the final ,maraschino4 ,however1 the pleasures of a dinner may be too prolonged4 ,men like to sit longer eating and drinking than women2 so when a dinner is of both sexes it should not continue more than one hour and a half4 ,horace1 that prince of diners1 objected to the long-drawn-out meal4 ,then we drank1 each as much as he felt the need1 meant no orgy amongst the ,greeks4 ,but if the talk lingers after the biscuit and cheese the hostess need not interrupt it4 ,talleyrand is said to have introduced into ,france the custom of taking ,parmesan with the soup1 and the ,madeira after it4 ,there are many conflicting opinions about the proper place for the cheese in order of serving4 ,the old fashion was to serve it last4 ,it is now served with1 or after1 the salad4 ,a dessert without cheese is like a beautiful woman with one eye1 says an old gourmet4 ,eat cheese after fruit1 to prepare the palate for fresh wine1 says another4 ,after melon1 wine is a felon4 ,if it is true that an ,american devours1 an ,englishman eats1 and a ,frenchman dines1 then we must take the ,french fashion and give the cheese after the salad4 ,toasted cheese savouries are very nice4 ,the ,roman punch should be served just before the game4 ,it is a very refreshing interlude4 ,some wit called it at ,mrs4 ,hayes' dinners the life-saving station4 ,when the ices are removed a dessert-plate of glass1 with a finger-bowl1 is placed before each person1 with two glasses1 one for sherry1 one for claret1 or ,burgundy2 and the grapes1 peaches1 pears1 and other fruits are then passed4 ,the hostess makes the sign for retiring to a salon perhaps rich with magnificent hangings of old gold1 with pictures1 with vases of ,dresden1 of ,svres1 of ,kiota1 with statuary1 and specimens of ,capo di ,monti4 ,there coffee may be brought and served by the footmen in cups which ,catherine of ,russia might have given to ,potemkin4 ,the gentlemen1 in ,england and ,america1 remain behind to smoke4 ,there is much exquisite porcelain in use in the opulent houses of ,america4 ,it is getting to be a famous fad with us1 and nothing adds more to one's pleasure in a good dinner than to have it served on pretty plates4 ,and let us learn to say footman1 and not waiter2 the latter personage belongs to a club or a hotel4 ,it would prevent disagreeable mistakes if we would make this correction in our ordinary conversation4 ,in the arrangement of a splendid dinner let us see what should be the bill of fare4 ,this is hard to answer1 as the delicacies vary with the season4 ,but we will venture on one3-- ,oysters on the half-shell4 ,sherry4 ,soups3 ,crme d',asperges1 ,julienne4 ,fish3 ,chablis4 ,fried ,smelts1 or ,salmon4 ,fresh ,cucumbers4 ,champagne4 ,filet de ,boeuf1 with ,truffles ,claret4 and ,mushrooms4 ,fried ,potatoes4 ,entres3 ,poulet la ,marchale4 ,petits ,pois4 ,timbale de ,macaroni4 ,sweetbreads4 ,vegetables4 ,artichokes4 ,sorbet4 ,roman ,punch4 ,steinberger4 ,game3 ,canvas-back or ,wild ,duck with ,currant ,jelly4 ,quail with ,water-,cresses4 ,salad of ,lettuce4 ,salad of ,tomato4 ,rudesheimer4 ,pt de foie gras4 ,hot dessert3 ,cabinet ,pudding4 ,cold dessert3 ,crme glace aux tutti frutti4 ,marron glacs4 ,cakes4 ,preserved ginger4 ,madeira4 ,cheese4 ,port4 ,caf4 ,cordials4 ,i apologize to my reader for mixing thus ,french and ,english4 ,it is a vulgar habit1 and should be avoided4 ,but it is almost impossible to avoid it when speaking of a dinner2 the cooks being ,french1 the menus are written in ,french1 and the names of certain dishes are usually written in ,french4 ,now all people understand ,french1 or should do so4 ,if they do not1 it is very easy to learn that the vol au vent de volaille is simply chicken pie1 that potatoes are still potatoes under whatever alias they are served1 and so on4 ,no such dinner as this can be well served in a private house unless the cook is a chef1 a cordon bleu1--here we must use ,french again1--and unless the service is perfect this dinner will be a failure4 ,it is better to order such a dinner from ,delmonico's or ,sherry's or from the best man you can command4 ,do not attempt and fail4 ,but the little dinners given by housekeepers whose service is perfect are apt to be more eatable and palatable than the best dinner from a restaurant1 where all the food is cooked by gas1 and tastes alike4 ,the number of guests is determined by the size of the room4 ,the etiquette of entering the dining-room is this3 the host goes first1 with the most distinguished lady4 ,the hostess follows last1 with the most distinguished gentleman4 ,great care and attention must be observed in seating the guests4 ,this is the province of the hostess1 who must consider the subject carefully4 ,all this must be written out1 and a diagram made of the table4 ,the name of each lady is written on a card and enclosed in an envelope1 on the outside of which is inscribed the name of the gentleman who has the honour to take her in4 ,this envelope must be given each man by the servant in the dressing-room1 or he must find it on the hall table4 ,then1 with the dinner-card at each place1 the guests find their own places4 ,the lady of the house should be dressed and in the drawing-room at least five minutes before the guests are to arrive1 which should be punctually4 ,how long must a hostess wait for a tardy guest8 ,only fifteen minutes4 ,it is well to say to the butler1 ,dinner must be served at half-past seven1 and the guests may be asked at seven4 ,that generally ensures the arrival of all before the fish is spoiled4 ,let the company then go in to dinner1 allowing the late-comer to follow4 ,he must come in alone1 blushing for his sins4 ,these facts may help a hostess3 ,no great dinner in ,europe waits for any one2 royalty is always punctual4 ,in seating your guests do not put husband and wife1 sisters or relatives together4 ,an old courtesy book of #abij says3-- ,consider about placing ,each person in the post that befits him4 ,between relations it behooves ,to place others midway sometimes4 ,we should respect the superstitions of the dinner-table4 ,no one should be helped twice to soup2 it means an early death4 ,few are free from the feeling that thirteen is an unlucky number2 so avoid that1 as no one wishes to make a guest uncomfortable4 ,as we have said1 ,gasthea is an irritable muse2 she must be flattered and pampered4 ,no one must put salt on another's plate4 ,there is a strong prejudice against spilling the salt2 but evil consequences can be avoided by throwing a pinch of salt over the left shoulder4 ,these remarks may seem frivolous to those unhappy persons who have not the privilege of being superstitious4 ,it gives great zest to life to have a few harmless superstitions4 ,it is the cheese fondu of the mental faculties2 and we may add that a consideration of these maxims1 handed down from a glorious past of gastronomes1 contributes to the various modes of gastronomic gratification4 ,we must remember that the tongue of man1 by the delicacy of its structure1 gives ample evidences of the high functions to which it is destined4 ,the ,roman epicures cultivated their taste so perfectly that they could tell if a fish were caught above or below a bridge4 ,organic perfection1 epicureanism1 or the art of good living1 belongs to man alone4 ,the pleasure of eating is the only one1 taken in moderation1 which is common to every time1 age1 and condition1 which is enjoyed without fatigue or danger1 which must be repeated two or three times a day4 ,it can combine with our other pleasures1 or console us for their loss4 ,un bon diner1 c'est un consolation pour les illusions perdus4 ,and we have an especial satisfaction1 when in the act of eating1 that we are prolonging our existence1 and enabling ourselves to become good citizens whilst enjoying ourselves4 ,thus the pleasures of the table1 the act of dining1 the various modes of gastronomic gratification should receive our most respectful consideration4 ,let the soup be hot1 and the wines cool4 ,let the coffee be perfect1 and the liqueurs chosen with peculiar care4 ,let the guests be detained by the social enjoyment1 and animated with the hope that before the evening is over there is still some pleasure in store4 ,our modern hostesses who understand the art of entertaining often have music1 or some recitations1 in the drawing-room after the dinner2 and in ,england it is often made the occasion of an evening party4 ,thus gourmandize is that social love of good dinners which combines in one ,athenian elegance1 ,roman luxury1 and ,parisian refinement4 ,it implies discretion to arrange1 skill to prepare1 and taste to direct4 ,it cannot be done superficially1 and if done well it takes time1 experience1 and care4 ,to be a success1 a dinner must be thought out4 ,by right divine1 man is the king of nature1 and all that the earth produces is for him4 ,it is for him that the quail is fattened1 the grape ripened4 ,for him alone the ,mocha possesses so agreeable an aroma1 for him the sugar has such wholesome properties4 ,he1 and he alone1 banquets in company1 and so far from good living being hurtful to health1 ,brillat ,savarin declares that the gourmets have a larger dose of vitality than other men4 ,but they have their sorrows1 and the worst of them is a bad dinner1--an ill-considered1 wretchedly composed1 over-burdened repast1 in which there is little enjoyment for the brain1 and a constant disappointment to the palate4 ,let the dishes be exceedingly choice and but few in number1 and the wines of the best quality4 ,let the order of serving be from the more substantial to the lighter4 ,let the eating proceed without hurry or bustle1 since the dinner is the last business of the day2 and let the guests look upon themselves as travellers about to reach the same destination together4 ,a dinner is not1 as we see1 a matter of butler or chef alone4 ,it is the personal trouble which a host and hostess are willing to take2 it is the intimate association of a cultivated nature with the practical business of entertaining1 which makes the perfect dinner4 ,conviviality concerns everything1 hence it produces fruits of all flavours4 ,all the ingenuity of man has been for centuries concentrated upon increasing and intensifying the pleasures of the table4 ,the ,greeks used flowers to adorn vases and to crown the guests4 ,they ate under the vault of heaven1 in gardens1 in groves1 in the presence of all the marvels of nature4 ,to the pleasures of the table were joined the charms of music and the sound of instruments4 ,whilst the court of the king of the ,phoenicians were feasting1 ,phenius1 a minstrel1 celebrated the deeds of the warriors of bygone times4 ,often1 too1 dancers and jugglers and comic actors1 of both sexes and in every costume1 came to engage the eye1 without lessening the pleasures of the table4 ,we eat in heated rooms1 too much heated perhaps1 and brilliantly lighted1 as they should be4 ,the present fancy for shaded lamps1 and easily ignitible shades1 leads to impromptu conflagrations which are apt to injure ,saint ,table-,cloth4 ,that poor martyr is burned at the steak quite too often4 ,our dancers and jugglers are introduced after dinner1 not during dinner2 and we have our warriors at the table amongst the guests4 ,nor do we hire ,phenius1 a minstrel1 to discourse of their great deeds4 ,i copy from a recent paper the following remarks4 ,mr4 ,elbridge ,t4 ,gerry1 says3 ,there are in society some newly admitted members who1 with the best intentions imaginable1 are never able to do things in just the proper style4 ,they are persons of wealth1 fairly good breeding and possessed of a desire to entertain4 ,with all the good-humoured witticisms that the newspapers indulge in on this subject1 it is nevertheless a fact that the art of entertaining requires deep and careful study1 as well as natural aptitude4 ,some of the greatest authors have stated this in poetry and prose4 ,a typical member of this new class recently gave a dinner to a number of persons in society4 ,it was a very dull affair4 ,there was prodigality in everything1 but no taste1 and no refinement4 ,the fellow amused me by telling us he had no trouble in getting up a fine dinner2 he had only to tell his butler and chef to get up a meal for so many persons1 and the whole thing was done4 ,there are few persons fortunate enough to possess chefs and butlers of that kind2 he certainly was not4 ,of the persons who attended his dinner1 nine out of ten were displeased and will never attend another4 ,it does not take long for the experienced member of society to know whether a host or hostess is qualified to entertain1 and the climbers soon find it a hard piece of business to secure guests4 ,but on the other hand1 we can reason that so fond of the various modes of gastronomic gratification is the human race1 that the dinner giver is a very popular variety of the genus homo2 nor does the host or hostess generally find it a hard matter to secure guests4 ,indeed there is a vulgar proverb to the effect that if the ,devil gives a ball1 all the angels will go to it4 ,if you want an animal to love you1 feed it4 ,so that the host can stand a great deal of criticism4 ,we should1 however1 take a hint from the ,arabs1 nor abuse the salt2 it is almost worse than spilling it4 ,lady ,morgan described the cookery of ,france as being the standard and gauge of modern civilization2 and when1 during the peace which followed ,waterloo1 ,brillat ,savarin turned his thoughts to the sthetics of the dinner-table1 he probably added more largely to the health and happiness of the human race than any other known philanthropist4 ,we must not forget what had gone before in the developments and refinements of the reigns of ,louis ,,xiv41 ,,xv41 and the ,regent2 we must not forget the honour done to gastronomy by such statesmen as ,colbert1 such soldiers as ,cond1 nor by such a wit and beauty as ,madame de ,sevign4 ,,of ,,soups4 ,oh1 a splendid soup is the true pea-green1 ,i for it often call1 ,and up it comes1 in a smart tureen1 ,when ,i dine in my banquet hall4 ,when a leg of mutton at home is boiled1 ,the liquor ,i always keep1 ,and in that liquor1 before 't is spoiled1 ,a peck of peas ,i steep2 ,when boiled till tender they have been ,i rub through a sieve the peas so green4 ,though the trouble the indolent may shock1 ,i rub with all my power1 ,and having returned them to the stock1 ,i stew them for an hour2 ,of younger peas ,i take some more1 ,the mixture to improve1 ,thrown in a little time before ,the soup from the fire ,i move4 ,then seldom a better soup is seen ,than the old familiar soup pea-green4 ,the best of this poetical recipe is that it is not only funny1 but a capital formula4 ,the giblet may tire1 the gravy pall1 ,and the truth may lose its charm2 ,but the green pea triumphs over them all ,and does not the slightest harm4 ,some of us1 however1 prefer turtle4 ,it would seem sometimes as if turtle soup were the synonym for a good dinner1 and as if it dated back to the days of good ,queen ,bess4 ,but fashion did not set its seal on turtle soup until about seventy years ago2 as an entry in the ,gentleman's ,magazine mentions calipash and calipee as rarities4 ,it is now inseparable from the ,lord ,mayor's dinner4 ,when we notice ninety-nine recipes for soup in the latest ,french cookery book1 and when we see the fate of a dinner made or marred by the first dish1 we must concede that it will be a stumbling-block to the young housekeeper4 ,add to that the curious fact that no ,irishwoman can make a good soup until she has been taught by years of experience1 and we have the first problem in the dangerous process of dinner-giving staring us in the face4 ,a greasy1 watery1 ill-considered soup will take away the appetite of even a hungry man2 while a delicate white or brown soup1 or the pures of peas and asparagus1 may well whet the appetite of the most pampered gourmet4 ,the subject of soup-making may well be studied4 ,a good soup is at once economical and healthful1 and of the first importance in the construction of a dinner4 ,soup should be made the day before it is to be eaten1 by boiling either a knuckle of veal for a white soup1 three or four pounds of beef1 with the bone well cracked1 for a clear consomm1 or by putting the bones of fish1 chickens1 and meat into water with salt and pepper1 and thus making an economical soup1 which may1 however1 be very good4 ,the ,french put everything into the soup pot1--bones1 scraps1 pot liquor1 the water in which onions have been boiled1 in fact in which all vegetables including beans and potatoes have been boiled2 even as a ,french writer says rejected ,,mss4 may be thrown into the soup pot2 and the result in ,france is always good4 ,it is to be observed that every soup should be allowed to cool1 and all the fat should be skimmed off1 so that the residuum may be as clear as wine4 ,delicate soups1 clear consomm1 and white soups la ,reine1 are great favourites in ,america1 but in ,england they make a strong1 savoury article1 which they call gravy soup4 ,it is well to know how to prepare this1 as it makes a variety4 ,cut two pounds of beef from the neck into dice1 and fry until brown4 ,break small two or three pounds of bones1 and fry lightly4 ,bones from which streaked bacon has been cut make an excellent addition1 but too many must not be used1 lest the soup be salt4 ,slice and fry brown a pound of onions1 put them with the meat and bones and three quarts of cold water into the soup pot2 let it boil up1 and having skimmed add two large turnips1 a carrot cut in slices1 a small bundle of sweet herbs1 and a half a dozen pepper-corns4 ,let the soup boil gently for four or five hours1 and about one hour before it is finished add a little piece of celery1 or celery-seed tied in muslin4 ,this is a most delicious flavour4 ,when done1 strain the soup and set it away for a night to get cold4 ,remove the fat and next day let it boil up1 stirring in two spoonfuls of corn starch1 moistened with cold water4 ,season with salt and pepper to taste1 not too salt2 add forcemeat balls to the soup1 and you have a whole dinner in your soup4 ,an oxtail soup is made like the above1 only adding the tail1 which is divided into joints1 which are fried brown4 ,then these joints should be boiled until the meat comes easily off the bones4 ,when the soup is ready put in two lumps of sugar1 a glass of port wine1 and pour all into the tureen4 ,the ,julienne soup1 so delicious in summer1 should be a nice clear stock1 with the addition of prepared vegetables4 ,unless the cook can buy the excellent compressed vegetables which are to be had at the ,italian warehouses1 it is well to follow this order3-- ,wash and scrape a large carrot1 cut away all the yellow parts from the middle1 and slice the red outside4 ,take an equal quantity of turnips and three small onions1 cut in a similar manner4 ,put them in a stewpan with two ounces of butter and a pinch of powdered sugar1 stir over the fire until a nice brown colour1 then add a quart of clear1 well-flavoured stock1 and let all simmer together gently for three hours4 ,when done1 skim the fat off very carefully1 and ten minutes before serving add a lettuce cut in shreds and blanched for a minute in boiling water4 ,simmer for five minutes and the soup will be ready4 ,this is a most excellent soup if well made4 ,mock-turtle soup is easily made3-- ,boil the bones of the head three hours1 add a piece of gravy meat cut in dice and fried brown1 three onions sliced and fried brown1 a carrot1 a turnip1 celery1 and a small bundle of sweet herbs2 boil gently for three hours and take off the fat4 ,when it is ready to be served add a glass of sherry and slices of lemon4 ,the various parts of a calf's-head can be cooked and used as forcemeat balls1 and made to look exactly like turtle4 ,this soup is found canned and is almost as good as the real article4 ,dried-pea soup1 crme d'asperge1 and bean soup1 in fact all the pures1 are very healthful and elegant soups4 ,the pure is the mashed mass of pea or bean1 which is added to the stock4 ,boil a pint of large peas in a quart of water with a sprig of parsley or mint1 and a dozen or so of green onions4 ,when the peas are done strain and rub them through a sieve1 put the pure back into the liquor the peas were boiled in1 add a pint of good veal or beef broth1 a lump of sugar1 and pepper and salt to taste4 ,let the soup get thoroughly hot without boiling1 stir in an ounce of good butter1 and the soup is ready4 ,a plain but quick and delicious soup may be made by using a can of corn1 with a small piece of pork4 ,this warmed up quickly1 with a little milk added1 is very good4 ,as for a crme d'asperge1 it is better to employ a chef to teach the new cook4 ,mulligatawny soup is a visitor from ,india4 ,it should not be too strong of curry powder for the average taste4 ,the stock should be made of chicken or veal1 or the liquor in which chickens have been boiled4 ,slice and fry in butter six large onions1 add four sharp1 sour apples1 cored and quartered1 but not peeled4 ,let them boil in a little of the stock until quite tender1 then mix with them a quarter of a pound of flour1 and a small teaspoonful of curry powder4 ,take a quart of the stock and when the soup has boiled skim it2 let it simmer for half an hour1 then carefully take off all the fat1 strain the soup1 and rub the onions through a sieve4 ,when ready to heat the soup for the dinner-table add any pieces of meat or chicken cut into small1 delicate shapes4 ,when these have been boiled together for ten minutes the soup will be ready2 salt to taste4 ,boiled rice should be sent in on a separate dish4 ,sorrel soup is a great favourite with the ,french people4 ,we do not make enough of sorrel in this country2 it adds an excellent flavour4 ,carefully wash a pound of sorrel1 and having picked1 cut it in shreds1 put it into a stewpan with two ounces of fresh butter and stir it over the fire for ten minutes4 ,stir in an ounce of flour1 mix well together and add a pint and a half of good white stock made as for veal broth4 ,let it simmer for half an hour4 ,having skimmed the soup1 stir in the yolks of three eggs beaten up in half a pint of milk or cream4 ,stir in a little pat of butter1 and when dissolved pour the whole over thin pieces of toasted bread into the tureen4 ,with the large family of the broths every housewife should become acquainted4 ,they are invaluable for the sick1 especially broths of chicken and mutton4 ,for veal broth the following is an elaborate1 but excellent recipe3 ,get three or four pounds of scrag1 or a knuckle of veal1 chopped into small pieces1 also a ham bone1 or slice of ham1 and cover with water2 let it boil up1 skim it until no more rises4 ,put in four or five onions1 a turnip1 and later a bit of celery or celery seed tied in muslin1 a little salt1 and white pepper4 ,let it boil gently for four hours2 strain the gravy and having taken off all the fat return the residue to the pot and let it boil2 then slightly thicken with corn flour1 about one teaspoonful to a quart of soup2 let it simmer before serving4 ,three pounds of veal should make two quarts of good soup4 ,a sheep's-head soup is famous all over ,scotland and is made as follows3-- ,get the head of a sheep with the skin on1 soak it in tepid water1 take out the tongue and brains1 break all the thin bones inside the cheek1 and carefully wash it in several waters2 put it on in a quart of water with a teaspoonful of salt and let it boil ten minutes4 ,pour away this water and put two quarts more with one pound of a scrag of mutton2 add1 cut up1 six onions1 two turnips1 two carrots1 a sprig of parsley1 and season with pepper and salt4 ,let it boil gently for four or five hours1 when the head and neck will not be too much cooked for the family dinner1 and may be served either with parsley or onion sauce4 ,it is a most savoury morsel4 ,strain the soup1 and let it cool so as to remove every particle of fat4 ,rub the vegetables through a sieve to a fine pure4 ,mix a tablespoonful of flour in a quarter of a pint of milk2 make the soup boil up and stir it in with the vegetables4 ,have the tongue boiled until it is very tender1 skin and trim it1 have the brains also well cooked1 and chop and pound them very fine with the tongue1 mix them with an equal weight of sifted bread-crumbs1 a tablespoonful of chopped green parsley1 pepper1 salt1 and egg1 and if necessary a small quantity of flour to enable you to roll the mixture into little balls4 ,put an ounce of butter into a small frying-pan and fry the balls until a nice brown1 lay them on paper before the fire to drain away all the fat1 and put them into the soup after it is poured into the tureen4 ,scald and chop some green parsley and serve separately on a plate4 ,thackeray thought so much of a boiled sheep's head that he made it the point of one of his humorous poems4 ,by that grand vow that bound thee ,forever to my side1 ,and by the ring that made thee ,my darling and my bride6 ,thou wilt not fail or falter ,but bend thee to the task-- ,a boiled sheep's head on ,sunday ,is all the boon ,i ask6 ,in ,france1 cabbage is much used in soup4 ,ha1 what is this that rises to my touch ,so like a cushion--can it be a cabbage8 ,it is1 it is1 that deeply inspired flower ,which boys do flout us with1 but yet--,i love thee1 ,thou giant rose1 wrapped in a green surtout4 ,doubtless in ,eden thou didst blush as bright ,as these thy puny brethren1 and thy breath ,sweetened the fragrance of her spicy air2 ,and now thou seemst like a bankrupt beau ,stripped of his gaudy hues and essences1 ,and growing portly in his sober garments4 ,the cabbage is without honour in ,america2 and yet if boiled in water which is thrown away1 having absorbed all its grosser essences1 and then boiled again and chopped and dressed with butter and cream1 it is an excellent vegetable4 ,its disagreeable odour has led to its expulsion from many a house1 but corn-beef and cabbage are not to be despised4 ,cauliflower1 which ,thackeray calls the apotheosis of cabbage1 is the most delicate of vegetables2 and a pure of cauliflower shall close our chapter on soups4 ,boil in salted water1 using a small piece of butter1 two heads of cauliflower1 drain and pass them through a colander1 dilute with two quarts of sauce and a quart of chicken broth1 season with salt1 white pepper1 and grated nutmeg4 ,add a teaspoonful of fine white sugar1 then pass the whole forcibly with a wooden presser through a fine sieve1--the finer the sieve the better the pure4 ,put the residue in a stewpan1 set it on the fire1 stir all the while till it boils1 let it boil for ten minutes1 strain well1 add a mixture made with the yolks of six eggs and half a pint of cream1 finish with four ounces of table butter1 and serve with small1 fried1 square crotons4 ,a pure of celery is equally excellent2 but all these soups require an intelligent cook4 ,it is better to have one's cook taught to make soups by an expert1 for it is the most difficult of all the dishes1 if thoroughly good4 ,the plain soup1 free from grease and well flavoured1 is easy enough after a little training1 but the chief ingredient of soup is brains1 according to a ,london chef4 ,it is1 however1 a good practice for an amateur cook to experiment and to try these various recipes1 all of which are practicable4 ,,fish4 ,what is thy diet8 ,canst thou gulf a shoal ,of herrings8 ,or hast thou gorge and room ,to bolt fat porpoises and dolphins whole ,by dozens1 e'en as oysters we consume8 ,,punch4 ,the world's mine oyster1 which ,i with sword will open4 ,,hotspur4 ,the ,egyptians1 strange to say1 did not deify fish1 that important article of their food4 ,we read of the enormous yield of ,lake ,moeris1 which was dammed up by the great ,rameses1 and whose draught of fishes brought him so enormous a revenue4 ,one of the most fascinating of all the ,egyptian ,queens1 ,sonivaphra1 received the revenues of one of these fisheries to keep her in shoe-strings1--probably another name for pin money4 ,and yet the ,egyptians1 while mummying the cats and dogs and beetles1 and such small deer1 made no gods of the good carp or other fish which must have stocked the river ,nile4 ,they emblazoned the crocodile on their monuments1 but never a fish4 ,it is a singular foreshadowing of that great vice of the human race1 ingratitude4 ,the ,romans were fond of fish1 and the records of their gastronomy abound in fish stories4 ,we read of ,licinius ,crassus1 the orator1 that he lived in a house of great elegance and beauty4 ,this house was called the ,venus of the ,palatine1 and was remarkable for its size1 the taste of the furniture1 and the beauty of the grounds4 ,it was adorned with pillars of ,hymettian marbles1 with expensive vases and triclinia inlaid with brass2 his gardens were provided with fish-ponds1 and noble lotus-trees shaded his walks4 ,abenobarbus1 his colleague in the censorship1 found fault with such luxury1 such corruption of manners1 and complained of his crying for the loss of a lamprey as if it had been a favourite daughter6 ,this1 however1 was a tame lamprey1 which used to come to the call of ,crassus and feed out of his hand4 ,crassus retorted by a public speech against his colleague1 and by his great power of ridicule turned him into derision1 jested upon his name1 and to the accusation of weeping for a lamprey1 replied that it was more than ,abenobarbus had done for the loss of any of his three wives6 ,in the sixteenth century1 that golden age of the ,vatican1 the splendid court of ,leo ,x4 was the centre of artistic and literary life1 and the witty and pleasure-loving ,pope made its gardens the scene of his banquets and concerts1 where he listened to the recitations of the poets who sprung up under his protection4 ,there beneath the shadow of the ilex and the lauristines1 in a circle so refined that ladies were admitted1 ,leo himself leaned on the shoulder of the handsome ,raphael1 who was allowed to caress and admire the ,medicean white hand of his noble patron4 ,we read that this famous ,pope was so fastidious as to the fish dinners of ,lent1 that he invented twenty different recipes for the chowder of that day6 ,walking in disguise with ,raphael through the fish-market1 he espied a boy who1 on his knees1 was presenting a fish to a pretty contadina4 ,the scene took form and immortality in the famous ,vierge au ,poisson1 in which1 conducted by the ,angel ,gabriel1 the youthful ,saint ,john presents the fish to the ,virgin and child1--a beautiful picture for the church whose patron saint was a fisherman4 ,indeed1 that picture of the sea of ,galilee1 and the sacred meaning attached to the etymology of the word fish1 has given the finny wanderer of the seas a peculiar and valuable personality4 ,all this1 with the selection by our ,lord of so many of his disciples from amongst the fishermen1 the many poetical associations which form around this1 the cheapest and most delicate form of food with which the ,creator has stocked this world of ours1 would1 if followed out1 afford a volume of suggestion1 quotation1 poetry1 and romance with which to embellish the art of entertaining4 ,fish is now believed to produce aliment for the brain1 and as such is recommended to all authors and editors1 statesmen1 poets and lawyers1 clergymen and mathematicians1--all who draw on that finer fibre of the brain which is used for the production of poetry or prose4 ,england is famed for its good fish1 as why should it not be1 with the ocean around it8 ,the turbot is1 par excellence1 the fish for a ,lord ,mayor's dinner1 and it is admirable la crme for anybody's dinner4 ,excellent is the whitebait of ,richmond1 that mysterious little dwarf4 ,eaten with slices of brown bread and butter it is a very delicious morsel1 and the whiting1 which always comes to the table with his tail in his mouth1 beautifully browned outside1 white as snow within1 what so excellent as a whiting1 except a sole au gratin with sauce ,tartare8 ,fresh herrings in ,scotland are delicious1 almost equal to the red mullets which ,csar once ate at ,marseilles4 ,the fresh sardines at ,nice1 and all along the ,mediterranean1 are very delicate1 as are the thousand shell-fish4 ,the langoose1 or large lobster of ,france and the ,mediterranean1 is a surprise to the ,american traveller4 ,not so delicate as our ,american lobster1 it still is admirable for a salad4 ,it is so large that the flesh--if a fish has flesh--can be sliced up and served like cold roast turkey4 ,the salmon1 king of fish1 inspires in his capture1 in ,scotland rivers1 in ,labrador1 in ,canada1 some of the best writing of the day4 ,william ,black1 in ,scotland1 and ,dr4 ,wier ,mitchell1 of ,philadelphia1 can tell stories of salmon-fishing which are as brilliant as ,victor ,hugo's description of ,waterloo1 or of that mysterious jelly-fish in his novel1 ,the ,toilers of the ,sea4 ,the ,new ,york market boasts the red snapper1 the sheepshead1 the salmon1 the salmon-trout1 the ,spanish mackerel1 most toothsome of viands1 the sea bass1 cod1 halibut1 the shad1 the greatest profusion of excellent oysters and clams1 the cheap pan-fish1 and endless eels4 ,the ,french make many fine dishes of eels1 as the ,romans did4 ,to be good1 fish must be fresh4 ,it is absolutely indispensable1 to retain certain flavours1 that the fish should go from one element to another1 out of the water into the fire1 and onto the gridiron or into the frying pan as soon as possible4 ,therefore1 if the housewife has a fish seasonable and fresh1 and a gridiron1 she can make a good dish for a hungry man4 ,we shall begin with the cheapest of the products of the water1 and although they may squirm out of our hands1 try to bring to the table the despised eels4 ,an old proverb said that matrimony was a bag in which there were ninety-nine snakes and one eel1 and the young lady who put her hand into this agreeable company had small chance at the eel4 ,it would seem at first blush as if no one would care particularly for the eel4 ,in old ,england1 eels were exceedingly popular1 and the monks dearly loved to feed upon them4 ,the cellarist of ,barking ,abbey1 ,essex1 in the ancient times of monastic foundations1 was1 amongst other eatables1 to provide stewed eels in ,lent and to bake eels on ,shrove ,tuesday4 ,there were artificial receptacles made for eels4 ,the cruel custom of salting eels alive is mentioned by some old writers4 ,when the old serpent appeared in the guise of a stewed eel it was impossible to resist him4 ,eels en matelote should be cut in three-inch pieces1 and salted2 fry an onion brown in a little dripping1 add half a pint of broth to the brown onion1 part of a bay leaf1 six broken pepper-corns1 four whole cloves1 and a gill of claret4 ,add the eels to this and simmer until thoroughly cooked4 ,remove the eels1 put them on a hot dish1 add a teaspoonful of brown flour to the sauce1 strain and pour over the eels4 ,spatch-cooked eels are good4 ,fricasseed eels3 ,cut three pounds of eels into pieces of three inches in length1 put them into a stewpan1 and cover them with ,rhine wine1 or two thirds water and one third vinegar2 add fifteen oysters1 two pieces of lemon1 a bouquet of herbs1 one onion quartered1 six cloves1 three stalks of celery1 a pinch of cayenne pepper1 and salt to taste4 ,stew the eels one hour1 remove them from the dish1 strain the liquor4 ,put it back into the saucepan with a gill of cream and an ounce of butter rolled in flour1 simmer gently a few minutes1 pour over the fish1 and you have a dish for a king4 ,stewed eels are great favourites with gourmets1 cooked as follows3-- ,cut into three-inch pieces two pounds of medium-sized cleaned eels4 ,rub the inside of each piece with salt4 ,let them stand half an hour1 then parboil them4 ,boil an onion in a quart of milk and remove the onion4 ,drain the eels from the water and add them to the milk4 ,season with half a teaspoonful of chopped parsley1 salt and pepper1 and the smallest bit of mace4 ,simmer until the flesh falls from the bones4 ,fried eels should be slightly salted before cooking4 ,do not cover them with batter1 but dredge them with just flour enough to absorb all moisture1 then cover them with boiling lard4 ,as for the thousand and one recipes for cooking an oyster1 no one need tell an ,american hostess much on that subject4 ,raw1 roasted1 boiled1 stewed1 scalloped and baked in patties1 what so savoury as the oyster8 ,they should be bought alive1 and opened with care by an expert1 for the bits of shell are dangerous4 ,if eaten raw1 pieces of lemon should be served with them4 ,plates of majolica to hold five or seven oysters are now to be bought at all the best crockery stores4 ,to stew oysters well1 cream and butter should be added1 and the whole mixture done in a silver dish over an alcohol lamp4 ,broiled oysters should be dipped first in melted butter1 then in bread crumbs1 then put in a very fine wire gridiron1 and broiled over a bright bed of coals4 ,scalloped oysters should be carefully dried with a clean napkin1 then laid in a deep dish on a bed of crumbs and fresh butter1 all softened by the liquor of the oyster2 a layer of oysters and a layer of crumbs should follow each other1 with little walnuts of butter put between4 ,the mixture should be put in a very hot oven and baked a delicate brown1 but not dried4 ,the plain fried oyster is very popular1 but it should not be cooked in small houses just before an entertainment1 as the odour is not appetizing4 ,to dip them in egg batter1 then in bread-crumbs1 and fry them in drippings is a common and good fashion4 ,a more elaborate fashion is to beat up the yolks of four eggs with three tablespoonfuls of sweet oil1 and season them with a teaspoonful of salt1 and a saltspoonful of cayenne pepper4 ,beat up thoroughly1 dip each oyster in this mixture and then in bread crumbs1 and fry in hot oil4 ,the best and most elegant way of cooking an oyster is1 however1 la poulette4 ,scald the oysters in their own liquor1 drain them1 and add to the liquor1 salt1 half an ounce of butter1 the juice of half a lemon1 a gill of cream1 and a teaspoonful of dissolved flour4 ,beat the yolk of one egg1 and add to the sauce1 stir until the sauce thickens2 place the oysters on a hot dish1 pour the sauce over them1 add a little chopped parsley and serve4 ,a simpler and more primitive but excellent way of cooking oysters is to clean the shells thoroughly1 and place them in the coals in an open fireplace1 or to roast them in hot ashes until the shells snap open4 ,when the oyster departs then the clam takes his place1 and is delicious as an avant got or an appetizer at a dinner4 ,if clams are broiled they must be done quickly1 else they become hard and indigestible4 ,the soft-shell clam1 scalloped1 makes a good dish4 ,clean the shells well1 then put two clams to each shell1 with half a teaspoonful of minced celery4 ,cut a slice of fat bacon small1 add a little to each shell1 put bread crumbs on top and a little pat of butter1 bake in the oven until brown4 ,a clam broth is a delicious and healthful beverage for sick or well2 add cream and a spoonful of sherry to it1 and it becomes a fabulously fine thing4 ,in this mixture the clams must be strained out before the cream and wine are added4 ,but if the clam is good what shall we say of crabs4 ,hard-shell crabs must be boiled about twelve minutes1 drained1 and set away to cool4 ,eaten with sandwiches and a dressing they are considered a delicacy for supper4 ,they can be more cooked with chopped eggs1 or treated like a chicken pasty1 and cooked in a paste shell they are very good4 ,take half an ounce of butter1 half an onion minced1 half a pound of minced raw veal1 and a small carrot shredded1 a chopped crab1 a pint of boiling cream2 simmer an hour1 then strain into a saucepan1 and what a sauce you have6 ,the soft-shell crab is an invalid4 ,he is caught when he is helpless1 feverish1 and not at all1 one would say1 healthy4 ,he is killed by the jarring of the train1 by thunder1 by some passing noisy cart1 and some say by a fall in stocks1 or a sudden change in political circles4 ,such sensitive creatures must be cooked as soon as possible4 ,it is only necessary to remove the feathery substance under the pointed sides of the shells1 rinse them in cold water1 drain1 season with salt and pepper1 dredge them in flour and fry in hot fat4 ,crab patties and crabs cooked in any other way than this fail to please the epicure4 ,nothing with so pronounced an individuality as a soft-shelled crab should be disguised4 ,a devilled crab is considered good1 but it should be cooked by a negro expert from ,maryland4 ,scallops are essentially good in stews1 or fried1 and when1 cut in small pieces1 with a pint of milk1 a little butter1 and a little salt1 they again return to their beautiful shells and are baked as a scallop1 they are delicious4 ,put in pork fat1 and fried1 they are also very fine4 ,the lobster is now considered very healthful1 and as conveying more phosphorus into the human system than any other fish4 ,broiled1 devilled1 stewed1 cooked in a fashion called ,bourdelaise1 it is the most delicious of dishes1 and as a salad what can equal it8 ,a baked whitefish with ,bordeaux sauce is very fine4 ,clean and stuff the fish with bread-crumbs1 onions1 butter1 and sweet marjoram4 ,put it in a baking pan1 add a liberal quantity of butter previously rolled in flour1 put in the pan a pint of claret1 and bake for an hour4 ,remove the fish and strain the gravy1 put in a teaspoonful of brown flour and a pinch of cayenne pepper4 ,halibut with an egg sauce and a border of parsley is a dish for a banquet1 only the cook must know how to make egg sauce4 ,supposing we tell her8 ,put two ounces of butter in a stew-pan2 when it melts1 add one ounce of flour4 ,stir for one minute or more1 but do not brown4 ,then add by degrees two gills of boiling water1 stirring until smooth1 and boiling about two minutes4 ,if not perfectly smooth1 pass it through a sieve2 then add another ounce of butter cut in pieces4 ,when the butter is melted1 add three hard-boiled eggs1 chopped not too fine1 season with pepper and salt1 and serve immediately4 ,this sauce is admirable for cod1 and for all boiled fish4 ,but the perfectest thing on earth is a broiled fish1 a shad for instance2 and one of the best preventives against burning is to rub olive oil on the fish before putting it on the gridiron4 ,charcoal affords the best fire1 and it must be free from all smoke and flame4 ,a little sweet butter1 half a teaspoonful of chopped parsley and the juice of a lemon should be melted together1 and stand ready to be poured over the broiled fish4 ,mr4 ,lowell1 in one of his delightful1 witty papers in the ,atlantic ,monthly years ago1 regretted that he could not find a gridiron near the ,st4 ,lawrence1 although its patron saint suffered martyrdom on that excellent kitchen utensil4 ,it is a lamentable fact that wood fires and gridirons are giving out4 ,they contain within themselves the merits of all the kitchen ranges1 all the lost juices of that early ,american cookery1 which one who has tasted it can never forget4 ,where are the broils of our childhood8 ,codfish is a family stand-by1 but a tasteless fish unless covered with oysters or something very good2 but salt-codfish balls are a great luxury4 ,brook trout1 boiled1 baked1 and broiled1 are all inferior to the fry4 ,the frying-pan has to answer for a multitude of sins1 but nothing so base can be found as to deprive it of its great glory in sending us a fried brook-trout4 ,clean and rinse a quarter-of-a-pound trout in cold water1 says one recipe4 ,why not a pound-and-a-quarter trout8 ,the recipe begins later on3 after some pork has been fried in the pan1 throw in your carefully cleaned fish1 no matter what their weight may be1 turn them three times most carefully4 ,send to table without adding or detracting from their flavour4 ,this is for the sportsman who cooks his trout himself by a wood fire in the woods2 and no other man ever arrives at just that perfect way of cooking a trout4 ,when the trout has come down from cooling springs to the hot city1 it requires a seasoning of salt1 pepper1 and lemon-juice4 ,frogs--frogs as cooked in ,france1 grenouilles la poulette--are a most luxurious delicacy4 ,they are very expensive and are to be bought at the march ,st4 ,honor4 ,as only the hind legs are eaten1 and the price is fifteen francs a dozen1 they are not often seen4 ,we might have them in this country for the catching4 ,of their tenderness1 succulence1 and delicacy of flavour there can be no question4 ,they are clean feeders1 and undoubtedly wholesome4 ,sala1 writing in ,breakfasts in ,bed does not praise bouillabaisse4 ,he declares that the cooks plunge a rolling-pin in tallow and then with it stir that pot pourri of red mullet1 tomatoes1 red pepper1 red ,burgundy1 oil1 and garlic to which ,thackeray has written so delightful a lyric4 ,against fish soups1 turtle1 terrapin1 oyster1 and bisque1 he says1 ,i can offer no objection4 ,the ,italians again have their good zuppa marinara1 which is not all like the bouillabaisse1 and the ,russians make a very appetizing fish pottage which is called batwina1 the stock of which is composed of kraus1 or half-brewed barley beer1 and oil4 ,into this is put the fish known as the sterlet of the ,volga1 or the sassina of the ,gulf of ,finland1 together with bay leaves1 pepper1 and lumps of ice4 ,batwina is better than bouillabaisse4 ,,the ,,salad4 ,epicurean cooks shall sharpen with cloyless sauce the appetite4 ,of all the vegetables of which a salad can be made1 lettuce is the greatest favourite4 ,that lettuce which is panache1 says the ,almanach des ,gourmands1 that is1 when it has streaked or variegated leaves1 is truly une salade de distinction4 ,we prefer in this country the fine1 crisp1 solid little heads1 of which the leaves are bright green4 ,the milky juices of the lettuce are soporific1 like opium seeds1 and predispose the eater to sleep1 or to repose of temper and to philosophic thought4 ,after1 or before1 lettuce comes the fragrant celery1 always an appetizer4 ,then the tomato1 a noble fruit as sweet in smell as ,araby the blest1 which makes an illustrious salad4 ,its medicinal virtue is as great as its gastronomical goodness4 ,it is the friend of the well1 for it keeps them well1 and the friend of the sick1 for it brings them back to the lost sheep-folds of hygeia4 ,there are water-cress and dandelion1 common mustard1 boiled asparagus1 and beet root1 potato salad1 beloved of the ,germans1 the cucumber1 most fragrant and delicate of salads1 a salad of eggs1 of lobsters1 of chickens1 sausages1 herrings1 and sardines4 ,anything that is edible can be made into a salad1 and a vegetable mixture of cold ,french beans1 boiled peas1 carrots and potato1 onion1 green peppers1 and cucumber1 covered with fresh mayonnaise dressing1 is served ice cold in ,france1 to admiration4 ,to learn to make a salad is the most important of qualifications for one who would master the art of entertaining4 ,here is a good recipe for the dressing3-- ,two yolks of eggs1 a teaspoonful of salt1 and three of mustard1--it should have been mixed with hot water before using1--a little cayenne pepper1 a spoonful of vinegar2 pound the eggs and mix well4 ,common vinegar is preferred by many1 but some like tarragon vinegar better4 ,stir this gently for a minute1 then add two full spoonfuls of best oil of ,lucca4 ,a sage for the mustard1 a miser for the vinegar1 a spendthrift for the oil1 and a madman to stir is the old saw4 ,add a teaspoonful of brown sugar1 half a dozen little spring onions cut fine1 three or four slices of beet root1 the white of the egg1 not cut too small1 and then the lettuce itself1 which should be torn from the head stock by the fingers4 ,some ,french salad dressers say fatiguez la salade1 which means1 shake it1 mix it1 and bruise it2 but the modern arrangement is to delicately cover the leaves with the dressing1 and not to bruise them4 ,this is an old-fashioned salad4 ,an excellent salad of cold boiled potatoes cut into slices about an inch thick1 may be made with thin slices of fresh beet root1 and onions cut very thin1 and very little of them1 with the same dressing1 minus the sugar4 ,francatelli speaks of a ,russian salad with lobster1 a ,german salad with herrings1 and an ,italian salad with potatoes2 but these come more under the head of the mayonnaises than of the simpler salads4 ,the cucumber comes next to lettuce1 as a purely vegetable salad1 and is most desirable with fish4 ,dr4 ,johnson declared that the best thing you could do with a cucumber1 after you had prepared it with much care and thought1 was to throw it out of the window2 but ,dr4 ,johnson1 although he could write ,rasselas and a dictionary1 knew nothing about the art of entertaining4 ,he was an eater1 a glutton1 a gourmand1 not a gourmet4 ,how should he dare to speak against a cucumber salad8 ,endive and chiccory should be added to the list of vegetable salads4 ,neither of them is good1 however4 ,an old-fashioned ,french salad is made thus3 ,chop three anchovies1 an onion1 and some parsley small2 put them in a bowl with two tablespoonfuls of vinegar1 one of oil1 a little mustard and salt4 ,when well mixed1 add some slices of cold roast beef not exceeding two or three inches long4 ,make three hours before eating4 ,garnish with parsley4 ,this is by no means a bad way of serving up yesterday's roast beef4 ,the etymology of salad is said to be sal1 or something salted4 ,shakspeare mentions the salad five or six times4 ,in ,henry ,,vi41 ,jack ,cade1 in his extremity of peril when hiding from his pursuers in ,ida's garden1 says he has climbed over the wall to see if he could eat grass1 or pick a salad1 which he says will not come amiss to cool a man's stomach in the hot weather4 ,in ,antony and ,cleopatra1 the passionate queen speaks of her salad days when she was green in judgment1 cool in blood4 ,this means1 however1 something raw or unripe4 ,hamlet uses the word with the more ancient orthography of sallet1 and says in his speech to the players1 ,i remember when there were no sallets in these times to make them savoury4 ,by this he meant there was nothing piquant in them1 no ,attic salt4 ,one author1 not so illustrious1 claims that the noblest prerogative of man is that he is a cooking animal1 and a salad eater4 ,the lion is generous as a hero1 the rat artful as a lawyer1 the dove gentle as a lover1 the beaver is a good engineer1 the monkey is a clever actor1 but none of them can make a salad4 ,the wisest sheep never thought of culling and testing his grasses1 seasoning them with thyme or tarragon1 softening them with oil1 exasperating them with mustard1 sharpening them with vinegar1 spiritualizing them with a suspicion of onions1 in that no sheep has made a salad4 ,their only sauce is hunger4 ,salads1 says this pleasant writer1 were invented by ,adam and ,eve1--probably made of pomegranates as to-day in ,spain4 ,of all salads1 lobster is the most picturesque and beautiful4 ,its very scarlet is a trumpet tone to appetite4 ,it lies embedded in green leaves like a magnificent tropical cactus4 ,a good dressing for lobster is essence of anchovy1 mushroom ketchup1 hard-boiled eggs1 and a little cream4 ,mashed potatoes1 rubbed down with cream1 or simply mixed with vinegar1 are no bad substitute for eggs1 and impart to the salad a new and not unpleasing flavour4 ,french beans1 the most delicate of vegetables1 give the salad eater a new sensation4 ,a dressing can be mixed in the following proportions3 ,four mustard ladles of mustard1 four salt ladles of salt4 ,three spoonfuls of best ,italian oil1 twelve of vinegar1 three unboiled eggs4 ,all are to be carefully rubbed together4 ,this is for those who like sours and not sweets4 ,an old ,french migr1 who had to make his living in ,england during the time of the ,regency1 a man of taste and refinement1 an epicurean ,marquis1 carried to noblemen's houses his mahogany box full of essences1 spices1 and condiments1 and made his salad in this way3 he chopped up three anchovies with a little shallot and some parsley2 these he threw into a bowl with a little mustard and salt1 two tablespoonfuls of oil1 and one brimming over with vinegar4 ,when thoroughly merged he added his lettuce1 or celery1 or potato1 extremely thin1 short slices of best ,westphalia ham1 or the finest roast beef1 which he had steeped in the vinegar4 ,he garnished with parsley and a few layers of bacon4 ,this man was called ,le ,roi de la salade4 ,a cod mayonnaise is a good dish3-- ,boil a large cod in the morning4 ,let it cool2 then remove the skin and bones4 ,for sauce put some thick cream in a porcelain sauce-pan and thicken it with corn-flour which has been mixed with cold water4 ,when it begins to boil stir in the beaten yolks of two eggs4 ,as it cools beat it well to prevent it from being lumpy1 and when nearly cold stir in the juice of two lemons1 a little tarragon vinegar1 a pinch of salt1 and a soupon of cayenne pepper4 ,peel and slice some very ripe tomatoes or cold potatoes1 steep them in vinegar with cayenne1 pounded ginger1 and plenty of salt4 ,lay these around the fish and cover with cream sauce4 ,the tomatoes and potatoes should be carefully drained before they are placed around the fish4 ,a salmon covered with a green sauce is a famous dish for a ball supper2 indeed1 there are thirty or forty salads with a cold fish foundation4 ,this art of dressing cold vegetables with pepper1 salt1 oil1 and vinegar1 should be studied4 ,in ,france they give you these salads to perfection at the djeuner la fourchette4 ,fillippini1 of ,delmonico's1 in his admirable work1 ,the ,table1 adds ,swedish salad1 ,string ,bean ,salad1 ,russian ,salad1 ,salad ,macdoine1 ,escarolle1 ,doucette1 ,dandelion la coutoise1 ,baib de ,capucine1 ,cauliflower salad1 and ,salad a l',italian4 ,i advise any young housekeeper to buy this book of his1 as suggestive4 ,it is too elaborate and learned1 however1 for practical application to any household except one in which a ,french cook is kept4 ,a mayonnaise dressing is a triumph of art when well made3-- ,a tablespoonful of mustard1 one teaspoonful of salt1 the yolk of three uncooked eggs1 the juice of half a lemon1 a quarter of a cupful of butter1 a pint of oil1 and a cupful of whipped cream4 ,beat the yolks and dry ingredients until they are very light1 with a wooden spoon or with a wire beater4 ,the bowl in which the dressing is being made should be set in a pan of ice water4 ,add oil1 a few drops at a time1 until the dressing becomes thick and rather hard4 ,after it has reached this stage the oil can be added more rapidly4 ,when it gets so thick as to be difficult to beat add a little vinegar1 then add the juice of the lemon and the whipped cream1 and place on ice until desired to be used4 ,another dressing can be made more quickly3-- ,the yolk of a raw egg1 a tablespoonful of mixed mustard1 one fourth of a teaspoonful of salt1 six tablespoonfuls of oil4 ,stir the yolk1 mustard1 and salt together with a fork until they begin to thicken2 add the oil gradually1 stirring all the time4 ,an excellent salad dressing is also made by using the yolk of hard-boiled eggs1 some cold mashed potatoes well pressed together with a fork1 oil1 vinegar1 mustard1 and salt rubbed in1 in the proportions of two of oil to one of vinegar4 ,a salad must be fresh and freshly made1 to be good4 ,never serve a salad the second day2 and it is not well to cover a delicate salad with too much mayonnaise4 ,the very heart of the celery or the delicate inner leaves of the lettuce are the best for dinners4 ,the heavy chicken and lobster1 cabbage and potato salads1 are dishes for lunches and suppers4 ,the chief employment of a kitchen maid1 in ,france1 where a man cook is kept1 is to wash the vegetables2 and you see her swinging the salad in a wire safe after washing it delicately in fresh water4 ,the care bestowed on these minor morals of cookery1 so often wholly neglected1 adds the finishing touch to the excellence of a ,french dinner4 ,for a green mayonnaise dressing1 so much admired on salmon1 use a little chopped spinach and finely chopped parsley4 ,the juice from boiled beets can be used to make a fine red dressing4 ,two of these dishes will make a plain1 country lunch-table very nice1 and will have an appetizing effect1 as has anything that betokens care1 forethought1 neatness1 and taste4 ,some people cannot eat oil4 ,often the best oil cannot be bought in a retired and rural neighbourhood4 ,but an excellent substitute is fresh butter or clarified chicken-fat1 very carefully prepared1 and icy cold4 ,the yolks of four raw eggs1 one tablespoonful of salt1 one of mustard1 the juice of a lemon1 and a speck of cayenne pepper should be used4 ,two drops of onion juice1 or a bit of onion sliced1 will add great piquancy to salad dressing1 if every one likes onion4 ,i have never tried the following recipe1--,i have tried all the others1--but ,i have heard that it was very good3 ,four tablespoonfuls of butter1 one of flour1 one tablespoonful of salt1 one of sugar1 one heaping teaspoonful of mustard1 a speck of cayenne1 one cupful of milk1 half a cupful of vinegar1 three eggs4 ,let the butter get hot in a saucepan4 ,add the flour and stir until smooth1 being careful not to brown4 ,add the milk and boil up4 ,place the saucepan in another of hot water4 ,beat the eggs1 salt1 pepper1 sugar1 and mustard together1 and add the vinegar4 ,stir this into the boiling mixture and stir until it thickens like soft custard1 which will be about five minutes4 ,set away to cool1 and when cold1 bottle and place in the ice-chest4 ,this will keep two weeks4 ,if one wishes to use prepared mayonnaise it is better to buy that which is sold at the grocers4 ,it has not the charm of a fresh dressing1 however1 but is rather like those elaborated impromptus which some studied talkers get off4 ,a very pretty salad can be made of nasturtium-blossoms1 buttercups1 a head of lettuce1 and a pint of water-cresses4 ,it is to be covered with the ,french dressing and eaten immediately4 ,asparagus is so good in itself that it seems a shame to dress it as a salad2 yet it is very good eaten with oil1 vinegar1 and salt4 ,cauliflower1 cold1 is delicious as a salad1 and can be made very ornamental with a garniture of beet root1 which is a good ingredient for a salad of salt codfish1 boiled4 ,sardine salads are very appetizing for lunch4 ,arrange a cold salmon or codfish on a bed of lettuce4 ,split six sardines1 remove the bones1 and mix them into the dressing4 ,garnish the whole dish with sardines1 and cover with the dressing4 ,all kinds of cooked fish can be served with salads4 ,lettuce is the best green salad to serve with them2 but all cooked and cold vegetables go well with fish4 ,add capers to the mayonnaise4 ,a housekeeper who has conquered the salad question can always add to the plainest dinner a desirable dish4 ,she can feed the hungry1 and she can stimulate the most jaded fancy of the over-fastidious gourmet by these delicate and consummate luxuries4 ,here is ,sydney ,smith's recipe for a salad3-- ,to make this condiment your poet begs ,the pounded yellow of two hard-boiled eggs2 ,two boiled potatoes1 passed through kitchen sieve1 ,smoothness and softness to the salad give4 ,let onion atoms wink within the bowl1 ,and half suspected1 animate the whole2 ,of mordant mustard1 add a single spoon1 7,distrust the condiment that bites too soon71 ,but deem it not1 thou man of herbs1 a fault1 ,to add a double quantity of salt4 ,four times the spoon with oil of ,lucca crown1 ,and twice with vinegar1 procured from town2 ,and lastly1 o'er the favoured compound toss ,a magic soupon of anchovy sauce4 ,oh1 green and glorious6 ,oh1 herbaceous treat6 ',t would tempt the dying anchorite to eat6 ,back to the world would turn his fleeting soul1 ,to plunge his fingers in a salad bowl6 ,serenely full1 the epicure would say1 ',fate cannot harm me1--,i have dined to-day4' ,,lobster ,,salad4 ,take1 take lobsters and lettuces1 ,mind that they send you the fish that you order2 ,take1 take a decent sized salad bowl1 ,one that's sufficiently deep in the border2 ,cut into many a slice1 ,all of the fish that's nice2 ,place in the bowl with due neatness and order2 ,then hard-boiled eggs you may ,add in a neat array1 ,all toward the bowl1 just by way of a border4 ,take from the cellar of salt a proportion1 ,take from the castors both pepper and oil1 ,with vinegar too1 but a moderate portion1-- ,too much of acid your salad will spoil2 ,mix them together1 ,you need not mind whether ,you blend them exactly in apple-pie order1 ,but when you've stirred away1 ,mix up the whole you may1 ,all but the eggs which are used as a border4 ,take1 take plenty of seasoning2 ,a teaspoonful of parsley that's chopped in small pieces ,though1 though1 the point will bear reasoning1 ,a small taste of onion the flavour increases ,as the sauce curdle may1 ,should it1 the process stay4 ,patiently do it again in good order2 ,for if you chance to spoil ,vinegar1 eggs1 and oil1 ,still to proceed would on lunacy border4 ,a ,spanish salad1 gaspacho1 is a favourite food of the ,andalusian peasant4 ,it is but bread soaked in oil and water1 with a large ,spanish onion peeled1 and a fresh cucumber4 ,slice three tomatoes1 take out the grain and cut up the fruit4 ,arrange carefully all these materials in a shallow earthen pan1 tier upon tier1 salting and peppering each to taste1 pouring in oil plentifully1 and vinegar4 ,last of all1 let the salad lie in some cool spot for an hour or two1 then sprinkle over it two handfuls of bread-crumbs4 ,in ,spanish peasant houses1 the big wooden bowl hanging below the eaves to keep it cool is always ready for attack4 ,the oil in ,spain is not to our taste2 but the salad made as above1 with good oil1 is delicious4 ,it should have a sprinkling of red pepper4 ,,desserts4 ,there is not in the wide world so tempting a sweet ,as that trifle where custard and macaroons meet4 ,oh6 the latest sweet tooth from my head must depart ,ere the taste of that trifle shall not win my heart4 ,yet it is not the sugar that's thrown in between1 ,nor the peel of the lemon so candied and green1 ',t is not the rich cream that's whipped up by a mill1 ,oh1 no2 it is something more exquisite still6 ,the great meaning of dessert is to offer something more exquisite still4 ,and it is the province of the housekeeper1 be she young or old1 to study how this can be done4 ,nothing in ,european dinners can compare with the ,american custards1 puddings1 and pies4 ,we are accused as a nation of having eaten too many sweets1 and of having ruined our teeth thereby2 but who that has languished in ,england over the insipid desserts at hotels1 and the tooth-sharpeners called sweets1 meaning tarts as sour as an east wind1 has not sighed for an ,american pie8 ,in ,paris the cakes are pretty to look at1 but oh1 how they break their promise when you eat them6 ,nothing but sweetened white of egg4 ,one thing they surpass us in1--omelette souffl2 and a gteau ,st4 ,honor is good1 but with that word of praise we dismiss the great ,french nation4 ,just look at our grand list of fruit desserts3 apple charlotte1 apricots with rice1 banana charlotte1 banana fritters1 blackberry short-cake1 strawberry short-cake1 velvet cream with strawberries1 fresh pine-apples in jelly1 frozen bananas1 frozen peaches in cream1 orange cocoanut salad1 orange salad1 peach fritters1 peach meringue1 peach short-cake1 plum salad1 salad of mixed fruits1 sliced pears with whipped cream1 stewed pears1 plain1 and pumpkin pie6 ,but oh6 there is something more exquisite still1 and that is an apple pie4 ,all new dishes fade1 the newest oft the fleetest2 ,of all the pies ever made1 the apple's still the sweetest4 ,cut and come again1 the syrup upward springing1 ,while life and taste remain1 to thee my heart is clinging4 ,who a pie would make1 first his apple slices1 ,then he ought to take some cloves and the best of spices1 ,grate some lemon rind1 butter add discreetly1 ,then some sugar mix1 but mind1--the pie not made too sweetly4 ,if a cook of taste be competent to make it1 ,in the finest paste will enclose and bake it4 ,during years of foreign travel ,i have never met a dish so perfect as the ,american apple pie can be1 with cream4 ,then look at our puddings2 they are richer1 sweeter1 more varied than any in the world1 the ,english plum-pudding excepted4 ,that is a ponderous dainty1 which few can eat4 ,it looks well when dressed with holly and lighted up1 but it is not to be eaten every day4 ,baked bread pudding1 carrot pudding1 exceedingly delicate1 chocolate pudding1 cold cabinet-pudding1 boiled rice-pudding with custard sauce1 poor man's rice-pudding1 green-apple pudding1 ,indian pudding1 minute pudding1 tapioca pudding1 and all the custards boiled and baked with infinite variety of flavour1--these are the every-day luxuries1 and they are very great ones1 of the ,american table4 ,one charming thing about dessert and ,american dishes is that ladies can make them4 ,they do not flush the face or derange the white apron4 ,they are pleasant things to dally with1--milk and eggs1 and spice and sugar4 ,a model kitchen is every lady's delight4 ,in these days of tiles1 and marble pastry-boards1 and modern improvements1 what pretty things kitchens are4 ,the model dairy1 too1 is a delight1 with its upright milk-pans1 in which the cream is marked off by a neat little thermometer1 and its fire-brick floor4 ,how cool and neat it is6 ,sometimes a stream of fresh water flows under the floor1 as the river runs under the ,chteau of ,chenonceaux1 where ,diane de ,poitiers dressed her golden hair4 ,in the model kitchen is the exquisite range1 with its polished batterie de cuisine4 ,every brilliant saucepan seems to say1 ,come and cook in me2 every porcelain-lined pan urges upon one the necessity of stewing nectarines in white sugar2 every bright can suggests the word conserve1 which always makes the mouth water2 every clatter of the skewers says1 ,dainty dishes1 come and make me4 ,all this is quite fascinating to an amateur4 ,no pretty woman1 if she did but know it1 is ever so pretty as when she is playing cook1 and doing it well4 ,the clean white apron1 the short1 clean1 cambric gown1 the little cap1 the white1 bare arms1--the glorified creams and jellies1 pies and ,charlotte ,russe1 cakes and puddings1 which fall from such fingers are ambrosial food4 ,there is a great passion1 in the properly regulated woman's heart1 for the cleanly part of the household work4 ,the love of a dairy is1 with many a duchess1 part of the business of her rank4 ,in our country1 where ladies are compelled to put a hand1 once perhaps too often1 owing to the insufficiency of servants1 to the cooking1 it is less a pastime1 but a knowledge of it is indispensable4 ,to cook a heavy dinner in hot weather1 to wash the dishes afterward1 this is sober prose1 and by a very dull author2 but to make the dessert1 this is poetry4 ,in the early morning the hostess should go into her neat dairy to skim the cream2 it will be much thicker if she does4 ,she will prepare all things for the desserts of the day4 ,she will make her well-flavoured custard and set it in the ice-chest4 ,she will place her compote of pears securely on a high shelf1 away from that ubiquitous cat who has1 in most families1 so remarkable and so irrepressible an appetite4 ,then she should make a visit to the kitchen before dinner1 to see to it that the roast birds are garnished with water-cress1 that the vegetables are properly prepared1 that the dishes are without a smear on their lower surface4 ,all this attention makes good servants and very good dinners4 ,in the matter of flavouring1 the coloured race has us at a great disadvantage4 ,any old coloured cook can distance her white ,missus there4 ,this highly gifted race seem to have a sixth sense on the subject of flavours4 ,the rich tropical nature breaks out in reminiscences of orange-blossoms1 pineapple1 guava1 cocoanut1 and mandarin orange4 ,never can the descendants of the poor1 half-starved1 frozen exiles of ,plymouth ,rock hope to achieve such custards and puddings as these ,ethiops pour out4 ,it is as if some luxurious and beneficent gift had left us when we were made poets1 orators1 philosophers1 preachers1 and authors1 when we were given what we proudly term a higher intelligence4 ,who would not exchange all the cold1 mathematical1 intellectual supremacy of which we boast for that luscious gift of making pies and puddings ravir8 ,the making of pastry is so delicate and so varied a task that we can only say1 approach it with cold hands1 cold ice-water1 roll it on a marble slab1 then bake it in a very hot oven4 ,learn to stew well4 ,stew your fruit in a porcelain stewpan before putting it in your tarts4 ,it is one of the most wholesome forms of cookery2 a ,french novelist calls the stewpan the favourite arm1 the talisman of the cook4 ,a celebrated physician said that the action of the stewpan was like that of the stomach1 and it is a great gain if we can help that along4 ,stewing gooseberries1 cherries1 and even apples with sugar and lemon-peel before putting them in the tart1 ensures a good pie4 ,whipped white of egg is an elegant addition to most dessert dishes1 and every lady should provide herself with wire whisks4 ,whipped to a strong froth with sugar1 and lemon or vanilla flavouring1 this garnish makes an ordinary into a superior pudding4 ,new-laid eggs are exceedingly difficult to beat up well4 ,take those which have been laid several days4 ,have a deep bowl with a circular bottom1 and in beating the eggs keep the whisk as much as possible in an upright position1 moving it very rapidly2 a little boiling water1 a tablespoonful to two eggs1 and a teaspoonful of sifted sugar put to them before beating is commenced1 facilitates the operation4 ,for omelette souffl the white of eggs1 beaten1 should be firm enough to cut4 ,an orange-custard pudding is so very good that we must give a time-honoured recipe3-- ,boil a pint of new milk1 pour it upon three eggs lightly beaten1 mix in the grated peel of an orange1 and two ounces of loaf sugar2 beat all together for ten minutes1 then pour the custard into a pie dish1 set it into another containing a little water1 and put it in a moderate oven4 ,when the custard is set1 which generally takes about half an hour1 take it out and let it get cold4 ,then sprinkle over rather thickly some very fine sugar1 and brown with a salamander4 ,this should be eaten cold4 ,of rice and tapioca puddings the variety is endless1 and they are most healthful4 ,a wife who will give her dyspeptic husband a good pudding every day may perhaps save his life1 his fortunes1 and if he is an author1 his literary reputation4 ,an antiquary of the last century wrote1 ,cookery was ever reckoned a branch of the art medical2 the verb curare signifies equally to dress vegetables and to cure a distemper1 and everybody has heard of ,dr4 ,diet1 and kitchen physic4 ,indeed that most sacred part of a woman's duty1 learning to cook for the sick1 can be studied through desserts4 ,a lady1 very ill in ,paris through a long winter1 declared that she would have been cured had she once tasted cream-toast1 or tapioca pudding2 both were luxuries which she never encountered4 ,then come all the jellies2 and it is better to make your own gelatine from the real calves'-feet than to use patent gelatine4 ,the latter1 however1 is very good1 and saves time4 ,it also makes excellent foundation for all the so-called creams4 ,some ardent housekeepers put up all their jams1 preserves1 and currant jelly2 some even make the cordials curaoa1 noyau1 peach brandy1 ginger cordial1 and cherry brandy1 but this is unnecessary4 ,they can be bought cheaper and better than they can be made4 ,the history of liqueurs is a curious one4 ,does any one ever think1 as he tastes ,chartreuse1 of the gloomy monks who dig their own graves1 and never speak save to say1 ,mes frres1 il faut mourir1 who alone can make this sparkling and delicate liqueur which figures at every grand feast8 ,i have made an expedition to their splendid mountain-bound convent4 ,it is one of the most glorious drives in ,europe1 and rises into ,alpine grandeur and solemnity4 ,there1 amid winter's cold and summer's heat1 the ,chartreuse lives in severe penance1 making his hospitable liqueur which enchants the world1 out of the chamomile and other herbs which grow around his convent4 ,the best ,french liqueurs were made formerly at ,la ,cte by the ,visetandine nuns4 ,kirschwasser is made from the cherries which grow in the ,alpine ,tyrol1 in one small province which produces nothing else4 ,liqueurs were invented for ,louis ,,xiv4 in his old age4 ,a cordial was made by mixing brandy with sugar and scents4 ,in making a mince pie1 do not forget the excellent brandy1 and the dash of orange curaoa1 which should be put in by the lady herself4 ,else why is it that otherwise the mince pie seems to lack the inspiriting and hidden fire4 ,we read that there is many a slip 'twixt the cup and the lip4 ,perhaps the cook could tell1 but one may be very sure she will not4 ,the modern1 elegant devices by which strawberries1 violets1 and roseleaves1 orange blossoms1 and indeed all berries can be candied fresh in sugar1 afford a pretty pastime for amateur cooks4 ,but if near a confectioner in the city these can be bought cheaper than they can be made4 ,it may amuse an invalid to make them1 and the art is easily learned4 ,the cheese fondu is a great favourite at foreign desserts4 ,it is of ,swiss origin4 ,it is a healthful1 savoury1 and appetizing dish1 quickly dressed and good to put at the end of a dinner for unexpected guests4 ,take as many eggs as there are guests1 and then about a third as much by weight of the best ,gruyres cheese1 and the half of that of butter4 ,break and beat up well the eggs in a saucepan1 then add the butter and the cheese1 grated or cut in small pieces2 place the saucepan on the fire1 and stir with a wooden spoon till it is of a thick and soft consistence2 put in salt according to the age of the cheese1--fresh cheese requires the most1--and a strong dose of pepper1 then bake it like macaroni and send to table hot4 ,one pie we have which is national2 it is that made of the pumpkin1 and it is notoriously good4 ,also we may claim the squash pie and the sweet-potato pie1 both of which merit the highest encomiums4 ,our fruits are so plentiful and so good that few housekeepers can fail of having a good dessert of fruits alone4 ,but do not force the seasons4 ,take them as they come4 ,when fruits are cheapest then they are best4 ,our peaches have more flavour than those of ,europe1 and our grapes are unrivalled4 ,of plums and pears1 ,france has better than we can boast1 but our strawberries are as good and as plentiful as in ,england4 ,in fact1 all the wild berries which are now getting to be cultivated berries1 like blackberries1 blueberries1 huckleberries1 and raspberries1 are better than similar fruits abroad4 ,the wild strawberry of the ,alps is1 however1 delicious in flavour and sweetness4 ,a very grand dessert is furnished with ices of every flavour1 jellies holding fruit and flavoured with maraschino1 all sorts of bonbons1 nuts in sugar1 candied grapes and oranges1 fresh fruits in season1 and ending with liqueurs and black coffee4 ,a simple pudding1 or pie followed by grapes and peaches1 with the cup of black coffee afterward1 is the national dessert of our ,united ,states4 ,in winter it may be enriched by a ,newtown pippin or a ,king of ,tompkins ,county apple1 some boiled chestnuts and a few other nuts1 some ,florida oranges1 or those delicious little mandarins1 perhaps raised by the immortal ,rip ,van ,winkle1 our own ,joe ,jefferson1 on his ,louisiana estate4 ,he seems to have infused them with the flavour of his own rare and cheerful genius4 ,he has raised a laugh before this1 as well as the best mandarin oranges4 ,some dyspeptics declare that to chew seven roasted almonds after dinner does them good4 ,and the roasted almonds fitly close the chapter on desserts4 ,,german ,,eating ,,and ,,drinking4 ,i wonder if ,charlemagne ever drank ,a tankard of ,assmanschausen4 ,nay6 ,if he had1 his empire never would rank ,as it does with the royalist realms to-day2 ,for the goddess that laughs within the cup ,had wiled and won him from blood and war1 ,and shown1 as he drained her long draughts up1 ,there was something better worth living for ,than kingcraft keeping his gruff brow sad4 ,i wish from my very soul she had4 ,the deep1 dark1 swiftly flowing ,rhine1 its legends1 its forests of silver firs and pines1 its mountains crowned with castles1 and its hillsides blushing with the bending vine1 the convent's ancient walls1 the glistening spire1 the maidens with their plaited hair1 and hands that offer early flowers1 all the bright1 beautiful1 romantic landscape1 the dancing waves which wash its historic shores1 its donjon keeps and haunted ,tenter ,rock1 its ,beetling walls with ivy grown1 ,frowning heights of mossy stone1-- all this beauty is placed in the land of the sauer-kraut1 the herring salad1 the sweet stewed fruit with pork1 pig and prune sauce1 carp stewed in beer1 raw goose-flesh or ,gttingen sausages1 potato sweetened1 and cabbage soured1--in a land1 in short1 whose kitchen is an abomination to all other nations4 ,not that one does not get an excellent dinner at a ,german hotel in a great city4 ,but all the cooks are ,french4 ,the powerful young emperor has1 however1 given his orders that all menus shall hereafter be written in ,german2 the language of ,ude1 ,soyer1 ,valet1 and ,francatelli1 ,brillat1 ,savarin1 and ,bchamel1 is to be replaced by ,german4 ,but if the viands are not good1 the wines are highly praised by the gourmet2 and as these wines are often exported1 it is said that one gets a better ,german wine in ,new ,york than at a second-class hotel at ,bonn or ,cologne or ,dsseldorf1--on the same principle that fish at ,newport is less fresh than at ,new ,york1 for it is all bought1 sent to ,new ,york1 and then sent back to ,newport4 ,in other words1 the exporters are careful to keep up the reputation of their exported wines4 ,assmanschausen is a red ,rhine wine of high degree2 some gourmets call it the ,burgundy of the ,rhine4 ,this poetic beverage is found within the gorge of the ,rhine4 ,the bend which the noble river assumes at the ,rheingau is said to have the effect of concentrating the sun's rays1 reflected from the surface of the water as from a mirror1 upon the vine-clad slopes2 and it is to this circumstance1 combined with the favourable nature of the soil1 and to the vineyards being completely sheltered from the north winds by the ,taunus range1 that the marked superiority of the wines of the ,rheingau is ordinarily attributed4 ,bacharach has produced another fine wine4 ',he never has been to ,heaven and back ,who has not drunken of ,bacharach4' ,and ,longfellow says3-- ,at ,frankfort on the ,maine1 ,and at ,wrtzburg on the ,stein1 ,at ,bacharach on the ,rhine1 ,grow the three best kinds of wine4 ,we know but little of the superior red wines of ,walporzheimer1 ,ahrweiler1 and ,bodendorfer1 which come from the valley of the ,ahr4 ,the ,ahr falls into the ,rhine near ,sinzig1 midway between ,coblenz and ,bonn4 ,the wines from its beautiful vineyards are a fine deep red4 ,the taste is astringent1 somewhat like port4 ,there is an agreeable red wine called ,kreutzburger which comes from the neighbourhood of ,ehrenbreitstein4 ,linz on the ,rhine sends us a good red wine known as ,dattenberger4 ,these are all pure wines which know no doctoring4 ,the ,liebfrauenmilch is a ,riesling wine with a fine bouquet4 ,it owes its celebrity rather to its name than its merits4 ,it comes from the vineyards adjoining the ,liebfrauen ,kirche near ,worms1 and was named by some pious churchman4 ,no wines have as many poetical tributes as the ,rhine wines4 ,one of the ,english poets sings3-- ,o for a kingdom rocky-throned1 ,above the brimming ,rhine1 ,with vassals who should pay their toll ,in many sorts of wine4 ,above me naught but the blue air1 ,and all below1 the vine1 ,i'd plant my throne1 where legends say ,in nights of harvest-time ,king ,charlemagne1 in golden robe1-- ,so runs the rustic rhyme1-- ,doth come to bless the mellowing crops ,while bells of ,heaven chime4 ,the ,steinbergers1 the ,hochheimers1 ,marcobrunners1 and ,rdesheimers1 sound like so many noble families4 ,indeed an ,american senator1 hearing these fine names1 remarked3 ,i have no doubt1 sir1 they are all very nice girls4 ,there is a famous ,hochheimer1 no less than a hundred and sixty-seven years old1 the vintage of that year when the ,duke of ,marlborough gained the ,battle of ,ramillies4 ,let us hope that he and ,prince ,eugene moistened their clay and labours with some of this famous wine4 ,these wines do not last1 however4 ,the best age is ten years1 and those which have been stored in the antique vaulted cellar of the ,bernardine ,abbey of ,eberbach1 world-renowned as the ,grand-ducal ,cabinet wine of the ruler of ,nassau1 are now completely run out4 ,even ,rudesheimer of #ahgb is no longer good4 ,it must be remembered1 however1 that these wines are never fortified4 ,to put extraneous alcohol into their beloved ,rhine wine would rouse ,rudolph of ,hapsburg and ,conrad of ,hotstettin from the sleep of centuries4 ,the ,steinberger ,cabinet of #ahfb is the most superb4 ,of ,rhine wines for bouquet1 refined flavour1 combined richness and delicacy4 ,we do not except ,schloss ,johannisberger1 because that is not in the market4 ,a ,marcobrunner and a ,rdesheimer are not to be despised4 ,prince ,metternich sent to ,jules ,janin for his autograph1 and the witty poet editor sent a receipt for twelve bottles of ,imperial ,schloss ,johannisberger4 ,the ,prince took the hint and had a dozen of the very best cabinet wine forwarded1 every bottle being sealed and every cork duly branded with the ,prince's crest6 ,the ,johannisberger wine is excessively sweet1 singularly soft1 and gives forth a delicious perfume1 a rich1 limpid1 amber-coloured wine1 with a faint bitter flavour2 it is as beautiful to look at as it is luscious to the taste1 and it possesses a bouquet which the ,empress ,eugnie compared to that of heliotrope1 violets1 and geranium leaves combined4 ,the refined pungent flavour of a good ,hock1 its slight racy sharpness1 with an after almond flavour1 make it an admirable appetizer4 ,the staircase vineyards1 in which the grapes grow on the ,rhine1 seem to catch all the revivifying influences of sunshine4 ,their splendid golden colour is caught from those first beams of the sun as he greets his bride1 the ,earth1 after he has been separated from her for twelve dark hours4 ,some very good wine comes from the ,rochusberg1 immediately opposite ,rdesheim4 ,goethe heard a sermon here once in which the preacher glorified ,god in proportion to the number of bottles of good wine it was daily vouchsafed to him to stow away under his waistband4 ,it was here that the rascal lived who drank wine out of a boot1 immortalized by ,longfellow4 ,we can hardly1 however1 abuse the man1 for he had an incurable thirst1 and no crystal goblet would have held enough for him1--not indeed the biggest ,german beer mug4 ,longfellow1 in the ,golden ,legend1 has a chapter devoted to wine4 ,in this poem the old cellarer muses1 as he goes to draw the fine wine for the fathers1 who sit above the salt1 and he utters this truth of those brothers who sit below the salt3-- ,who cannot tell bad wine from good1 ,and are much better off than if they could4 ,the superior wines of the ,rhine1 ,walporzheimer1 ,ahrweiler and ,bodendorfer1 all deserve notice4 ,the kind of wine to be served with a dinner must depend on the means of the host4 ,it is to be feared that1 ignorantly or otherwise1 many wines with high-sounding names which are not good are offered to guests4 ,mr4 ,evarts made a witty remark on this subject4 ,some one said to him1 ,i hear that as a great diner-out you find yourself the worse for drinking so many different sorts of wine4 ,oh no1 said ,mr4 ,evarts1 ,i do not object to the different wines1 it is the indifferent wines which hurt me6 ,savarin says1 sententiously1 ,nothing can exceed the treachery of asking people to dinner under the guise of friendship1 and then giving them to eat or drink of that which may be injurious to health4 ,we should think so4 ,that was the pleasant hospitality of the ,borgias4 ,in the neighbourhood of ,neuwied1 the dealers are accused of much doctoring of wine4 ,during the vintage1 at night1 when the moon has gone down1 boats glide over the ,rhine freighted with a soapy substance manufactured from potatoes1 and called by its owners sugar4 ,this stuff is thrown into the vats containing the must1 water is introduced from pumps and wells1 chemical ferments and artificial heat are applied4 ,this noble fluid is sent everywhere by land and water1 and labelled as first-class wine4 ,it is not bad to the taste1 but does not bear transportation4 ,this adulteration chiefly affects the wines sold at ,german hotels4 ,heinrich ,heine has left us this picture of a ,german dinner3 ,i dined at the ,crown at ,clausthal4 ,my repast consisted of spring greens1 parsley soup1 violet blue cabbage1 a pile of roast veal1 which resembled ,chimborazo in miniature1 and a sort of smoked herring called buckings1 from their inventor ,william ,buckings1 who died in #addg1 and who on account of that invention was so greatly honoured by ,charles ,v4 that the great monarch in #aeef made a journey from ,middelburg to ,bierlied1 in ,zealand1 for the express purpose of visiting the grave of the great fish-dryer4 ,how exquisitely such dishes taste when we are familiar with their historical associations4 ,it is impossible in translation to give ,heine's intense ridicule and scorn4 ,he was a ,frenchman out of place in ,germany4 ,he revolted at things ,german1 but endeared himself to his people by his wit1 universality of talent1 and sincerity4 ,the world has thanked him for his ,reisebilder4 ,heine gives us new ideas of the horrors of ,german cookery when he talks of ,gttingen sausages1 ,hamburg smoked beef1 ,pomeranian goose-breasts1 ox-tongues1 calf's brains in pastry1 gudgeon cakes1 and a wretched pig's-head in a wretcheder sauce1 which has neither a ,grecian nor a ,persian flavour1 but which tasted like tea and soft soap4 ,he cannot leave ,gttingen without this description3 ,the town of ,gttingen1 celebrated for its sausages and its university1 belongs to the ,king of ,hanover1 and contains nine hundred and ninety-nine dwellings1 divers chambers1 an observatory1 a prison1 a library1 and a council chamber where the beer is excellent4 ,german sausages are very good4 ,even the great ,goethe1 in dying1 remembered to send a sausage to his sthetic love of a lifetime1 the ,frau ,von ,stein4 ,thackeray1 who was keenly alive to the horrors of ,german cookery1 says that whatever is not sour is greasy1 and whatever is not greasy is sour4 ,the curious bill of fare of a middle-class ,german table is something like this3 ,they begin with a pudding4 ,they serve sweet preserved fruit with the meat1 generally stewed cherries4 ,they go on with dreadful dishes of cabbage and preparations of milk1 curdled1 soured1 and cheesed4 ,dr4 ,lieber1 the learned philologist1 was eloquent on the subject of the coarseness of the ,german appetite4 ,he had early corrected his by a visit to ,italy1 and he remarked1 with his usual profundity1 that it was the more incomprehensible as nature had given ,germany the finest wines with which to wash down the worst cookery4 ,a favourite dish is potato pancakes4 ,the raw potatoes are scraped fine1 mixed with milk1 and then treated like flour cakes1 served with apple or plum sauce4 ,sauer-kraut is ridiculed1 but it is only cabbage cut fine and pickled4 ,there are two delicious dishes in which it plays an important part3 one is roast pheasant cut fine and cooked with sauer-kraut and champagne2 the other is sauer-kraut cooked in the crote of a ,strasbourg pt de foie gras4 ,favourite ,austro-,hungarian dishes are bachhendl1 baked spring-chicken1--the chicken rolled into a paste of egg flour and then baked4 ,it is rather dry to eat1 but just the thing with a bottle of ,hungarian wine4 ,also a beefsteak with plenty of paprika1 or ,hungarian red pepper1 ,brinsa cheese1 pot cheese1 made in the ,carpathian mountains and baked in a hot oven4 ,brook trout is never fried1 but boiled in water1 and then served surrounded by parsley in melted butter4 ,in eastern ,russia grows a pea1 the gray pea1 which is boiled and eaten like peanuts by peeling off the hard skin1 or boiled with some sort of sour-sweet sauce1 which softens the skin4 ,this pea is such a favourite with the ,lithuanians that it is made the subject of poetry4 ,venison1 and hare soup1 are deliciously gamey bouillons1 which are made of the soup bone of the roast4 ,the ,polish soup barscz is made of bouillon with the juice of red beets1 little saucissons1 and specially made pastry1 with highly spiced forced-meat balls swimming in it4 ,lettuce salad is prepared in ,germany with sour cream4 ,a favourite drink is warm beer1--beer heated with the yolk of an egg in it4 ,fill me once more the foaming pewter up6 ,another board of oysters1 ladye mine6 ,to-night ,lucullus with himself shall sup4 ,those mute inglorious ,miltons are divine2 ,and as ,i here in slippered ease recline1 ,quaffing of ,perkins's ,entire my fill1 ,i sigh not for the lymph of ,aganippe's rill4 ,beer is the amber inspiration of the ,germans1 and plays its daily1 hourly part in their science of entertaining4 ,and the pea which can be skinned1 which is such a favourite with the ,lithuanians1 has also been immortalized by ,thackeray3-- ,i give thee all6 ,i can no more1 ,though poor the offering be2 ,stewed duck and peas are all the store ,that ,i can offer thee6-- ,a duck whose tender breast reveals ,its early youth full well1 ,and better still1 a pea that peels ,from fresh transparent shell4 ,but it must not be supposed that rich ,german citizens of the ,united ,states do not know how to give a good dinner4 ,cosmopolitan in everything else1 these1 the best colonists whom ,europe has sent to us1 make good soldiers1 good statesmen1 and good entertainers4 ,they do not insist that we shall eat pig and prune sauce4 ,no1 they give us the most affluent bill of fare which the market affords4 ,they give us a fine dining-room in which to eat it1 and they offer as no other men can a tankard of ,assmanschausen4 ,they give us1 as a nation1 a valuable present in mineral water4 ,the ,apollinaris bubbling up near the ,rhine seems sent by ,heaven to avert that gout and rheumatism which are the terrible after-dinner penalties of those who like too well the noble ,rhine wines4 ,,the ,,influence ,,of ,,good ,,cheer ,,on ,,authors ,,and ,,geniuses4 ,the ancient poets and their learned rhymes ,we still admire in these our later times1 ,and celebrate their fames4 ,thus1 though they die ,their names can never taste mortality4 ,these had their helps4 ,they wrote of gods and kings1 ,of temples1 battles1 and such gallant things4 ,and now we ask what noble meat and drink ,can help to make man work1 to make him think4 ,pray1 on what meat hath this our ,csar fed8 ,we should have a higher estimate of the value of a knowledge of cookery and of all the arts of entertaining1 did we sufficiently realize that the style of ,carlyle was owing to dyspepsia6 ,at the age of fifteen he entered ,edinburgh ,university in order to fit himself for the pulpit4 ,he studied for many months to that end1 but his vocation refused to be clear4 ,the ministry grew alien to his mind4 ,finally he shut himself up1 and as he himself says1 wrestled with the ,lord and all the imps of darkness4 ,carlyle believed in a personal ,devil1 not tasting food or sleeping for three days and nights1 and then terminated the struggle by resolving to pursue literature4 ,what mental revolution he underwent1 he says he never could understand2 all that he knew was that he came out with that dommed dyspepsia1--his ,scotch way of pronouncing a stronger word4 ,some writer says that this anecdote solves the problem of ,carlyle4 ,the force1 earnestness1 and eloquence of his writings were born of a fine1 free intellect4 ,then came despondency1 rage1 and bitterness1 springing from dyspepsia1 which had been his haunting demon from the first1 releasing him at intervals only to assail and torture him the more for each surcease4 ,most of his works come under the head of the ,literature of ,dyspepsia1 and can be as plainly traced to it as to the growth of his understanding or the sincerity of his convictions4 ,who does not recognize1 in the oddities of the trials and spiritual agonies of ,herr ,teufelsdrckh1 the author himself under a thin disguise1 and the promotings and promptings1 and phenomena of censuring indigestion8 ,all through the ,sartor ,resartus it is evident that the gastric juices of the illustrious iconoclast are insufficient2 that while he is railing at humanity he is suffering from gastritis1 while he is prophesying that the race will come to naught but selfishness and stupidity he is undergoing gastrodynia1 or1 as it is commonly called1 stomachic cramp4 ,i do not know who wrote that masterly criticism1 but evidently some man who had had a good dinner4 ,but ,carlyle gets better and writes his noble essay on ,robert ,burns1 the life of ,john ,sterling1 ,oliver ,cromwell's letters and speeches4 ,then he is at his best2 sees man as a brother1 handicapped with circumstances1 riveted to temperament perhaps1 but in spite of all shortcomings and neglected opportunities1 still a brother1 demanding respect1 deserving of help4 ,how different ,carlyle would have been1 as a man and as a writer1 with nutritive organs capable of continually and regularly performing their functions4 ,dyspepsia was his worst enemy1 as it has been that of many of his readers4 ,every mouthful he ate must have been a gastric ,nemesis for sins of opinion1 and of heresies against humanity4 ,his very style is the result of indigestion1--an excess of ill-chosen1 ill-prepared ,german fare in a ,british stomach1 affording a strange sustenance1 which1 like some diseases1 keep a man alive1 but which pain while they sustain4 ,what a different genius was ,prescott1 who had a good dinner every day of his life1 who was brought up from boyhood in a luxurious old ,boston household where was the perfection of cookery6 ,sydney ,smith sent word to ,prescott after he wrote ,ferdinand and ,isabella1-- ,tell ,prescott to come here and we will drown him in turtle soup4 ,say that ,i can swim in those seas1 was ,prescott's witty rejoinder4 ,mr4 ,prescott was fifty-three years of age when he visited ,england2 he was extremely handsome1 courteous1 and very much a man of the world4 ,we grow like what we eat4 ,bad food depresses1 ,good food exalts us like an inspiration4 ,mr4 ,prescott had been inspired by good food1 as any one can see who reads that noble work ,ferdinand and ,isabella4 ,in ,england this accomplished man was received by ,lady ,lyell1 to whom he was much attached4 ,the account of ,english hospitality which he gives throws a rosy light on the history of the art of entertaining3 ,i returned last night from the ,horners1 ,lady ,lyell's parents and sisters1 a very accomplished and happy family circle4 ,they have a small house1 with a pretty lawn stretching between it and the ,thames1 that forms a silver edging to the close-shaven green4 ,the family gather under the old trees on the little shady carpet1 which is sweet with the perfume of flowery shrubs4 ,and you see sails gliding by and stately swans1 of which there are hundreds on the river4 ,the next ,sunday1 after dinner1 which we took at four o'clock1 we strolled through ,hampton ,court and its royal park4 ,the next day we took our picnic at ,box ,hill4 ,on ,friday to dinner at ,sir ,robert ,peel's and to an evening party at ,lady ,s----'s4 ,i went at eleven and found myself in a brilliant saloon filled with people amongst whom ,i did not recognize a familiar face4 ,you may go to ten parties in ,london1 be introduced to a score of persons in each1 and on going to the eleventh not see a face that you have ever seen before1 so large is the society of the great metropolis4 ,i was soon put at my ease1 however1 by the cordial reception of ,lord and ,lady ,c----1 who introduced me to a great number of persons4 ,this alone would prove how great was ,prescott's popularity1 for in ,london1 people1 as a rule1 are not introduced4 ,in the crowd ,i saw an old gentleman1 nicely made up1 stooping a good deal1 covered with orders1 and making his way easily along1 as all1 young and old1 seemed to treat him with deference4 ,it was the ,duke of ,wellington1 the old ,iron ,duke4 ,he likes the attention he receives in this social way4 ,he wore round his neck the order of the ,golden ,fleece1 on his coat the order of the ,garter4 ,he is1 in truth1 the lion of ,england1 not to say of all ,europe4 ,this beautiful little genre picture of the ,iron ,duke was written in the year #ahej4 ,forty years later ,general ,grant was received at ,apsley ,house by the son of the great ,duke of ,wellington1 the second ,duke1 who opened the famous ,waterloo room and toasted the modest ,american as the greatest soldier of modern times4 ,mr4 ,prescott goes on to say1-- ,we had a superb dinner at ,sir ,robert ,peel's1 four and twenty guests4 ,it was served in the long picture-gallery4 ,the windows of the gallery look out upon the ,thames1 its beautiful stone bridges with lofty arches1 ,westminster ,abbey with its towers1 and the living panorama on the water4 ,the opposite windows look on the green gardens behind the ,palace of ,whitehall1 which were laid out by ,cardinal ,wolsey1 and near the spot where ,charles ,i4 lived1 and lost his life on the scaffold4 ,the gallery is full of masterpieces1 especially ,dutch and ,flemish1 amongst them the famous ,chapeau de ,paille1 which cost ,sir ,robert over five thousand pounds4 ,in his dining-room were also superb pictures1 the famous one by ,wilkie1 of ,john ,knox preaching1 which did not come up to the idea ,i had formed of it from the engraving4 ,there was a portrait of ,dr4 ,johnson by ,reynolds1 the portrait owned by ,mrs4 ,thrale and engraved for the ,dictionary2 what a bijou6 ,we sat at dinner looking out on the moving ,thames4 ,we dined at eight1 but the twilight lingers here until half-past nine at this summer season4 ,sir ,robert was exceedingly courteous to his guests1 told some good stories1 showed us his autographs1 amongst which was the celebrated one written by ,nelson1 in which he says1 ',if ,i die ,frigate will be found written on my heart4' ,mr4 ,prescott's letter to his daughter points out the strange difference between the life of a girl in ,england and a girl here4 ,i think on reflection1 dear ,lizzy1 that you did well not to come with me4 ,girls of your age she was then nineteen make no great figure in society4 ,one never1 or very rarely1 meets them at dinner parties1 and they are not so numerous at evening parties as with us1 unless it be at balls4 ,six out of seven women you meet are over thirty1 and many of them over forty or fifty1 not to say sixty2 the older they are1 the more they are dressed and diamonded4 ,young girls dress less1 and wear very little ornament indeed4 ,what a commentary this is on our ,american way of doing things1--where young girls rule society1 put their mothers in the background1 and wear too fine clothes4 ,dr4 ,prescott was of course presented at ,court1 and his account of it is delightful3-- ,well6 the presentation has come off1 and ,i will give you some account of it before going to dine with ,lord ,fitzwilliam4 ,this morning ,i breakfasted with ,mr4 ,monckton ,milnes1 where ,i met ,macaulay the third time this week4 ,we had also ,lord ,lyttleton1 an excellent scholar1 ,gladstone1 and ,lord ,w4 ,germains1 a sensible and agreeable person1 and two or three others4 ,we had a lively talk1 but ,i left early for the ,court affair4 ,i was at ,mr4 ,abbott ,lawrence's at one in my costume1--a chapeau with gold lace1 blue coat1 and white trowsers1 begilded with buttons and metal1 a sword1 and patent-leather-boots4 ,i was a figure indeed6 but ,i had enough to keep me in countenance4 ,i spent an hour yesterday with ,lady ,m4 getting instructions for demeaning myself4 ,the greatest danger was that ,i should be tripped up by my sword4 ,on reaching ,st4 ,james ,place we passed upstairs through files of the ,guard1 beefeaters1 and were shown into a large saloon richly hung with crimson silk1 and with some fine portraits of the family of ,george ,,iii4 ,it was amusing1 as we waited there an hour1 to see the arrival of the different persons1 diplomatic1 military1 and courtiers1 all men and women blazing in their stock of princely finery1 and such a power of diamonds1 pearls1 emeralds1 and laces1 the trains of the ladies' dresses several yards in length4 ,some of the ladies wore coronets of diamonds1 which covered the greater part of the head4 ,i counted on ,lady ,d----'s head two strings of diamonds rising gradually from the size of a fourpence to the size of an ,english shilling1 and thick in proportion4 ,the dress of the ,duchess of ,d---- was studded with diamonds as large as nutmegs4 ,the young ladies dressed very plainly4 ,i tell this for ,lizzy's especial benefit4 ,the company were permitted to pass one by one into the presence-chamber1 a room of about the same size as the other1 with gorgeous canopy and throne1 at the farther end of which stood the little ,queen and her ,consort1 surrounded by her ,court4 ,she was rather simply dressed1 but he was in ,field-,marshal's uniform1 and covered1 ,i should think1 with all the orders of ,europe4 ,he is a good-looking person1 but by no means so good-looking as you are given to expect from his pictures4 ,the ,queen is better looking than you might expect4 ,i was presented by our minister1 by the order of the ,chamberlain1 as the historian of ,ferdinand and ,isabella and made my profound obeisance to her ,majesty who made a dignified courtesy4 ,i made the same low bow to his ,princeship1 and then bowed myself out of the circle without my sword tripping up my heels4 ,as ,i was drawing off1 ,lord ,carlisle1 who was standing on the outer edge1 called me to him and kept me by his side telling me the names of the different lords and ladies who1 after paying their obeisance to the ,queen1 passed out before us4 ,mr4 ,monckton ,milnes became ,lord ,houghton1 and ,i had great pleasure in knowing him well many years after this4 ,he told me1 what our ,american historian was too modest to tell1 how well ,mr4 ,prescott appeared in ,london4 ,lionized to death1 as the ,english alone can lionize1 ,mr4 ,prescott never lost his modest self-possession4 ,he was everywhere remarked for his beauty1 his fine manner1 and his knowledge of the usages of good society4 ,but then1 in #ahhg the ,english went equally wild1 even more so1 over ,buffalo ,bill1 and probably preferred him4 ,mr4 ,prescott was entertained at ,cuddeston ,palace1 the residence of ,bishop ,wilberforce1 the famous ,soapy ,sam1 from the fact1 as he said himself1 that he was always in hot water1 and always came out cleaner than he went in4 ,this witty and accomplished prelate was very much pleased with our ,american scholar1 and gave him a hearty welcome4 ,it will sound curiously enough now1 that ,mr4 ,prescott found his ,episcopal views very high1 and says1 ,the service was performed with a ceremony quite ,roman ,catholic4 ,the ,bishop of ,oxford would1 were he living now1 be called low church1--so much do terms vary in different ages4 ,truly the world moves6 ,i was in my youth entertained at the house of ,mr4 ,prescott1 at ,nahant1 and allowed to see his workroom and the machinery with which he wrote4 ,he gave me1 and ,i have it still1 a paper which he wrote for me with the wired plate which the blind use1 for he could scarcely see at all4 ,he was master of the art of entertaining4 ,how charming he was at dinner at his own house2 how pleasantly he made one forget his greatness1 except that a supreme simplicity seems always to accompany true greatness4 ,he had a regularity in his habits which would in a less amiable man have interfered with his agreeability1 but with him it was most fascinating1 as it seemed like musical chords set to noble words4 ,it would be pleasant to record the triumphs of ,mr ,webster1 ,mr4 ,motley1 ,mr4 ,lowell1 ,mr4 ,phelps1 ,mr4 ,evarts1 ,mr4 ,depew1 and many another great ,american in ,england1 but that1 while a subject for national pride1 scarcely comes within the scope of this little book4 ,it would seem1 however1 that our orators1 however fed1 have compassed the accomplishment of after-dinner speaking1 which is so much appreciated in ,england1 and it is to be hoped that no dommed dyspepsia from badly cooked food will dim the oratory of the future4 ,it is quite true that a witty and full talker will be silenced if he is placed before a bad dinner1 one which is palpably pretentious but not well cooked1 and villanously served4 ,it is impossible for the really conscientious diner-out1 who respects his digestion1 whose religion is his dinner1 to talk much or laugh much1 if his gormandize is wounded4 ,even if he wills to talk1 in order not to lose his reputation1 his speech will be a muddy flood of saponaceous blather1 instead of his usual brilliant flow of anecdote and repartee4 ,not all great men have1 however1 felt the influence of food as an inspirer4 ,dr4 ,johnson was great although he was a horrible feeder2 and at the other extreme was ,general ,grant1 so abstemious that he once told me that he did not know the sensation of hunger2 that he could go three days without food4 ,at the splendid banquets given to him he rarely ate much1 but noticed the people and the surroundings1 great hero that he was4 ,thackeray1 ,disraeli1 and ,dickens have given us the most appreciative descriptions of the art of entertaining1 and were men deeply sensible of the charms of a good dinner4 ,charles ,lamb has been the poet of the homely and the comfortable side of good eating2 he records for us in immortal prose and poetry what roast pig and tobacco have done for him4 ,we claim boldly that a part of ,webster's greatness1 ,prescott's charm1 the genius of ,motley and of ,lowell1 the oratory of ,depew1 the wit of ,parke ,godwin and ,horace ,porter1 even the magnificent march of ,sherman to the sea1 the great genius of ,bryant1 the sparkling cup of ,anacreon1 ,o4 ,w4 ,holmes1 the masterly speech of our lawyers1 and the unrivalled eloquence of our pulpit orators1 are owing to that earlier style of domestic ,american cookery which was1 and is1 and always shall be1 deserving of the highest praise1--when meats were cooked with all their juices1 before a wood fire1 when bread was light and feathery1 when soups were soups1 and broils were broils6 ,oh1 vanished excellence6 ,,bonbons4 ,do1 child1 go to it' grandam1 child2 ,give grandam kingdom6 and it' grandam will ,give it plumb1 a cherry1 and a fig4 ,,king ,,john4 ,they used to call a sugar-plum a plumb in ,shakspeare's time4 ,was it on account of its weight8 ,few ladies1 on receiving a box of bonbons from ,maillards1 go into the great question of their antiquity and their manufacture4 ,few1 even now1 who at a fashionable hotel1 receive on ,sundays after dinner a pretty little paper box filled with candied rose-leaves and violets1 remember that they are only following the fashion of ,lucretia ,borgia in putting them in their pocket to eat in their rooms1 or at the theatre4 ,there is nothing new under the sun4 ,in ,france1 in entertaining a lady1 or a party of ladies1 at theatre or opera1 the gentleman host always carries a box of bonbons1 within which is a little imitation-silver sugar-tongs by which she can help herself to a chocolate or a marron dguis1 without soiling her fingers4 ,this pampered dame does not consider that ,france makes annually sixty million of francs' worth of bonbons2 that it exports only about one fourth of this1 leaving an enormous amount for home consumption4 ,they send over to ,england alone1 cheap sweets manufactured by steam1 to the amount of three hundred thousand ,english pounds a year4 ,the sugar-plum came from ,italy1 and dates no further back than the sixteenth century as an article of commerce4 ,but the skilful confectioners in private houses knew how to manufacture not only those which were healthful1 but those which were very useful in getting rid of dreaded rivals1 unfaithful lovers1 and troublesome friends4 ,the manufacture of the antique sugar-plum1 the antediluvian baked almond1 and the nauseous coloured abominations whose paint-poisoned surface has long been discarded in ,france1 received1 as ,i read in an old chronicle1 its death-blow from the ,aboukir almonds1 during the period of ,napoleon's invasion of ,egypt1 which killed more people than the bullets4 ,next went down the cracker bonbons1 called ,cossacks1 on account of the terror with which they inspired the grandes dames on their first advent in #ahad4 ,these latter1 however1 have come back1 in the harmless detonating powder-charged bonbons which every one hears at a dinner-party1 as the fringed papers are pulled4 ,then come the primaveras1 a variety of sugared bomb4 ,then the marquises1 orangines1 marron glac1 or sugared chestnut1 cerises praline1 burnt cherries1 bowles1 ananas1 dattes au caf1 dates delightfully stuffed and covered with sugar1 diables noirs1 ganaches1 and an ephemeral but delicious candy1 bonbons fondants1 with an inscription on the box that these must be eaten within twenty-four hours4 ,they are sometimes fruits with a creamy sugar1 raspberries1 currants1 strawberries1 and are delicious1 but quite untransportable1 although transporting merchandise4 ,their invention made the fortune of the inventor4 ,formerly the preparation of bonbons was a tedious affair4 ,now it is almost the work of a day1 but they are perishable4 ,if you leave a box open they will devour themselves4 ,kept cool and air-tight1 they will last for years4 ,about the first of ,december the great manufacturers in the ,rue de la ,paix1 commence their operations for ,new ,year's1 when everybody1 from ,president ,carnot down1 sends his friend a box of bonbons4 ,they tell of one confectioner who abandoned his sugar-pots to turn playwright1 about the time that ,alphonse ,karr forsook literature to sell bouquets4 ,the principle remains the same4 ,he wished to sweeten the existence of les ,parisiennes4 ,in visiting one of these immense establishments one descends a stone staircase1 and finds one's self in a stifling atmosphere1 heavily laden with the aroma of vanilla and other essences4 ,around are scores of workmen1 in white-paper caps and aprons1 their faces red with heat1 as they plunge particular fruits into large cauldrons1 filled with boiling syrups4 ,more in the shade are other stalwart men1 their faces pale with the heated atmosphere1 piling up almonds on huge copper vessels2 and so constant is the sound of metal clashing against metal that the visitor might imagine himself in an armour smithy1 instead of a sugar factory2 rather with ,vulcan working for the gods1 or some village blacksmith pounding out horseshoes1 than with a party of ,french ouvriers making sugar-plums for children to crunch4 ,on all sides one sees sugar1 gallons of liqueurs1 syrups1 and essences1 rum1 aniseed1 noyau1 maraschino1 pineapple1 apricot1 strawberry1 cherry1 vanilla1 chocolate1 coffee1 and tea1 with sacks of almonds1 and baskets of chestnuts1 pistachio nuts1 and filberts being emptied into machines which bruise their husks1 flay them1 and blanch them1 all ready to receive their saccharine coating4 ,those bonbons which have liqueur in them are much appreciated by gourmets who find other bonbons disagree with them6 ,a sugar-coated brandy cherry is relished by the wisest man4 ,most bonbons are made by hand2 those only which are flat at the bottom are cast in moulds4 ,in the hand-made bonbons1 the sugar paste is rolled into shapes by the aid of an instrument formed of a stout piece of wire1 one end of which is twisted1 and the other fixed into a wooden handle4 ,with this the paste is taken out of the cauldron1 and worked into the desired form by a rapid coup de main4 ,for bonbons of a particular form1 such as those in imitation of various fruits1 models are carved in wood4 ,liqueur bonbons are formed of a mixture of some given liqueur and liquid sugar1 which is poured into moulds1 and then placed in a slow oven for the day4 ,long before they are removed a hard crust has formed on the outside1 while the inside remains in its original liquid state4 ,bonbons are crystallized by being plunged into a syrup heated to thirty degrees ,reamur2 by the time they are dry the crystallization is complete and acts as a protection against the atmosphere4 ,the bonbons can then be kept a certain time1 although their flavour deteriorates4 ,i think sugar one of the most remarkable of all the gifts of nature4 ,it submits itself to all sorts of plastic arts1 and to see a confectioner pouring it through little funnels1 to see him make a flower1 even to its stamens1 of this excellent juice of the cane or of the beet1--they use beet sugar almost entirely in ,france1--is to comprehend anew how many of the greatest of all curiosities are hidden in the kitchen4 ,one must go to ,chambry1 in ,savoy1 to taste some of the most exquisite ptisserie1 to find the most delicious candied fruits2 and at ,montpellier1 in the south of ,france1 is another most celebrated manufactory of bonbons4 ,i received once from ,montpellier a box holding six pounds of these marvellous sweets1 which were arranged in layers4 ,beginning with chocolates in every form1 they passed upward by strata1 until they reached the candied fruit1 which was to be eaten at once4 ,i think there were fifty-five varieties of delicious sweets in that box4 ,such lovely colours1 such ineffable flavours1 such beauties as they were6 ,the only remarkable part of this anecdote is that ,i survived to tell it4 ,i can only account for it by the fact that it was sent me by a famous physician1 who must have hidden his power of healing in the box4 ,unlike ,pandora's box which sent the troop of evils out into the world1 this famous cachet sent nothing but good-will and pleasure1 barring perhaps a possible danger4 ,if1 however1 we speak of the bonbons themselves1 what can we say of the bonbonnires6 ,everything that is beautiful1 everything that is curious1 everything that is quaint1 everything that is ludicrous1 everything that is timely1 is utilized4 ,i received an immense green satin grasshopper--the last jour de l'an1 in ,paris--filled to his uttermost antenn with bonbons4 ,it could be for once said that the grasshopper had not become a burden4 ,the panier ,watteau1 formed of satin1 pearls1 straw1 and flowers1 may be made to conceal a handkerchief worth a thousand francs under the rose-satin lining4 ,the boxes are painted by artists1 and remain a lovely belonging for a toilet table4 ,beautiful metal reproductions of some antique chef d'oeuvre are made into bonbonnires4 ,some bonbon-boxes have themselves concealed in huge bouquets of violets1 fringed with lace1 or hidden under roses1 which are skilfully growing out of white satin2 beautiful reticules1 all embroidered1 hold the carefully bound up packages1 where tinfoil preserves the silk and satin from contact with the sugar4 ,if ,france did nothing else but make bonbonnires1 she would prove her claim to being the most ingenious purveyor for the luxury of entertaining in all the world4 ,if luxury means1 to freight the passing hour with flying happiness1 ,france does her possible as she would say herself1 to help along this fairy packing4 ,at ,easter1 when sweetmeats are almost as much in request as at the ,new ,year1--the ,french make very little of ,christmas1--these bonbon establishments are filled with ,easter eggs of the gayest colours4 ,there are nests of eggs1 baskets of eggs1 cradles full of eggs1 and pretty peasants carrying eggs to market2 nests of eggs1 with birds of brilliant plumage sitting on the nests or hovering over them1 while their freight of bonbons repose on softest swan's-down1 lace1 and satin2 or again1 the egg itself of satin1 with its yolk of orange creams and its white of marshmallow paste4 ,there is no end to this felicitous and dulcet strain4 ,the best candied fruit ,i have ever eaten1 ,i bought in a railway depot at ,venice4 ,the ,italians understand this art to perfection4 ,they hang the fruit by its natural stem on a long straw2 and no better accompaniment for a long railway journey can be imagined4 ,the ,french do not consider bonbons unhealthful4 ,instead of giving her boy a piece of bread and butter as he departs for the ,lyce the ,french mamma gives him two or three chocolate bonbons4 ,the hunter takes these to the top of the ,matterhorn2 ladies take them in their pockets instead of a lunch-basket2 and one assured me that two slabs of chocolate sufficed her for breakfast and supper on the road from ,paris to ,rome4 ,i do not know what ,baron ,liebig would say to this in his learned articles on the ,nutritive ,value of ,certain ,kinds of ,food1 but the ,french children seem to be the healthiest in the world1--a tribute to chocolate of the highest4 ,by their fruits shall ye know them4 ,in the times of the ,medici1 and the ,st4 ,bartholomew ,massacre1 the ,french and ,italian nobles had a curious custom of always carrying about with them1 in the pockets of their silk doublets1 costly little boxes full of bonbons4 ,henry ,,iv41 ,marie de ,medici1 and all their friends and foes1 carried about with them little gold and ,limoges enamelled boxes1 very pretty and desirable articles of vertu now2 and doubtless there was one full of red and white comfits in the pocket of ,mary ,queen of ,scots1 when she fell dead1 poor1 ill-used1 beautiful woman1 at the foot of the block1 at ,fotheringay4 ,doubtless there was one in the pouch of the grisly ,duc de ,guise1 with his close-cropped bullet head1 and long1 spidery legs1 when he fell1 done to death by treacherous ,catherine de ,medici1 dead and bleeding on the polished floor of ,blois6 ,it was a childish custom1 and proved that the age had a sweet tooth2 but it might have been useful for diplomatic purposes1 and highly conducive to flirting4 ,as a ,lord ,chief ,justice once said that snuff and snuff-boxes help to develop character1 so the bonbonnire helps to emphasize manners2 and ,i am always pleased when an old or new friend opens for me a little silver box and offers me a sugared violet1 or a rose leaf conserved in sugar1 although ,i can eat neither of them4 ,a witty writer says that dessert should be the girandole1 or cunning tableau of the dinner4 ,it should surprise1 astonish1 dazzle1 and enchant4 ,we may almost decide upon the taste of an age as we read of its desserts4 ,the tasteless luxury and coarse pleasures of the reign of ,charles ,,ii41--that society where ,rochester fluttered and ,buckingham flaunted1--how it is all described in one dessert6 ,at a dinner given the father 7of a great many7 of his subjects by ,lady ,dormer1 was built a large gilded ship of confectionery4 ,its masts1 cabins1 portholes1 and lofty poop all smart and glittering1 its rigging all taut1 its bunting flying1 its figure-head bright as gold leaf could make it4 ,its guns were charged with actual powder4 ,its cargo was two turreted pies1 one full of birds and the other of frogs4 ,when borne in by the gay pages1 to the sound of music1 the guns were discharged1 the ladies screamed and fainted1 so as to require to be held up and consoled by the gallants1 who offered them sips of ,tokay4 ,poor little things6 ,such was the ,court of ,charles4 ,then1 to sweeten the smell of powder1 the ladies threw at each other egg-shells filled with fragrant waters2 and all danger being over1 they opened the pies4 ,out of one skipped live frogs2 out of the other flew live birds who put out the lights2 so1 what with the screams1 the darkness1 the frogs1 and the smell of powder1 we get an idea of sports at ,whitehall1 where blackbrowed1 swarthy-visaged ,charles presided1 on which grave ,clarendon condescended to smile1 and which the gentle ,evelyn and ,waller were condemned to approve4 ,we have not entirely refrained from such sugar emblems at our own great feasts2 but fortunately1 they have rather gone out1 excepting for some emblem-haunted dinners where we do have sugared ,monitors1 and chocolate torpedos4 ,i have seen the lovely ,venus of ,milo in frozen cream1 which gave a wit the opportunity of saying that the home for such a goddess should be the temple of ,isis2 and ,bartholdi's immortal ,liberty lends herself to chocolate and nougat now and then1 but very rarely at private dinners4 ,the fashion of our day1 with its low dishes for the sweets1 is so much better1 that we cannot help congratulating ourselves that we do not live even in the days of the first ,george1 when1 as one witty author again says1 the ,house of ,brunswick brought over sound protestantism1 but ,german taste4 ,horace ,walpole1 great about trifles1 incomparable decider of the width of a shoe-buckle1 keen despiser of all meannesses but his own1 neat and fastidious tripper along a flowery path over this vulgar planet1 derided the new fashion in desserts4 ,the ambitious confectioners1 he says1 aspired to positive statuary1 spindle-legged ,venus1 dummy ,mars1 all made of sugar2 and he mentions a confectioner of ,lord ,albemarle's who loudly complained that his lordship would not break up the ceiling of his dining-room to admit the heads1 spear-points and upraised thunderbolts of a middle dish of ,olympian deities eighteen feet high1 all made of sugar4 ,the dishes known in ,france as ,les ,quatres ,mendiants1 one of nuts1 one of figs or dried fruit1 one of raisins1 and another of oranges1 still to be seen on old-fashioned dinner-tables1 was1 ,i supposed1 so called because it is seldom touched1--in fact1 goes a-begging4 ,but ,i have found this pretty little legend1 which proves that it was far more poetical in origin4 ,the name in ,french for aromatic vinegar is also connected with it4 ,it is called ,the ,vinegar of the ,four ,thieves4 ,so runs the legend3 ,once four thieves of ,marseilles1 rubbing themselves with this vinegar during the plague1 defied infection and robbed the dead4 ,who were these wretches8 ,all that we know of them is that they dined beneath a tree on stolen walnuts and grapes1 and imagined the repast a feast4 ,we can picture them1 ,holbein men with slashed sleeves1 as old soldiers of ,francis ,i4 who had wrestled with the ,swiss4 ,we can imagine them as beaten about by ,burgundian peasants2 and we know that they were grim1 brown1 scarred rascals1 cutting purses1 snatching silken cloaks1--sturdy1 resolute1 heartless1 merry1 desperate1 ,god-forsaken scoundrels1 living only for the moment4 ,we can imagine ,callot etching their rags1 or ,rembrandt putting in their dark shadows and high lights4 ,we can see ,salvator ,rosa admiring them as they sleep under the green oak-tree1 their heads on a dead deer1 and the high rock above4 ,or we may get old ,teniers to draw them for us1 gambling with torn and greasy cards for a gold crucifix or a brass pot1 or revelling at the village inn1 swaggering1 swearing1 drunk1 or tipsy1 playing at shuffle-board4 ,the only point in their history worth recording is that they were destined to be asked to every dinner party for four hundred years6--simply preceding the bonbons1 as we see by the following verses3-- ,once on a time1 in the brave ,henry's age1 ,four beggars dining underneath a tree ,combined their stores2 each from his wallet drew ,handfuls of stolen fruit1 and sang for glee4 ,so runs the story1--',garon1 bring the carte1 ,soup1 cutlets--stay--and mind1 a matelotte4' ,and ',charles1--a pint of ,burgundy's best ,beanne2 ,in our deep glasses every joy shall float6' ,and ',garon1 bring me from the woven frail ,that turbaned merchants from fair ,smyrna sent1 ,the figs with golden seeds1 the honeyed fruit1 ,that feast the stranger in the ,syrian tent4 ',go fetch us grapes from all the vintage rows ,where the brave ,spaniards gaily quaff the wine1 ,what time the azure ripple of the waves ,laughs bright beneath the green leaves of the vine6 ',nor yet1 unmindful of the fabled scrip1 ,forget the nuts from ,barcelona's shore1 ,soaked in ,iberian oil from olives pressed1 ,to the crisp kernels adding one charm more4 ',the almonds last1 plucked from a sunny tree1 ,half way up ,lybanus1 blanched as snowy white ,as ,leila's teeth1 and they will fitly crown ,the beggars' four-fold dish for us to-night4 ',beggars are happy6 then let us be so2 ,we've buried care in wine's red-glowing sea4 ,there let him soaking lie--he was our foe2 ,joy laughs above his grave--and so will we6' ,it was from that love of contrast1 then1 was it1 which is a part of all luxury1 that the fable of the ,quatre ,mendiants was made to serve like the olives at dessert4 ,perhaps the fillip which walnuts give to wine suggested it4 ,it was a modern ,french rendering of the skull made to do duty as a drinking-cup4 ,it is a part of the five kernels of corn at a ,pilgrim dinner1 without that high conscientiousness of ,new ,england4 ,it is a part1 perhaps1 of the more melancholy refrain1 ,be merry1 be merry1 for to-morrow ye die6 ,it is that warmth is warmer when we remember cold2 it is that food is good when we remember the starving2 it is that bringing in of the pleasant vision of the four beggars under the tree1 as a picture perhaps2 at any rate there it is1 moral at your pleasure4 ,the desserts of the middle ages were heavy and cumbrous affairs1 and had no special character4 ,there would be a good deal of ,cellini cup and ,limoges plate1 and ,palissy dish1 and golden chased goblet about it1 no doubt4 ,how glad the collectors of to-day would be to get them6 ,and we picture the heavy indigestible cakes1 and poisonous bonbons4 ,the taste must have been questionable if we can believe ,ben ,jonson1 who tells of the beribboned dwarf jester who1 at a ,lord ,mayor's dinner1 took a flying header into a dish of custard1 to the infinite sorrow of ladies' dresses2 he followed1 probably1 that dish in which the dwarf ,sir ,geoffrey ,hudson was concealed1 and they both are after ,tom ,thumb1 who was fishing about in a cup of posset a thousand years ago4 ,the dessert is allowed by all ,french writers to be of ,italian origin2 and we read of the matres d'hotel1 before the ,italian dessert arrived1 probably introduced by ,catherine de ,medici and the ,guises1 that they gloried in mountains of fruit1 and sticky hills of sweetmeats4 ,the elegance was clumsy and ostentatious2 there was no poetry in it4 ,paul ,veronese's picture of the ,marriage of ,cana will give some idea of the primeval ,french dessert4 ,the later fashion was of those trees and gardens and puppets abused by ,horace ,walpole2 but ,frenchmen delighted in seas of glass1 flower-beds formed of coloured sand1 and little sugar men and women promenading in enamelled bowling-greens4 ,we get some idea of the magnificent ftes of ,louis ,,xiv4 at ,versailles from the glowing descriptions of ,molire4 ,dufoy in #ahje introduced frizzled muslin into a slice of fairyland2 that is1 he made extraordinary pictures of temples and trees1 for the centre of his dessert4 ,and these palaces and temples were said to have been of perfect proportions2 his trees of frizzled muslin were admirable4 ,it sounds very much like children's toys just now4 ,he went further1 ,dufoy2 having ransacked heaven and earth1 air and water1 he thrust his hand into the fire1 and made harmless rockets shoot from his sugar temples4 ,sugar rocks were strewn about with precipices of nougat1 glaciers of vanilla candy1 and waterfalls of spun sugar4 ,a confectioner in #ahje had to keep his wits about him1 for after every victory of ,napoleon he was expected to do the whole thing in sugar4 ,he was decorator1 painter1 architect1 sculptor1 and florist--icer1 yes1 until after the ,russian campaign1 and then--they had had enough of ice4 ,thus we see that the dessert has always been more for the eye than for the stomach4 ,the good things which have been said over the walnuts and the wine6 ,the pretty books written about claret and olives6 ,one author says that if all the good things which have been said about the gay and smiling dessert could be printed1 it would make a pleasant anecdotic little pamphlet of four thousand odd pages6 ,we must not forget all the absurdities of the dessert4 ,the ,prince ,regent1 whose tastes inclined to a vulgar and spurious ,orientalism1 at one of his costly feasts at ,carleton ,house had a channel of real water running around the table1 and in this swam gold and silver fish4 ,the water was only let on at dessert4 ,these fancies may be sometimes parodied in our own time1 as the bonbon makers of ,paris now devote their talents to the paper absurdities of harlequins1 ,turks1 ,chinamen1 and all the vagaries of a fancy-dress ball with which the passengers of steamships amuse themselves after the ,captain's dinner4 ,this is not that legitimate dessert at which we now find ices disguised as natural fruits1 or copying a rose4 ,all the most beautiful forms in the world are now reproduced in the frozen water or cream1 as healthful as it is delicious1 in the famous jelly with maraschino1 or the delicate bonbon with the priceless liqueur1 or1 better still1 that eau de menthe cordial1 our own green peppermint1 which1 after all1 saves as by one mouthful from the horrors of indigestion and adds that thing more exquisite still to the perfect dessert1--a good night's sleep4 ,,famous ,,menus ,,and ,,recipes4 ,gather up the fragments that remain that nothing be lost4 ,,john vi4 #ab4 ,this is not intended to be a cookery book2 but in order to help the young housekeeper we shall give some hints as to menus and a few rare recipes4 ,the great line of seacoast from ,new ,york to ,florida presents us with some unrivalled delicacies1 and the negroes of the ,state of ,maryland1 which was founded by a rich and luxurious ,lord ,baltimore1 knew how to cook the terrapin1 the canvas-back duck1 oysters1 and the superb wild turkey1--not to speak of the well-fattened poultry of that rich and luxurious ,lorraine of ,america1 ,maryland1 my ,maryland1 which ,oliver ,wendell ,holmes calls the gastronomical centre of the universe4 ,here is an old ,virginia recipe for cooking terrapin1 which is rare and excellent3-- ,take three large1 live1 diamond-backed terrapin1 plunge them in boiling water for three minutes1 to take off the skin1 wipe them clean1 cook them in water slightly salted1 drain them1 let them get cold1 open and take out everything from the shell4 ,in removing the entrails care must be taken not to break the gall4 ,cut off the head1 tail1 nails1 gall1 and bladder4 ,cut the meat in even-size pieces1 put them in a sauce-pan with four ounces of butter1 add the terrapin eggs1 and moisten them with a half pint of ,madeira wine4 ,let the mixture cook until the moisture is reduced one-half4 ,then add two spoonfuls of cream sauce4 ,after five minutes add the yolks of four raw eggs diluted with a half-cup of cream4 ,season with salt and a pinch of red pepper4 ,the mixture should not boil after the yolk of egg is added4 ,toss in two ounces of butter before serving4 ,the heat of the mess will cook egg and butter enough4 ,serve with quartered lemon4 ,this is1 perhaps1 if well-cooked1 the most excellent of all ,american dishes4 ,a chicken gumbo soup is next3-- ,cut up one chicken1 wash and dry it1 dip it in flour1 salt and pepper it1 then fry it in hot lard to a delicate brown4 ,in a soup kettle place five quarts of water and your chicken1 let it boil hard for two hours1 cut up twenty-four okra pods1 add them to the soup1 and boil the whole another hour4 ,one large onion should be put in with the chicken4 ,add red pepper to taste1 also salt1 not too much1 and serve with rice4 ,dried okra can be used1 but must be soaked over night4 ,another ,maryland success was the tomato catsup3-- ,boil one bushel of tomatoes until soft1 squeeze through a sieve1 add to the juice half a gallon of vinegar1 #a pints salt1 #c ounces of whole cloves1 #a ounce of allspice1 #b ounces of cayenne pepper1 #c tablespoonfuls of black pepper1 #c heads of garlic1 skinned and separated2 boil three hours or until the quantity is reduced one-half1 bottle without skimming4 ,the spices should be put in a muslin bag1 which must be taken out1 of course1 before bottling4 ,if desired #a peck of onions can be boiled1 passed through a sieve1 and the juice added to the tomatoes4 ,green pepper pickles3 ,half a pound of mustard seed soaked over night1 #a quart of green pepper chopped1 #b quarts of onions chopped1 #d quarts of cucumbers also chopped1 #h quarts of green tomatoes chopped1 #f quarts of cabbage chopped2 mix and measure4 ,to every gallon of this mixture add one teacup of salt1 let it stand until morning1 then squeeze perfectly dry with the hands4 ,then add #h pounds of sugar1 and cover with good vinegar and boil five minutes4 ,after boiling1 and while still hot1 squeeze perfectly dry1 then add #b ounces of cloves1 #b ounces of allspice1 #c ounces of cinnamon and the mustard seed4 ,the peppers should be soaked in brine thirty-six or forty-eight hours4 ,after soaking1 wipe dry and stuff1 place them in glass jars1 and cover with fresh vinegar4 ,this was considered the triumph of the ,southern housekeeper4 ,chicken with spaghetti3 ,stir four sliced onions in two ounces of butter till very soft1 add one quart of peeled tomatoes2 stew chicken in water until tender1 and pick to pieces4 ,add enough of the gravy to make a quart1 put with the onions and tomatoes4 ,let it stew fifteen minutes gently4 ,put into boiling water #b pounds of spaghetti and a handful of salt1 boil twenty minutes or until tender2 drain this and put in a layer on a platter sprinkled with grated cheese1 and pour the stew on it4 ,fill the platter with these layers1 reserving the best of the chicken to lay on top4 ,the old negro cooks made a delicious confection known as confection cake4 ,those who lived to tell of having eaten it declared that it was a dream4 ,it certainly leads to dreams1 and bad ones1 but it is worth a nightmare3-- #a cups of sugar1 #b cups of flour1 cup of butter1 cup of sweet milk1 whites of six eggs1 #c small teaspoons of baking powder4 ,bake in two or three layers on a griddle4 ,filling3 #a small cocoanut grated1 #a pound almonds blanched1 and cut up not too fine1 #a teacup of raisins chopped1 #a teacup of citron chopped1 #d eggs1 whites only1 #g tablespoonfuls of pulverized sugar to each egg4 ,mix this destructive substance well in the froth of egg1 and spread between the layers of cake when they are hot2 set it a few minutes in the oven1 but do not burn it1 and you have a delicious and profoundly indigestible dessert4 ,you will be able to write ,sartor ,resartus1 after eating of it freely4 ,walnut ,cake3 #a cup of butter1 #b cups of sugar1 #f eggs1 #d cups of flour1 #a cup of milk1 #b teaspoonfuls of yeast powder4 ,this is also baked in layers1 and awaits the dynamite filling which is to blow you up3-- ,walnut ,filling3 #b cups of brown sugar1 #a cup of cream1 a piece of butter the size of an egg4 ,cook twenty minutes1 stirring all the time2 when ready to take off the stove put in one cup of walnut meats4 ,after this has cooked a few minutes longer1 spread between the layers1 and while both cake and filling are hot4 ,perhaps a few menus may be added here to assist the memory of her who does not know what to have for dinner3-- ,tomato ,soup4 ,golden ,sherry4 ,whitefish broiled4 ,claret4 ,mashed potatoes4 ,round of beef brais1 ,madeira4 with glazed onions4 ,champagne4 ,roast plover with cress4 ,chteau ,yquem4 ,chiccory ,salad4 ,custard flavoured with vanilla4 ,cheese4 ,cordials4 ,chambertin4 ,fruit4 ,coffee4 ,or a plain dinner3-- ,sherry4 ,oxtail ,soup4 ,claret4 ,filet of lobster la ,mazarin4 ,turkey rings with pure of chestnuts4 ,salad of fresh tomatoes4 ,cream tart with meringue4 ,cheese4 ,this last dinner is perhaps enough for only a small party1 but it is very well composed4 ,a much more elaborate menu follows3-- ,oysters on the half-shell4 ,soup3 ,consomm royale4 ,fish3 ,rudesheimer4 ,fried smelts1 sauce ,tartare1 ,duchess potatoes4 ,sherry4 ,releves3 ,boned capon4 ,roast ham4 ,champagne4 ,madeira1 ,entres3 ,sweetbreads brais4 ,quails4 ,claret4 ,sorbet au kirsch4 ,game3 ,port1 ,broiled woodcock1 ,chambertin4 ,canvas-back duck4 ,vegetables3 ,cauliflower1 ,spinach1 ,french peas1 ,stewed tomatoes4 ,chteau ,yquem4 ,dessert3 ,frozen pudding1 ,biscuits ,diplomats4 ,meringues ,chantilly1 ,assorted ,cake4 ,fruit4 ,brandy4 ,coffee4 ,cordials4 ,an excellent bill of fare for eight persons1 in the month of ,october1 is the following3-- ,soup4 ,bisque of crayfish4 ,fish4 ,baked smelts1 la ,mentone1 ,potato balls1 la ,rouenaise1 ,ribs of beef braised1 stewed with vegetables4 ,brussels sprouts4 ,roast birds1 or quail on toast4 ,celery salad4 ,to make a bisque of crayfish is a very delicate operation1 but it is worth trying3-- ,have three dozen live crayfish1 wash them well1 and take the intestines out by pinching the extreme end of the centre fin1 when with a sudden jerk the gall can be withdrawn4 ,put in a stewpan two ounces of butter1 with a carrot1 an onion1 two stalks of celery1 two ounces of salted pork1 all sliced fine1 and a bunch of parsley2 fry ten minutes1 add the crayfish1 with a pint of ,french white wine and a quart of veal broth4 ,stir and boil gently for an hour1 then drain all in a large strainer1 take out the bunch of parsley and save the broth2 pick the shells off the crayfish tails1 trim them neatly and keep until wanted4 ,cook separately a pint and a half of rice1 with three pints of veal broth1 pound the rest of the crayfish and vegetables1 add the rice1 pound again1 dilute with the broth of the crayfish1 and add more veal broth if too thick4 ,pass forcibly through a fine sieve with a wooden presser1 put the residue in a saucepan1 warm without boiling1 and stir all the while with a wooden spoon4 ,finish with three ounces of table butter1 a glass of ,madeira wine1 and a pinch of cayenne pepper2 serve hot in soup tureen with the crayfish tails4 ,to prepare baked smelts la ,mentone3 ,spread in a large and narrow baking-dish some fish forcemeat half an inch thick1 have two dozen large1 fresh1 well-cleaned smelts1 lay them down in a row on the forcemeat1 season with salt1 pepper1 and grated nutmeg1 pour over a thick white ,italian sauce1 sprinkle some bread crumbs on them1 put a small pat of butter on each one and bake for half an hour in a pretty hot oven1 then squeeze the juice of a lemon over and serve in a baking-dish4 ,to make potato balls la ,rouenaise3 ,boil the potatoes and rub them fine1 then roll each ball in white of egg1 lay them on a floured table1 roll into shape of a pigeon's egg1 dip them in melted butter1 and fry a light brown in clear hot grease4 ,sprinkle fine salt over and serve in a folded napkin4 ,to prepare braised ribs of beef3 ,have a small set of three ribs cut short1 cook it as beef la mode1 that is1 stew it with spices and vegetables1 dish it up with carrots1 turnips1 and onions1 pour the reduced gravy over4 ,to prepare ,brussels sprouts1 demi-glac3 ,trim and wash the sprouts1 soak them in boiling salted water about thirty minutes1 cool them in cold water1 and drain them4 ,put six ounces of butter in a large frying-pan1 melt it and put the sprouts in it1 season with salt and pepper1 fry on a brisk fire until thoroughly hot1 serve in a dish with a rich drawn-butter sauce with chopped parsley4 ,a diplomatic supper was once served at the ,white ,house1 of which the following menu is an accurate report3-- ,salmon with green sauce4 ,cold boned turkey1 with truffles4 ,pts of game1 truffled4 ,ham cooked in ,madeira sauce4 ,aspic of chicken4 ,pt de foie gras4 ,salads of chicken and lobster in forms1 surrounded by jelly4 ,pickled oysters4 ,sandwiches4 ,scalloped oysters4 ,stewed terrapin4 ,chicken and lobster croquettes4 ,chocolat la crme4 ,coffee4 ,dessert3 ,ices4 ,fancy meringue baskets filled with cream4 ,pancakes4 ,large cakes4 ,fancy jellies4 ,charlotte ,russe4 ,fruits4 ,cake4 ,wafers4 ,nougat4 ,one could have satisfied an appetite with all this4 ,general ,grant was probably the most fted ,american who ever visited ,europe4 ,he was entertained by every monarch and by many most distinguished citizens4 ,the ,duke of ,wellington opened the famous ,waterloo ,room in ,apsley ,house in his honour1 and toasted him as the first soldier of the age4 ,but it is improbable that he ever had a better dinner than the following3-- ,it was given to him in ,new ,york1 in #ahhj1 at the ,hotel ,brunswick4 ,it was for ten people only1 in a private parlour1 arranged as a dining-room en suite with the ,venetian parlour4 ,the room was in rich olive and bronze tints4 ,the buffet glittered with crystal1 and ,venetian glass4 ,on the side tables were arranged the coffee service and other accessories4 ,the whole room was filled with flowers1 the chandelier hung with smilax1 dotted with carnations4 ,the table was arranged with roses1 heliotrope1 and carnations1 the deep purple and green grapes hanging over gold dishes4 ,the dinner service was of white porcelain with heliotrope border1 the glass of iridescent crystal4 ,the furnishing of the ,venetian parlour1 the rich carvings1 the suits of armour1 the antique chairs were all medival2 the dinner was modern and ,american3-- ,oysters4 ,soup1 ,consomm ,royale4 ,fish3 ,fried smelts1 sauce ,tartare4 ,releves3 ,boned capon4 ,entres3 ,sweetbreads1 brais1 ,quails1 la ,perigord4 ,sorbet au kirsch4 ,game4 ,broiled woodcock1 ,canvas-back duck4 ,terrapin4 ,vegetables3 ,cauliflower1 ,spinach1 ,artichokes1 ,french peas4 ,dessert3 ,biscuits ,diplomatiques1 ,frozen pudding1 ,meringue ,chantilly1 ,assorted cakes4 ,fruit4 ,coffee4 ,cigars4 ,liqueurs4 ,probably the last item interested and amused the ,general1 who was no gourmet1 much more than even the terrapin4 ,this menu for a ,november dinner cannot be surpassed4 ,,cookery ,,and ,,wines ,,of ,,the ,,south ,,of ,,europe4 ,aufidius for his morning beverage used ,honey in strong ,falernian wine infused2 ,but here methinks he showed his want of brains3 ,drink less austere best suits the empty veins4 99 99 99 99 99 ,shell fish afford a lubricating slime6 ,but then you must observe both place and time4 ,they're caught the finest when the moon is new2 ,the ,lucrine far excel the ,baian too4 ,misenum shines in cray fish2 ,circe most ,in oysters2 scollops let ,tarentum boast4 ,the culinary critic first should learn ,each nicer shade of flavour to discern3 ,to sweep the fish stalls is mere show at best 99 99 99 99 99 ,unless you know how each thing should be drest4 ,let boars of ,umbrian game replete with mast1 ,if game delights you1 crown the rich repast4 ,,satires ,,of ,,horace4 ,italian cookery is excellent at its best4 ,the same drift of talent1 the same due sense of proportion which showed itself in all their art1 which built ,st4 ,mark's and the ,duomo1 the ,ducal ,palace1 the ,rialto1 and the churches of ,palladio1 comes out in their cookery4 ,their cooks are ,michel ,angelo and ,leonardo da ,vinci in a humbler sphere4 ,they mingle cheese in cookery1 with great effect2 nothing can be better than their cauliflower covered with ,parmesan cheese1 and baked4 ,macaroni in all its forms is of course admirable4 ,they have mastered the use of sweet oil1 which in their cookery never tastes oily2 it is simply a lambent richness4 ,the great dish1 wild boar1 treated with a sweet and a sour sauce1 with pine cones1 is an excellent dish4 ,wild boar is a lean pork with a game flavour4 ,all sorts of birds1 especially becafico1 are well cooked1 they lose no juice or flavour over the fire4 ,they make a dozen preparations of ,indian meal1 which are very good for breakfast4 ,one little round cake1 like a muffin1 tastes almost of cocoanut2 this is fried in oil1 and is most delicious4 ,the frittala is another well-known dish1 and is composed of liver1 bacon1 and birds1 all pinned on a long stick1 or iron pin4 ,in an ,italian palace1 if you have the good luck to be asked1 the dinner is handsome4 ,it is served in twelve courses in the ,russian manner1 and if national dishes are offered they are disguised as inelegant4 ,but at an ordinary farmhouse in the hills near ,florence1 or at the ordinary hotels1 there will be a good soup1 trout fresh from the brooks1 fresh butter1 macaroni with cheese1 a fat capon1 and a delicious omelette1 enriched with morsels of kidney or fat bacon1 a frittala1 a bunch of grapes1 a bottle of ,pogio secco1 or the sweet ,italian straw wine4 ,the ,italians are very frugal1 and would consider the luxurious overflow of ,american munificent hospitality as vulgar4 ,at parties in ,rome1 ,naples1 and ,florence it is not considered proper to offer much refreshment4 ,at ,mr4 ,story's delightful receptions ,american hospitality reigned at afternoon tea1 as it did in all houses where the hostess was ,american1 but at the houses of the ,princes nothing was offered but weak wine and water and little cakes4 ,many travellers have urged that the cookery of the common ,italian dinner is too much flavoured with garlic1 but in a winter spent in travelling through ,italy ,i did not find it so4 ,i remember a certain leg of lamb with beans which had a slight taste of onions1 but that is all4 ,they have learned1 as the ,french have1 that the onion is to cookery what accent is to speech4 ,it should not be trop prononce4 ,the lamb and pistachio nuts of the ,arabian ,nights is often served and is delicious4 ,they give you in an ,italian country house for breakfast1 at twelve o'clock1 a sort of thick soup1 very savoury1 probably made of chicken with an herb like okra1 one dish of meat smothered in beans or tomatoes1 followed by a huge dish of macaroni with cheese1 or with morsels of ham through it4 ,then a white curd with powdered cinnamon1 sugar1 and wine1 a bottle of vino santo1 a cup of coffee or chocolate1 and bread of phenomenal whiteness and lightness4 ,alas1 for the poor people6 ,they live on the chestnuts1 the frogs1 or nothing4 ,the porter at the door of some great house is seen eating a dish of frogs1 which are1 however1 so well cooked that they send up an appetizing fragrance more like a stew of crabs than anything else4 ,one sees sometimes a massive ancient house1 towering up in medival grandeur1 with shafts of marble1 and columns of porphyry1 lonely1 desolate1 and beautiful1 infinitely impressive1 infinitely grand4 ,some member of a once illustrious family lives within these ruined walls1 on almost nothing4 ,he would have to kill his pet falcon to give you a dinner1 while around his time-honoured house cluster his tenants shaking with malaria1--pale1 unhappy1 starved people4 ,it is not a cheerful sight1 but it can be seen in southern ,italy4 ,the prosperous ,italians will give you a well-cooked meal1 an immense quantity of bonbons1 and the most exquisite candied fruits4 ,their confetti are wonderful1 their cakes and ices1 their candied fruit1 their tutti frutti1 are beyond all others4 ,they crown every feast with a ,paradise in spun sugar4 ,but they despise and fear a fire1 and foreigners are apt to find the old ,italian palaces dreary1 and very cold4 ,a recent traveller writes from ,florence3 ,i have been within the walls of five ,italian houses at evening parties1 at three of them1 music and no conversation2 all except one held in cold rooms1 the floors black1 imperfectly covered with drugget1 and no fire2 conversation1 to me at least1 very dull2 the topics1 music1 personal slander1--for religion1 government1 and literature1 were generally excluded from polite society4 ,in only one house1 of which the mistress was a ,german1 was tea handed around2 sometimes not even a cup of water was passed4 ,we learn from the novels of ,marion ,crawford that the ,italians do not often eat in each others' houses4 ,victor ,emmanuel1 the mighty hunter1 had a mighty appetite4 ,he used to dine alone1 before the hour for the ,state dinner4 ,then with sword in hand1 leaning on its jewelled hilt1 in full uniform1 his breast covered with orders1 the ,king sat at the head of his table1 and talked with his guests while the really splendid dinner was served4 ,royal banquets are said to be dull4 ,the presence of a man so much above the others in rank has a depressing effect4 ,the guest must console himself with the glorious past of ,italy1 and fix his eyes on the magnificent furniture of the table1 the cups of ,benvenuto ,cellini1 the vases of ,capo di ,monti1 the superb porcelain1 and the ,venetian glass1 or he must devote himself to the lamb and pistachio nuts1 the choux fleurs aux ,parmesan1 or the truffles1 which are nowhere so large or so fine as at an ,italian dinner4 ,near ,rome they are rooted out of the oak forests by the king's dogs1 and are large and full of flavour4 ,king ,humbert has inherited his father's taste for hunting1 and sends presents of the game he has shot to his courtiers4 ,the housekeeping at the ,quirinal is excellent2 a royal supper at a royal ball is something to remember4 ,and what wines to wash them down with6--the delicious ,lacryma ,christi1 the ,falerno or ,capri1 the ,chianti1 the ,sestio ,levante or ,asti4 ,asti is a green wine1 rich1 strong1 and sweet4 ,it makes people ill if they drink it before it is quite old enough--but perhaps it is not often served at royal banquets4 ,verdeaux was a favourite wine of ,frederic the ,great1 but ,victor ,emmanuel's wine was the luscious ,monte ,pulciano4 ,monte ,pulciano d'ogni vino e il ,re4 ,the brilliant purple colour1 like an amethyst1 of this noble wine is unlike any other4 ,the aromatic odour is delicious2 its sweetness is tempered by an agreeable sharpness and astringency2 it leaves a flattering flavour on the tongue4 ,these best ,italian wines have a deliciousness which eludes analysis1 like the famous ,monte ,beni1 which old ,tommaso produced in a small straw-covered flask at the visit of ,kenyon to ,donatello4 ,this invaluable wine was of a pale golden hue1 like other of the rarest ,italian wines1 and if carelessly and irreligiously quaffed1 might have been mistaken for a sort of champagne4 ,it was not1 however1 an effervescing wine1 although its delicate piquancy produced a somewhat similar effect upon the palate4 ,sipping1 the guest longed to sip again1 but the wine demanded so deliberate a pause in order to detect the hidden peculiarities1 and subtile exquisiteness of its flavour1 that to drink it was more a moral than a physical delight4 ,there was a deliciousness in it which eluded description1 and like whatever else that is superlatively good was perhaps better appreciated by the memory than by present consciousness4 ,one of its most ethereal charms lay in the transitory life of the wine's richest qualities2 for while it required a certain leisure and delay1 yet if you lingered too long in the draught1 it became disenchanted both of its fragrance and flavour4 ,the lustre and colour should not be forgotten among the other good qualities of the ,monte ,beni wine1 for as it stood in ,kenyon's glass1 a little circle of light glowed on the table around about it as if it were really so much golden sunshine4 ,there are few wines worthy of this beautiful eloquence of ,hawthorne4 ,the description bears transportation2 the wine did not4 ,the transportation of even a few miles turned it sour4 ,that is the trouble with ,italian wines4 ,monte ,pulciano and ,chianti do bear transportation4 ,italy sends much of the latter wine to ,new ,york4 ,italy has1 however1 never produced a really good dry wine1 with all its vineyards4 ,the dark ,grignolino wine grown in the vineyards of ,asterau and ,monferrato possesses the remarkable quality of keeping better if diluted with fresh water4 ,the ,falernian from the ,bay of ,naples1 is the wine of the poets1 nor need we remind the classical scholar that the hills around ,rome were formerly supposed to produce it4 ,the loose1 volcanic soil about ,mount ,vesuvius grows the grapes from which ,lacryma ,christi is produced4 ,it is sometimes of a rich red colour1 though white and sparkling varieties are produced4 ,the ,italians are supremely fond of al fresco entertainments1--their fine climate making out-of-door eating very agreeable4 ,how many a traveller remembers the breakfast or dinner in a vine-covered loggia overhanging some splendid scene6 ,it forms the subject of many a picture1 from those which illustrate the stories of ,boccaccio up to the beautiful sketch of ,tasso1 at the court of the ,duc d',este4 ,the dangers of these feasts have been immortalized in verse and prose from ,dante down1 and ,shakspeare has touched upon them twice4 ,george ,eliot describes one in a loggia joining on a garden1 with all one side of the room open1 and with numerous groups of trees and statues and avenues of box1 high enough to hide an assassin1 in her wonderful novel of ,romola4 ,in modern days1 since the ,borgias are all killed1 no one need fear to eat out-of-doors in ,italy4 ,not much can be said of the cookery of ,spain4 ,in the principal hotels of ,spain one gets all the evils of both ,spanish and ,gascon cookery4 ,garlic is the favourite flavour1 and the bad oil expressed from the olive1 skin1 seed and all1 allowed to stand until it is rancid1 is beloved of the ,spanish1 but hated by all other nations4 ,i believe1 however1 that an olla podrida made in a ,spanish house is very good4 ,it may not be inappropriate here to give two recipes for macaroni4 ,the first1 macaroni au gratin is very rarely found good in an ,american house3-- ,break two ounces of best ,italian macaroni into a pint of highly seasoned stock1 let it simmer until very tender4 ,when done1 toss it up with a small piece of butter1 and add pepper and salt to taste2 put in a large meat dish1 sift over it some fried bread-crumbs1 and serve4 ,it will take about an hour to cook1 and should be covered with the stock all the time4 99 99 99 99 99 ,macaroni with ,parmesan cheese3 ,boil two ounces of macaroni in half a pint of water1 with an ounce of butter1 until perfectly tender4 ,if the water evaporates add a little more1 taking care that the macaroni does not stick to the stewpan1 or become broken4 ,when it is done1 drain away the water and stir in two ounces of good cheese grated1 cayenne pepper and salt to taste4 ,keep stirring until the cheese is dissolved4 ,pour on to a hot dish and serve4 ,a little butter may be stirred into the macaroni before the cheese1 and is an improvement4 ,through the ,riviera1 and indeed in the south of ,france1 one meets with many peculiar dishes4 ,no one who has read ,thackeray need be reminded of bouillabaise1 that famous fish chowder of ,marseilles4 ,it is1 however1 only our chowder with much red pepper4 ,a cook can try it if she chooses1 and perhaps achieve it after many failures4 ,there are so many very good dishes awaiting the efforts of a young ,american housewife1 that she need not go out of her way to extemporize or explore4 ,the best cook-book for foreign dishes is still the old ,francatelli4 ,the presence in our midst of ,italian warehouses1 adds an infinite resource to the housewife4 ,those stimulants to the appetite called hors d'oeuvres1 we call them relishes1 are much increased by studying the list of ,italian delicacies4 ,anchovy or caviar1 potted meat1 grated tongue1 potted cheese1 herring salad1 the inevitable olive1 and many other delicacies could be mentioned which aid digestion1 and make the plainest table inexpensively luxurious4 ,the ,italians have all sorts of delicate vegetables preserved in bottles1 mixed and ready for use in a jardinire dressing2 also the best of cheeses1 gargonzala1 and of course the truffle1 which they know how to cook so well4 ,the ,italians have conquered the art of cooking in oil1 so that you do not taste the oil4 ,it is something to live for1 to eat their fried things4 ,speaking of the south of ,europe reminds us of that wonderful bit of orientalism out of place1 which is called ,algiers1 and which ,france has enamelled on her fabulous and many-coloured shield4 ,algiers has become not only a winter watering-place1 high in favour with the traveller1 but it is a great wine-growing country4 ,the official statement of ,lieut4 ,col4 ,sir ,r4 ,l4 ,playfair1 her ,majesty's consul-general1 may be read with interest1 dated #ahhi3 ,viticulture in ,algeria1 was in #aggh in its infancy2 now nearly one hundred and twenty-five thousand acres are under cultivation with vines1 and during the last year about nine hundred thousand hectolitres of wine were produced4 ,in #ahgc ,mr4 ,eyre ,ledyard1 an ,english cultivator of the vine in ,algeria1 bought the property of ,chateau ,hydra near ,algiers4 ,he found on it five acres of old and badly planted vineyards1 which produced about seven hogsheads of wine4 ,he has extended this vineyard and carried on his work with great intelligence and industry4 ,he cultivates the following varieties3 the ,mourvedie1 of a red colour resembling ,burgundy1 ,cariguan1 giving a wine good1 dark1 and rough1 ,alicante or ,grenache1 ,petit ,bouschet1 ,cabernot and ,ct1 a ,burgundy1 ,perian ,lyra1 ,aramen1 and ,st4 ,saux4 ,chasselas succeeds well2 the grapes are exported to ,france for the table4 ,clairette produces abundantly and makes a good dry wine4 ,ainin ,kelb1 more correctly ,ain ,kelb1 dog's-eye1 is an ,arab grape which makes a good strong wine1 but which requires keeping4 ,muscat is a capricious bearer4 ,from the two last-named varieties1 sweet as well as dry wines are produced by adding large quantities of alcohol to the juice of the grape1 and thus preventing fermentation4 ,the crops yield quantities varying from seven hundred gallons per acre in rich land to four hundred on the hillside1 except ,cariguan which yields more4 ,aramen yields as much1 but the quality is inferior4 ,the red wines are sent to ,bordeaux and ,burgundy1 to give strength and quality to the ,french clarets1 as they are very useful for blending4 ,the dry1 white wine is rather stronger and fuller than that of ,france or ,germany1 and is much used to give additional value to the thinner qualities of ,rhine wine4 ,the cellars of ,chteau ,hydra1 are now probably the best in the colony4 ,they are excavated in the soft rock here incorrectly called tufa1 in reality an aggregation of minutely pulverized shells2 it is soft and sandy1 and easily excavated4 ,the surface becomes harder by exposure to the atmosphere1 and it is not subject to crumbling4 ,mr4 ,ledyard has excavated extensive cells in this rock1 in which extreme evenness of temperature is ensured1--a condition most necessary for the proper manufacture of wine4 ,mr4 ,eyre ,ledyard's vineyards and cellars of the ,chateau ,hydra estate are now farmed by the ,socit ,anonyme ,viticole et ,vinicole d',hydra1 of which ,mr4 ,ledyard is chairman4 ,these wines have been so successfully shipped to ,england and other countries that the company now buys grapes largely from the best vineyards1 in order to make sufficient wines to meet the demand4 ,the ,hydra ,company supplies wine to all vessels of the ,ocean ,company going to ,india and ,china4 ,a very carefully prepared quinine white wine is made for invalids1 and for use in countries where there is fever4 ,i especially recommend a trial of this last excellent wine to ,americans1 as it is most agreeable as well as healthful4 ,the postal address is ,m4 ,le ,gerant1 ,hydra ,caves1 ,birmandreis1 ,algiers4 ,all the stories of ,algiers read like tales of the ,arabian ,nights1 and none is more poetic than the names and the story of these delicious wines4 ,the ,greek wines are well spoken of in ,europe3 ,santorin1 and ,zante1 and ,st4 ,eli1 and ,corinth1 and ,mount ,hymettus1 ,vino ,santo1 and ,cyprus1 while from ,magyar vineyards come ,visonta1 ,badescony1 ,dioszeg1 ,bakator1 ,rust1 ,szamorodni1 ,oedenburger1 ,ofner1 and ,tokay4 ,the ,hungarian wines are very heady4 ,he must be a swashbuckler who drinks them4 ,they are said to make the drinker grow fat4 ,to this unhappy class ,brillat ,savarin gives the following precepts3-- ,drink every summer thirty bottles of seltzer water1 a large tumbler the first thing in the morning1 another before lunch1 and the same at bedtime4 ,drink white wines1 especially those which are light and acid1 and avoid beer as you would the plague4 ,ask frequently for radishes1 artichokes with hot sauce1 asparagus1 celery2 choose veal and fowl rather than beef and mutton1 and eat as little of the crumb of bread as possible4 ,avoid macaroni and pea soup1 avoid farinaceous food under whatever form it assumes1 and dispense with all sweets4 ,at breakfast take brown bread1 and chocolate rather than coffee4 ,indeed ,brillat ,savarin seems to have inspired this later poet3-- ,talk of the nectar that flowed for celestials ,richer in headaches it was than hilarity6 ,well for us animals1 frequently bestials1 ,hebe destroyed the recipe as a charity6 ,once ,i could empty my glass with the best of 'em1 ,somehow my system has suffered a shock o' late2 ,now ,i shun spirits1 wine1 beer1 and the rest of 'em1 ,fill me1 then fill me1 a bumper of chocolate4 ,once ,i drank logwood1 and quassia and turpentine1 ,liqueurs with coxcubes1 aloes1 and gentian in1 ,sure1 't is no wonder my path became serpentine1 ,getting a state ,i should blush now to mention in4 ,farewell to ,burgundy1 farewell to ,sillery1 ,i have not tasted a drop e'en of ,hock o' late1 ,long live the kettle1 my dear old distillery1 ,fill me1 oh fill me1 a bumper of chocolate4 ,as we cannot all drink chocolate1 ,i recommend the carefully prepared white wine1 with quinine in it1 which comes from ,chateau ,hydra in ,algiers1 or some of the ,italian wines1 ,barolo for instance1 or the excellent native wines which are produced in ,savoy4 ,about ,aix les ,bains1 where the cuisine is the best in ,europe1 many wines are manufactured which are honest wines with no headaches in them4 ,,some ,,oddities ,,in ,,the ,,art ,,of ,,entertaining4 ,comparisons are odorous4 ,i prithee let me bring thee where crabs grow2 ,and ,i with my long nails will dig thee pig nuts2 ,show thee a jay's nest1 and instruct thee how ,to snare the nimble marmozet2 ,i'll bring thee ,to clustering filberds1 and sometimes ,i'll get thee ,young staniels from the rocks4 ,wilt thou go with me8 ,,the ,,tempest4 ,in the lamb roasted whole we have one of the earliest dishes on record in the history of cookery4 ,stuffed with pistachio nuts1 and served with pilaf1 it illustrates the antiquity of the art1 and at the same time gives an example of the food upon which millions of our fellow creatures are sustained4 ,at a dinner of the ,acclimatization ,society in ,london1 all manner of strange and new dishes were offered1 even the meat of the horse4 ,a roast monkey filled with chestnuts was declared to be delicious2 the fawn of fallow deer was described as good2 buffalo meat was not so highly commended2 a red-deer ham was considered very succulent2 a sirloin of bear was tough1 glutinous1 and had1 besides1 a dreadful1 half-aromatic1 half-putrescent flavour1 as though it had been rubbed with assafoetida and then hung for a month in a musk shop4 ,we will not try bear unless we are put to it4 ,however1 at this same dinner--we read on--haunch of venison1 saddle of mutton1 roast beef of old ,england1 which is really the roast beef which is of old ,normandy now1 all gave way to a ,chinese lamb roasted whole1 stuffed with pistachio nuts1 and served with consousson1 a preparation of wheat used among the ,moors1 ,africans1 and other natives of the north of ,africa littoral1 in place of rice4 ,the ,moorish young ladies are1 it is said1 fattened into beauty by an enforced meal of this strengthening compound4 ,the consousson is made into balls and stuffed into the mouths of the marriageable young lady1 until she grows as tired of balls as a young belle of three seasons4 ,in ,spain1 in those damp swamps near ,valencia1 where the poor are old before forty and die before forty-five1 the best rice sells at eleven farthings1 the poorest at eight farthings per pound4 ,this1 cooked with the ground dust of pimientos1 or capsicums1 is the foundation of every stew in the south of ,spain4 ,it is of a rich brick-dust hue1 and is full of fire and flavour4 ,into this stew the cook puts the reptiles of the sea known as spotted cats1 toads and other oily fish1 sold at two pence a pound1 or the vogar1 a silvery fish1 or the gallina1 a coarse fish1 chick peas1 garlic1 pork1 and sausages4 ,if rich she will make an olla podrida with bacon1 fresh meat1 potatoes1 cabbages1 and she will pour off the soup1 calling it caldo1 then the lumps of meat and bacon1 called cocida1 will be served next4 ,then the cigarette is smoked4 ,if you are a king she will add a quince and an apple to the stew4 ,of puddings and pies they know nothing2 but what fruit they have6--watermelons weighing fifteen pounds apiece2 lemon pippins called perillons2 crimson1 yellow1 and purple plums2 purple and green figs2 tomatoes by the million2 carob beans1 on which half the nation lives2 small cucumbers and gourds2 large black grapes1 very sweet2 white grapes and quinces2 peaches in abundance2 and all the chestnuts and filberts in the world4 ,in the summer they eat goat's flesh2 and on ,all ,saints' ,day they eat pork and chestnuts and sweet babatas of ,malaga4 ,in exile1 in ,mexico and ,florida1 the ,spaniard eats alligator1 which could scarcely be called a game bird2 but the flesh of young alligators' tails is very fair1 and tastes like chicken if the tail is cut off immediately after death1 and stewed4 ,the frost fish of the ,adirondacks is seldom tasted1 except by those who have spent a winter in the ,north ,woods4 ,they are delicious when fried4 ,there is a ,european fish as little known as this1 the ,marena1 caught in ,lake ,moris in the province of ,pomerania1 also in one lake in southern ,italy1 which is very good4 ,there are two birds known in ,prussia1 the bustard1 and the kammel1 the former a species of small ostrich1 once considered very fine eating1 the latter very tough1 except under unusual conditions4 ,the ,chinese enjoy themselves by night4 ,all their feasts and festivals are kept then1 generally by moonlight4 ,when a ,chinaman is poor he can live on a farthing's worth of rice a day2 when he gets rich he becomes the most luxurious of sybarites1 indulges freely in the most recherch delicacies of the table1 and becomes1 like any ,roman voluptuary1 corpulent and phlegmatic4 ,a lady thus describes a ,chinese dinner3-- ,the hour was eleven ,a4 ,m41 the locale a boat4 ,having heard much of the obnoxious stuff ,i was to eat1 ,i adopted the prescription of a friend4 ',eat very little of any dish1 and be a long time about it4' ,we commenced with tea1 and finished with soup4 ,some of the intermediate dishes were shark's-fin2 birds' nests brought from ,borneo1 costing nearly a guinea a mouthful1 fricassee of poodle1 a little dog almost a pig2 the fish of the conch-shell1 a substance like wax or india rubber1 which you might masticate but never mash2 peacock's liver1 very fine and recherch2 putrid eggs1 nevertheless very good2 rice1 of course1 salted shrimps1 baked almonds1 cabbage in a variety of forms1 green ginger1 stewed fungi1 fresh fish of a dozen kinds1 onions ad libitum1 salt duck cured like ham1 and pig in every form1 roast1 boiled1 and fried1 ,foo-,chow ham which seemed to me equal to ,wiltshire4 ,in fact1 the ,chinese excel in pork1 though the ,english there never touch it1 under the supposition that the pigs are fed on little babies4 ,but this is a libel4 ,of course a pig would eat a baby1 as it would a rattlesnake if it came across one2 but the ,chinese are very particular about their swine and keep them penned up1 rivalling the ,dutch in their scrubbing and washing4 ,they grow whole fields of taro and herbs for their pigs4 ,and ,i do not believe that one porker in a million ever tastes a baby4 ,this traveller's sympathies appear to be with the pig4 ,about two o'clock we arose from the table1 walked about1 looked out of the window4 ,large brass bowls were brought with water and towels4 ,each one proceeded to perform ablutions1 the ,chinese washing their heads2 after which refreshing operation we resumed our seats and re-commenced with another description of tea4 ,seven different sorts of ,samchou we partook of1 made from rice1 from peas1 from mangoes1 cocoa-nut1 all fermented liquors1 and the mystery remained1--,i was not inebriated4 ,the ,samchou was drunk warm in tiny cups1 during the whole course of the dinner4 ,the whole was cooked without salt and tasted very insipid to me4 ,the bird's-nest seemed like glue or isinglass1 but the coxcombs were palatable4 ,the dog-meat was like some very delicate gizzards well-stewed1 and of a short1 close fibre4 ,the dish which ,i most fancied turned out to be rat4 ,upon taking a second help1 after the first taste ,i got the head1 which made me rather sick2 but ,i consoled myself that when in ,california we ate ground squirrels which are first cousins to the flat-tailed rats2 and travellers who would know the world must go in for manners and customs4 ,we had tortoise and frogs1--a curry of the latter was superior to chicken2 we had fowls' hearts1 and the brains of some birds1 snipe1 ,i think4 ,we had a chow-chow of mangoes1 rambustan preserved1 salted cucumber1 sweet potatoes1 yams1 taro1 all sorts of sweets made of rice sugar1 and cocoa-nuts2 and the soup which terminated the entertainment was certainly boiled tripe or some other internal arrangement2 and ,i wished ,i had halted some little time before4 ,the whole was eaten with chop-sticks or a spoon like a small spade or shovel4 ,the sticks are made into a kind of fork1 being held crosswise between the fingers4 ,it is not the custom for the sexes to meet at meals2 ,i dined with the ladies4 ,this dinner has one suggestion for our hostesses1--it was in a boat1 on a river1 by torchlight4 ,we can1 however1 give a better one on a yacht at ,newport1 or at ,new ,london1 or down on the ,florida coast2 but it would be a pretty fancy to give it on our river4 ,it is curious to see what varieties there are in the art of entertaining2 and it is useful to remember1 when in ,florida1 that alligators' tails are as good1 when stewed1 as chicken4 ,the eating of the past included1 under the ,romans1 the ass1 the dog1 the snail1 hedge-hogs1 oysters1 asparagus1 venison1 wild-boar1 sea-nettles4 ,in ,england1 in #abgb1 the hostess offered strange dishes3 mallards1 herons1 swans1 crane1 and peacock4 ,the peacock was1 of old1 a right royal bird which figured splendidly at the banquets of the great1 and this is how the medival cooks dished up the dainty3-- ,flay off the skin1 with the feathers1 tail1 neck1 and head thereon4 ,then take the skin and all the feathers and lay it on the table1 strewing thereon ground cumin2 then take the peacock and roast him1 and baste him with raw yolks of eggs1 and when he is roasted take him off and let him cool awhile4 ,then sew him in his skin1 and gild his comb1 and so send him forth for the last course4 ,our ,saxon ancestors were very fond1 like the ,spaniards1 of putting everything into the same pot2 and we read of stews that make the blood boil4 ,travellers tell us of dining with the ,esquimaux1 on a field of ice1 when tallow candles were considered delicious1 or they found their plates loaded with liver of the walrus4 ,they vary their dinners by helping themselves to a lump of whale-meat1 red and coarse and rancid1 but very toothsome to an ,esquimau1 notwithstanding4 ,if they should sit down to a ,greenlander's table they would find it groaning under a dish of half-putrid whale's tail1 which has been lauded as a savoury matter1 not unlike cream cheese2 and the liver of a porpoise makes the mouth water4 ,they may finish their repast with a slice of reindeer1 or roasted rat1 and drink to their host in a bumper of train oil4 ,in ,south ,america the tongue of a sea-lion is esteemed a great delicacy4 ,fashion in ,siam prescribes a curry of ants' eggs as necessary to every well-ordered banquet4 ,the eggs are not larger than grains of pepper1 and to an unaccustomed palate have no particular flavour4 ,besides being curried1 they are brought to table rolled in green leaves mingled with shreds or very fine slices of pork4 ,the ,mexicans make a species of bread of the eggs of insects which frequent the fresh water of the lagoons4 ,the natives cultivate in the lagoon of ,chalco a sort of carex called tonte1 on which the insects deposit their eggs very freely4 ,this carex is made into bundles and is soon covered4 ,the eggs are disengaged1 beaten1 dried1 and pounded into flour4 ,penguins' eggs1 cormorants' eggs1 gulls' eggs1 the eggs of the albatross1 turtles' eggs are all made subservient to the table4 ,the mother turtle deposits her eggs1 about a hundred at a time1 in the dry sand1 and leaves them to be hatched by the genial sun4 ,the ,indian tribes who live on the banks of the ,orinoco procure from them a sweet and limpid oil which is their substitute for butter4 ,lizards' eggs are regarded as a bonne bouche in the ,south ,sea ,islands1 and the eggs of the guana1 a species of lizard1 are much favoured by ,west ,indians4 ,alligators' eggs are eaten in the ,antilles and resemble hens' eggs in size and shape4 ,we have spoken of horse-flesh as introduced at the dinner of the ,acclimatization ,society1 but it is hardly known that the ,frenchmen have tried to make it as common as beef4 ,isidore ,st4 ,helain says of it1 that it has long been regarded as of a sweetish1 disagreeable taste1 very tough1 and not to be eaten without difficulty2 but so many different facts are opposed to this prejudice that it is impossible not to perceive the slightness of the foundation4 ,the free or wild horse is hunted as game in all parts of the world where it exists1--,asia1 ,africa1 and ,america1 and perhaps even now in ,europe4 ,the domestic horse is itself made use of for alimentary purposes in all those countries4 ,its flesh is relished by races the most diverse1--,negro1 ,mongol1 ,malay1 ,american1 ,caucasian4 ,it was much esteemed until the eighth century amongst the ancestors of some of the greatest nations of ,western ,europe1 who had it in general use and gave it up with regret4 ,soldiers to whom it has been served out and people who have bought it in markets1 have taken it for beef2 and many people buy it daily in ,paris for venison4 ,during the commune many people were glad enough to get horse-flesh for the roast4 ,locusts are eaten by many tribes of ,north ,american ,indians1 and there is no reason why they should not be very good4 ,the bushmen of ,africa rejoice in roasting spiders2 maggots tickle the palates of the ,australian aborigines2 and the ,chinese feast on the chrysalis of a silk-worm4 ,if this is what they ate1 what then did they drink8 ,no thin potations1 no half-filled cups for the early ,english4 ,wine-bibbers and beer-bibbers1 three-bottle men they were down to one hundred years ago4 ,provocatives of drink were called shoeing horses1 whetters1 drawers off and pullers on4 ,massinger puts forth a curious test of these provocatives3-- ,i asked ,such an unexpected dainty bit for breakfast ,as never yet ,i cooked2 'tis red botargo1 ,fried frogs1 potatoes marroned1 cavear1 ,carps' tongues1 the pith of an ,english chine of beef1 ,now one ,italian delicate wild mushroom1 ,and yet a drawer on too2 and if you show not ,an appetite1 and a strong one1 ,i'll not say ,to eat it1 but devour it1 without grace too1 ,for it will not stay a preface4 ,i am shamed1 ,and all my past provocatives will be jeered at4 ,ben ,jonson affords us many a glimpse of the drinking habits of all classes in his day4 ,after the ,restoration1 ,england seems to have abandoned herself to one great saturnalia1 and men drank deeply1 from the king down4 ,the novels of ,fielding and ,smollett are full of the wildest debauchery and drunken extravagance4 ,statesmen drank deep at their councils1 ladies drank in their boudoirs1 the criminal on his way to ,tyburn stopped to drink a parting glass4 ,hogarth in his wonderful pictures has held the mirror up to society to show how general was the shame1 how terrible the curse4 ,in ,germany the ,baierisch bier1 drunk out of bierglschen ornamented as they are with engraved wreaths1 ,zum ,andenken1 ,aus ,freundschaft1 and other little bits of national harmless sentiment1 has come down from the remotest antiquity1 and has never failed to provoke quiet and decorous1 if sleepy hilarity4 ,we are afraid that the ,dew of ,ben ,nevis is not so peaceful1 nor the juice of the juniper1 nor ,new ,england rum1 nor the aquadiente of the ,mexican1 nor the vodka of the ,russian4 ,all these have the most terrible wild madness in them4 ,to the honour of civilization1 it is no longer the fashion to drink to excess4 ,the vice of drunkenness rarely meets the eye of a refined woman2 and let us hope that less and less may it be the bane of society1 the disgrace of the art of entertaining4 ,,the ,,servant ,,question4 ,verily ,i swear1 't is better to be lowly born1 ,and range with humble livers in content1 ,than to be perked up in a glistering grief ,and wear a golden sorrow4 ,,henry ,,viii4 ,it is impossible to do much with the art of entertaining without servants1 and where shall we get them8 ,in a country village1 not two hundred miles from ,new ,york1 ,i have seen well-to-do citizens going to a little restaurant in the main street for their dinners during an entire summer1 because they could not get women to stay in their houses as servants4 ,they are willing to pay high wages1 they are generous livers1 but such a thing as domestic service is out of the question4 ,if any lady comes from the city bringing two or three maids1 they are of far more interest in the village than their mistress1 and are besieged1 waited upon1 intrigued with1 to leave their place1 to come and serve the village lady4 ,what is the reason8 ,the ,american farmer's daughter will not go out to service1 will not be called a servant1 will not work in another person's house as she will in her own4 ,the ,irish maid prefers the town1 and dislikes the country1 where there is no ,catholic church4 ,such a story repeated all over the land is the story of ,american service4 ,we have1 however1 every day1 ships arriving in ,new ,york harbour which pour out on our shores the poor of all nations4 ,the men seem to take readily enough to any sort of work4 ,italians shovel snow and work on railroads1 but their wives and daughters make poor domestic servants4 ,the best that we can get are the ,irish who have been long in the country4 ,then come the ,germans1 who now outnumber the ,irish4 ,french1 ,swedes1 ,danes1 ,norwegians1 all come in shoals4 ,of all these the ,french are by far the best4 ,of course1 as cooks they are unrivalled2 as butler1 waiter1 footman1 a well-trained ,french serving-man is the very best4 ,he is neat1 economical1 and respectful4 ,he knows his value and he is very expensive4 ,but if you can afford him1 take him and keep him4 ,french maids are admirable as seamstresses1 and in all the best and highest walks of domestic service1 but they are difficult as to the other servants4 ,they make trouble about their food2 they do not tell the truth1 as a rule4 ,a good ,irish nurse is the best and most tender1 the most to be relied on4 ,children love ,irish servants2 it is the best recommendation we can give them4 ,they are not good cooks as a rule1 and are wanting in head1 management1 and neatness2 but they are willing2 and a wise mistress can make of them almost anything she desires4 ,the ,germans surpass them very much in thrift and in concentration1 but the ,germans are stolid1 and very far from being as gentle and willing as the ,irish4 ,if a housekeeper gets a number of ,german servants in training and thinks them perfect1 she need not be astonished if some fine morning she rises and finds them gone off to parts unknown4 ,the ,swedes are more reliable up to a certain point2 they are never stupid1 they are rather fantastic1 and very eccentric4 ,they are also full of poetry1 and indulge in sublime longings4 ,the ,swedish language is made up of eloquence and poetry as soft as the ,italian2 it has also something of the flow and the magnificence of the ,spanish4 ,it is freighted with picturesque and brilliant metaphor1 and is richer than ours in its expressions of gentleness1 politeness1 and courtesy4 ,they have a great talent for arguing with gentleness and courtesy1 and of protesting with politeness1 and they learn our language with singular ease4 ,i once had a ,swedish maid who argued me out of my desire to have the dining-room swept1 in better language than ,i could use myself4 ,one must1 in hiring servants1 take into account all these national characteristics4 ,the ,swedes are full of talent1 they can do your work if they wish to1 but ten chances to one they do not wish to4 ,gustavus ,adolphus and ,charles ,,xii4 were two types of ,swedish character4 ,the ,swedes of to-day1 like them1 are full of dignity and lofty aspiration2 they love brilliant display2 they have audacious and adventurous spirits2 one can imagine them marching to victory2 but all this makes them1 in this country1 too smart to be servants4 ,they are excellent cooks4 ,a ,swedish woman formerly came to my house to cook for dinner parties1 and she was equal to any ,french chef4 ,her price was five dollars2 she would do all my marketing for me1 and serve the dinner most perfectly1--that is1 render it up to the men waiters4 ,i rarely had any fault to find2 if ,i had1 it was ,i who was in the wrong4 ,she came often to instruct my ,irish cook2 but had ,i attempted any further intercourse1 ,i felt that it would have been ,i who would have had to leave the house1 and not my excellent cook4 ,they have every qualification for service excepting this3 they will not obey1--they are captains4 ,the ,norwegians are very different4 ,we must again remember that at home they are poor1 frugal1 religious1 and capable of all sacrifice2 they will work patiently here for seven years in order to go back to ,norway1 to that poetical land1 whose beauty is so unspeakable4 ,these girls who come from the herds1 who have spent the summer on the plains in a small hut and alone1 making butter and cheese1 are strong1 patient1 handsome1 fresh creatures1 with voices as sweet as lutes1 and most obedient and good1--their thoughts ever of father and mother and home4 ,would there were more of them4 ,if they were a little less awkward in an ,american house they would be perfect4 ,as for the men1 they are the best farm-laborers in the world4 ,they have a high1 noble1 patient courage1 a very slow mind1 and are fond of argument4 ,the ,norwegian is the ,scotchman of ,scandinavia1 as the ,swede is the ,irishman4 ,there are no better adopted citizens than the ,norwegians1 but they live here only to go back to ,norway when they have made enough4 ,deeply religious1 they are neither narrow nor ignoble4 ,they would be perfect servants if well trained4 ,the ,danes are not so simple2 they are a mercantile people1 and are desperately fond of bargaining4 ,they are also1 however1 most interesting4 ,their taste for art is vastly more developed than that of either the ,swedes or the ,norwegians4 ,a ,danish parlour-maid will arrange the bric--brac and stand and look at it4 ,to go higher in their home history1 they are making great painters4 ,as servants they are hardly known enough amongst us to be criticised2 those ,i have seen have been neat1 faithful1 and far more obedient than their cleverer ,swedish sisters4 ,could ,i have my choice for servants about a country house they should be ,norwegians1 in a city house1 ,french4 ,in ,chicago1 the ladies speak highly of the ,german servants1 if they do not happen to be ,nihilists1 which is a dreadful possibility4 ,at the ,south they still have the negro1 most excellent when good1 most objectionable when bad4 ,certainly freedom has not improved him as to manners1 and a coloured coachman in ,washington can be far more disagreeable than an ,irishman1 or a ,french cabby during the ,exposition1 which is saying a great deal4 ,the excellence1 the superiority1 the respectful manners of ,english servants at home has induced many ladies to bring over parlour maids1 nurses1 cooks1 from ,england1 with1 however1 but small success4 ,i need but copy the following from the ,london ,queen1 to show how different is the way of speaking of a servant1 and to a servant in ,london from that which obtains in ,new ,york4 ,it is verbatim3-- ,the servants should rise at six-thirty1 and the cook a little earlier2 she then lights the kitchen fire1 opens the house1 sweeps the hall1 cleans the steps1 prepares upstairs and downstairs breakfast4 ,meantime the house parlourmaid does the dining-room1 takes up hot water to bedrooms1 lays the table1 and so forth1 while the housemaid dusts the day nursery and takes up the children's breakfast4 ,supposing the family breakfast is not wanted before eight-thirty1 that meal should be taken1 in both kitchen and nursery1 before eight o'clock4 ,as soon as this is over the cook must tidy her kitchen1 look over her stores1 contents of pantry1 etc41 and be ready by nine-thirty to take her orders for the day4 ,she will answer the kitchen bell at all times1 and perhaps the front door in the morning1 and will be answerable besides for ordinary kitchen work1 for the hall1 kitchen stairs1 all the basement1 and according to arrangement possibly the dining-room4 ,she must have fixed days for doing the above work1 cleaning tins1 etc4 ,the cook also clears away the breakfast4 ,as soon as the housemaid has taken up the family breakfast1 she1 the housemaid1 must begin the bedrooms1 where the second scullery-maid may help her as soon as she has done helping the cook4 ,the house parlour-maid will be responsible for the drawing-room and sitting-room and all the bedrooms1 also stairs and landing1 having regular days for cleaning out one of each weekly1 being helped by the second scullery-maid4 ,she should be dressed in time for lunch1 wait on it1 and clear away4 ,she will answer the front door in the afternoon1 take up five o'clock tea1 lay the table and wait at dinner4 ,the scullery maid must clear the kitchen meals and help in all the washing up1 take up nursery tea1 help the cook prepare late dinner1 carry up the dishes for late dinner1 clear and wash up kitchen supper4 ,the nurse has her dinner in the kitchen4 ,servants' meals should be breakfast1 before the family1 dinner directly after upstairs lunch1 tea at five1 supper at nine4 ,they should go to bed regularly at ten o'clock4 ,now as to their fare4 ,for breakfast a little bacon or an egg1 or some smoked fish2 for dinner1 meat1 vegetables1 potatoes1 and pudding4 ,if a joint has been sent up for lunch1 it is usual for it to go down to the servants' table4 ,allow one pint and a half of beer to each servant who asks for it1 or one bottle4 ,tea1 butter1 and sugar are given out to them4 ,the weekly bills for the servants shall be about two dollars and a half4 ,the neatness of all this careful housekeeping would be delightful if it could be carried out with us1 or if the servant would accept it4 ,but imagine a ,new ,york mistress achieving it6 ,the independent voter would revolt1 his wife would never accept it4 ,english servants lose all their good manners when they come over here1 and do not appear at all as they do in ,london4 ,american servants are always expected to eat what goes down from the master's table1 and there is no such thing as making one servant wait upon another in our free and independent country4 ,there are households in ,america where many servants are kept in order by a very clever mistress1 but it is rarely an order which lasts for long4 ,it is a vexed question1 and the freedom with which we take a servant1 without knowing much of her character1 must explain a great deal of it4 ,foreign servants find out soon their legal rights1 and their importance4 ,here where labour is scarce1 it is not so easy to get a good footman1 parlour maid1 or cook2 the great variety and antipathy of race comes in4 ,the ,irishman will not work on a railroad with the ,italian1 and we all know the history of the ,heathen ,chinee4 ,that is repeated in every household4 ,mr4 ,winans1 in ,scotland1 hires a place which reaches from the ,north ,sea to the ,atlantic2 he spends two hundred thousand dollars a year on it4 ,he has perhaps three hundred servants1 every one of them perfect4 ,imagine his having such a place here6 ,how many good servants could he find2 how long would they stay8 ,how long does a ,french chef1 at ten thousand dollars a year1 stay8 ,only one year4 ,he prefers to return to ,france4 ,indeed1 ,french servants1 poorly paid and very poorly fed at home1 are the hardest to keep in this country2 they all wish to go back4 ,it is a curious fact that they grow impertinent and do not seem to enjoy the life4 ,they go back to ,europe1 and resume their good manners as if nothing had happened4 ,it must be in the air4 ,it is1 however1 possible for a lady to get good servants and to keep them for a while1 if she has great executive ability and a natural leadership2 but the whole question is one which has not yet been at all mastered4 ,there is no hook and eye between the ship loaded down with those who want work and those who want work done4 ,the great lack of respect in the manners of servants in hotels is especially noticeable to one returning from ,europe4 ,a woman1 a sort of care-taker on a third-story floor1 will sing while a lady is talking to her1 not because she wishes to sing at all1 but to establish her independence4 ,in ,europe she would say1 ,yes1 my ,lady1 or ,no1 my ,lady when spoken to4 ,it is to be feared that the ,declaration of ,independence is between us and good service4 ,we must be content if we find one or two amiable ,irish1 or old negroes1 who will serve us because of the love they bear us1 and for our children's sake1 whom they love as if they were their very own4 ,this is1 however1 but taking the seamy side1 and the humbler side4 ,many opulent people in ,america employ thirty servants1 and their house goes on with much of ,european elegance4 ,it is not unusual in a fine ,new ,york house to find a butler and four men in the dining-room2 a chef and his assistants in the kitchen2 a head groom and his men in the stables2 a coachman1 who is a very important functionary2 and three women in the nursery besides the nursery governess1 who acts as the amanuensis of the lady2 the lady's maid1 whose sole duty is to wait on her lady1 and perhaps her young lady2 a parlour maid or two2 and two chambermaids1 a laundress and her assistants4 ,of course the men in such a vast establishment do not sleep in the house1 perhaps with one or two exceptions2 the valet and the head footman may be kept at home1 as they may be needed in the night1 for errands1 etc4 ,but our ,american houses are not built to accommodate so many4 ,one lady1 the head of such an establishment1 said that she had never seen her laundress4 ,a different staircase led to the servants' room2 her maid did all the interviewing with this important personage4 ,if a lady can find a competent housekeeper to direct this large household1 it is all very well1 but that is yet almost impossible1 and the life of a fashionable woman in ,new ,york1 who is the head of such a house1 is apt to be slavery4 ,the housekeeper and the butler are seldom friends1 therefore the hostess has to reconcile these two conflicting powers before she can give a dinner2 the head footman walks off disgusted and leaves a vacant place1 etc4 ,the households of men of foreign birth1 who understand dealing with different nationalities1 are apt to get on very well with thirty servants2 doubtless such men import their own servants4 ,in a household where one man alone is kept1 he is expected to open the front door and to do all the work of the dining-room1 and must have an assistant in the pantry4 ,the cook1 if a woman1 generally demands and needs one2 if a man1 he demands two1 for a chef will not do any of the menial work of cookery4 ,he is a pampered official4 ,in ,england1 the housekeeper engages the servants and supervises them4 ,she has charge of the stores and the house linen1 and in general is responsible for the economical and exact management of all household details1 and for the comfort of guests and the family4 ,she is expected to see that her employers are not cheated1 and this in our country makes her unpopular4 ,a bad housekeeper is worse than none1 as of course her powers of stealing are endless4 ,the butler is responsible for the silver and wine4 ,he must be absolute over the footman4 ,it is he who directs the carving and passing of dishes1 and then stands behind the chair of his mistress4 ,all the men-servants must be clean shaven2 none are permitted to wear a mustache1 that being the privilege of the gentlemen4 ,a lady's maid is not expected to do her own washing1 or make her own bed in ,europe2 but in this country1 being required to do all that1 and to eat with the other servants1 she is apt to complain4 ,a ,french maid always complains of the table4 ,she must dress hair1 understand dress-making1 and clear starching1 be a good packer1 and always at hand to dress her lady and to sit up for her when she returns from parties4 ,her wages are very high and she is apt to become a tyrant4 ,it is very difficult to define for an ,american household the duties of servants1 which are so well defined in ,england and on the continent4 ,every lady has her own individual ideas on this subject1 and servants have their individual ideas1 which they do not have in ,europe4 ,i heard an opulent gentleman who kept four men-servants in his house1 and three in his stable1 complain one snowy winter that he had not one who would shovel snow from his steps1 each objecting that it was not his business2 so he wrote a note to a friendly black man1 who came around1 and rendered it possible for the master of the house to go down to business4 ,this was an extreme case1 but it illustrates one of the phases of our curious civilization4 ,the butler is the important person1 and it will be well for the lady to hold him responsible2 he should see to it that the footmen are neat and clean4 ,most servants in ,american houses wear black dress-coats1 and white cravats1 but some of our very rich men have now all their flunkies in livery1 a sort of cut-away dress-coat1 a waistcoat of another colour1 small clothes1 long stockings1 and low shoes4 ,powdered footmen have not yet appeared4 ,if we were in ,england we should say that the head footman is to attend the door1 and in houses where much visiting goes on he could hardly do anything more4 ,ladies1 however1 simplify this process by keeping a buttons1 a small boy1 who has1 as ,dickens says1 broken out in an eruption of buttons on his jacket1 who sits the livelong day the slave of the bell4 ,the second man seems to do all the work1 such as scrubbing silver1 sweeping1 arranging the fireplaces1 and washing dishes2 and what the third man does1 except to black boots1 ,i have never been able to discover4 ,i think he serves as valet to the gentlemen and the growing boys1 runs with notes1 and is ,jeames ,yellowplush generally4 ,i was once taken over her vast establishment by an ,english countess1 who was most kind in explaining to me her domestic arrangements2 but ,i did not think she knew herself what that third man did4 ,i noticed that there were always several footmen waiting at dinner4 ,they also serve who only stand and wait4 ,one thing ,i do remember in the housekeeper's room4 ,there sat a very grand dame carving1 and giving the servants their dinner4 ,she rose and stood while my lady spoke to her1 but at a wave of the hand from the countess all the others remained seated4 ,the butler was at the other end of the table looking very sheepish4 ,the dinner was a boiled leg of mutton1 and some sort of meat pie1 and a huge ,yorkshire pudding1--no vegetables but potatoes2 pitchers of ale1 and bread and cheese1 finished this meal4 ,the third footman1 ,i remember1 brought in afternoon tea2 perhaps he filled that place which is described in one of ,miss ,mulock's novels3-- ,dolly was hired as an off maid1 to do everything which the other servants would not do4 ,the etiquette of the stable servants was also explained to me in ,england4 ,the coachman is as powerful a person in the equine realm as is the butler in the house4 ,the head groom and his assistants always raise their finger to their hats when spoken to by master1 or mistress1 or the younger members of the family1 or visitors1 and in the case of royalty all stand with hats off1 the coachman on the box slightly raising his1 until the ,prince of ,wales1 or his peers1 are seated4 ,in some houses ,i was told that the upper servants had their meals prepared by a kitchen maid1 and that they had a different table from the scullery maids4 ,the nursery governess was a person to be pitied2 she was an educated girl1 still the servant of the head nurse4 ,she passed her entire life with the children1 yet ate by herself1 unless perhaps with the very young children4 ,the head governess ate luncheon with the family1 and came in to the parlour with the young ladies in the evening4 ,generally this personage was expected to sing and play for the amusement of the company4 ,now1 imagine a set of servants thus trained1 brought to ,america4 ,the men soon learn that their vote is as good as the master's1 and if they are ,irishmen it is a great deal better4 ,they soon cease to be respectful4 ,this is the first break in the chain4 ,a man1 a ,senator1 was asked out to dinner in ,albany2 the lady of the house said1 ,i have a great respect for ,senator ----2 he used to wait on this table4 ,that is a glorious thing for the flag1 for the ,united ,states1 but there is a missing link in the golden chain of household order4 ,it is a difficult task to produce here the harmony of an ,english household4 ,our service at home is like our diplomatic service2 we have no trained diplomats1 no gradation of service1 but in the case of our foreign ministers1 they have risen to be the best in the world4 ,we have plenty of talent at top2 it is the root of the tree which puzzles us4 ,we may make up our minds that no longer will the ,american girl go out to service4 ,it is a thousand pities that she will not4 ,it is not ignoble to do household work well4 ,the chtelaines of the ,middle ,ages cooked and served the meals with their own fair hands4 ,training-schools are greatly needed2 we should follow the nurses' training-school4 ,our dinner-tables in ,america are generally long and narrow1 fitted to the shape of the dining-room4 ,once ,i saw in ,england1 in a great house1 a table so narrow that one could almost have shaken hands with one's opposite neighbour4 ,the ornaments were high1 slender vases filled with grasses and orchids1 far above our heads4 ,one or two matchless ornaments of ,dresden1 the gifts of monarchs1 alone ornamented the table4 ,this was a very sociable dinner-table and rather pleasing4 ,then came the round table1 so vast that the footmen must have mounted up on it to place the centre piece1 like poor distraught ,lady ,caroline ,lamb1 whose husband came in to find her walking up and down the table1 telling the butler to produce pyramidal effects4 ,there is also the fine broad parallelogram1 suited to a baronial hall2 and this is copied in our best country houses4 ,as no conversation of a confidential character is ever allowed at an ,english table until all the servants have left the room1 so it is not considered good-breeding to allow a servant to talk to the mistress or the young ladies of what she hears in the servants' hall4 ,the gossip of couriers and maids at a foreign watering-place reaches ,american ears1 and unluckily gets into ,american newspapers sometimes4 ,it is a wise precaution on the part of the ,english never to listen to this4 ,as we have conquered everything else in ,america1 perhaps we shall conquer the servant question1 to the advantage of both parties4 ,we should try to keep our servants a longer time with us4 ,there are some houses where the law of change goes on forever1 and there are some where the domestic machine runs without friction4 ,the hostess may be a person with a talent for governing1 and may be inspired with a sixth sense4 ,if she is she can make her composite family respectful1 helpful1 and happy2 but it must be confessed that it is as yet a vexed question1 one which gives us trouble and will give us more4 ,those people are the happiest who can get on with three or four servants1 and very many families live well and elegantly with this number1 while more live well with two4 ,to mark the difference in feeling as between those who employ and those who serve1 one little anecdote may apply4 ,at a watering-place in ,europe ,i once met an ,english family1 of the middle class4 ,the lady said to her maid1 ,bromley1 your master wishes you to be in at nine o'clock this evening4 ,bromley said1 ,yes1 my lady4 ,an ,american lady stood near with her maid1 who flushed deeply4 ,what is the matter1 ,jane8 asked her lady4 ,i never could stand having any one called my master1 said the ,american4 ,this intimate nerve of self-love1 this egotism1 this false idea of independence affects women more than men1 and in a country where both can go from the humblest position to the highest1 it produces a glistering grief4 ,the difficulty of getting good servants prevents many families from keeping house4 ,it brings on us the foreign reproach that we live in hotels and boarding-houses4 ,it is at this moment the great unsolved ,american ,question4 ,what shall we do with it8 ,,something ,,about ,,cooks4 ,last night ,i weighed1 quite wearied out1 ,the question that perplexes still2 ,and that sad spirit we call doubt ,made the good naught beside the ill4 ,this morning1 when with rested mind1 ,i try again the selfsame theme1 ,the whole is altered1 and ,i find ,the balance turned1 the good supreme4 ,what amateur cook has not had these moments of depression and exaltation as she has weighed the flour and sugar1 stoned the raisins1 and mixed the cake1 or1 even worse in her young novitiate1 has attempted to make a soup and has begun with the formula which so often turns out badly3-- ,take a shin of beef and put it in a pot with three dozen carrots1 a dozen onions1 two dozen pieces of celery1 twelve turnips1 a fowl1 and two partridges4 ,it must simmer six hours1 etc4 ,yes1 and last week and the week before her husband said1 it was miserable4 ,how willingly would she allow the claim of that glorious old coxcomb1 ,louis ,eustache ,ude1 who had been cook to two ,french kings and never forgave the world for not permitting him to call himself an artist4 ,scrapers of catgut1 he says1 call themselves artists1 and fellows who jump like a kangaroo claim the title2 yet the man who has under his sole direction the great feasts given by the nobility of ,england to the allied sovereigns1 and who superintended the grand banquet at ,crockford's on the occasion of the coronation of ,victoria1 was denied the title prodigally showered on singers1 dancers1 and comedians1 whose only quality1 not requiring the microscope to discern1 is vanity4 ,ude was the most eccentric of cooks4 ,he was matre d'htel to the ,duke of ,york1 who delighted in his anecdotes and mimicry4 ,in his book1 which he claims is the only work which gives due dignity to the great art1 he says3 ,the chief fault in all great peoples' cooks is that they are too profuse in their preparations4 ,suppers are after all only ridiculous proofs of the extravagance and bad taste of the givers4 ,he mentions great wastes which have seared his already seared conscience thus3 ,i have known balls where the next day1 in spite of the pillage of a pack of footmen1 which was enormous1 ,i have seen thirty hams1 one hundred and fifty to two hundred carved fowls1 and forty or fifty tongues given away4 ,jellies melt on all the tables2 pastries1 patties1 aspics1 and lobster salads are heaped up in the kitchen and strewed about in the passages2 and all this an utter waste1 for not even the footmen would eat this2 they do not consider it a legitimate repast to dine off the remnants of a last night's feast4 ,footmen are like cats2 they only like what they steal1 but are indifferent to what is given them4 ,this was written by the cook of the bankrupt ,duke of ,york1 noted for his extravagance2 but how well it would apply to-day to the banquet of many a nouveau riche1 to how many a hotel1 to how much of our ,american housekeeping4 ,ude was a poet and an enthusiast4 ,colonel ,damer met him walking up and down at ,crockford's in a great rage1 and asked what was the matter4 ,matter6 ,ma foi6 answered he2 you saw that man just gone out8 ,well he ordered red mullet for his dinner4 ,i made him a delicious little sauce with my own hand4 ,the mullet was marked on the carte two shillings4 ,i added sixpence for the sauce4 ,he refuses to pay sixpence for the sauce4 ,the imbecile6 ,he seems to think red mullets come out of the sea with my sauce in their pockets4 ,carme1 one of the greatest of ,french cooks1 became eminent by inventing a sauce for fast-days4 ,he then devoted several years to the science of roasting in all its branches4 ,he studied design and elegance under ,robert ,lain4 ,his career was one of victory after victory4 ,he nurtured the ,emperor ,alexander1 kept alive ,talleyrand through that long disease1 his life1 fostered ,lord ,londonderry1 and delighted the ,princess ,belgratine4 ,a salary of a thousand pounds a year induced him to become chef to the ,regent2 but he left ,carlton ,house1 he would return to ,france4 ,the ,regent was inconsolable1 but ,carme was implacable4 ,no1 said the true patriot1 my soul is ,french1 and ,i can only exist in ,france4 ,carme1 therefore1 overcome by his feelings1 accepted an unprecedented salary from ,baron ,rothschild and settled in ,paris4 ,lady ,morgan1 dining at the ,baron's villa in #ahcj1 has left us a sketch of a dinner by ,carme which is so well done that1 although ,i have already alluded to it1 ,i will copy verbatim3 ,it was a very sultry evening1 but the ,baron's dining-room stood apart from the house and was shaded by orange trees4 ,in the oblong pavilion of ,grecian marble refreshed by fountains1 no gold or silver heated or dazzled the eye1 but porcelain beyond the price of all precious metals4 ,there was no high-spiced sauce in the dinner1 no dark-brown gravy1 no flavour of cayenne and allspice1 no tincture of catsup and walnut pickle1 no visible agency of those vulgar elements of cooking of the good old times1 fire and water4 ,distillations of the most delicate viands had been extracted in silver1 with chemical precision4 ,every meat presented its own aroma1--it was not cooked in a gas stove1--every vegetable its own shade of verdure4 ,the mayonnaise was fixed in ice1 like ,ninon's description of ,sevign's heart1 'une citronille frit la neige4' ,the tempered chill of the plombire which held the place of the eternal fondus and soufflets of our ,english tables1 anticipated and broke the stronger shock of the exquisite avalanche1 which1 with the hue and odour of fresh-gathered nectarines1 satisfied every sense and dissipated every coarser flavour4 ,with less genius than went to the composition of that dinner1 men have written epic poems4 ,comparing ,carme with the great ,beauvilliers1 the greatest restaurant cook in ,paris from #aghb to #ahae1 a great authority in the matter says3 ,there was more aplomb in the touch of ,beauvilliers1 more curious felicity in ,carme's4 ,beauvilliers was great in an entre1 ,carme sublime in an entremet2 we should put ,beauvilliers against the world for a rti1 but should wish ,carme to prepare the sauce were we under the necessity of eating an elephant or our great grandfather4 ,vatel was the great ,cond's cook who killed himself because the turbot did not arrive4 ,madame de ,sevign relates the event with her usual clearness4 ,louis ,,xiv4 had long promised a visit to the great ,cond at ,chantilly1 the very estate which the ,duc d',aumale has so recently given back to ,france1 but postponed it from time to time fearing to cause ,cond trouble by the sudden influx of a gay and numerous retinue4 ,the old chteau had become a trifle dull and a trifle mouldy1 but it got itself brushed up4 ,vatel was cook1 and his first mortification was that the roast was wanting at several tables4 ,it seemed to him that his great master the captain would be dishonoured1 but the king had brought a larger retinue than he had promised4 ,he had thought of nothing but to make this visit a great success4 ,gourville1 one of the prince's household1 finding ,vatel so excited1 asked the prince to reassure him1 which he did very kindly1 telling him that the king was delighted with his supper4 ,but ,vatel mournfully answered3 ,monseigneur1 your kindness overpowers me1 but the roast was wanting at two tables4 ,the next morning he arose at five to superintend the king's dinner4 ,the purveyor of fish was at the door with only two baskets4 ,and is this all8 asked ,vatel4 ,yes1 said the sleepy man4 ,vatel waited at the gates an hour2 no more fish4 ,two or three hundred guests1 and only two packages4 ,he whispered to himself1 ,the joke in ,paris will be that ,vatel tried to save the prince the price of two red mullets a month4 ,his hand fell on his rapier hilt1 he rushed up-stairs1 fell on the blade2 as he expired the cart loaded with turbot came into the yard4 ,voila6 ,times have changed4 ,cooks now prefer living on their masters to dying for them4 ,the ,prince de ,loubise1 inventor of a sauce the discovery of which has made him more glorious than twenty victories1 asked his cook to draw him up a bill of fare1 a sort of rough estimate for a supper4 ,bertrand's first estimate was fifty hams4 ,what1 ,bertrand6 ,are you going to feast the whole army of the ,rhine8 ,your brains are surely turning4 ,bertrand was blandly contemptuous4 ,my brains are surely turning8 ,no1 ,monseigneur1 only one ham will appear on the table1 but the rest are indispensable for my espagnoles1 my garnishing4 ,bertrand1 you are plundering me1 stormed the prince4 ,this article shall not pass4 ,the blood of the cook was up4 ,my lord1 said he1 sternly1 you do not understand the resources of our art4 ,give the word and ,i will so melt down these hams that they will go into a little glass bottle no bigger than my thumb4 ,the prince was abashed by the genius of the spit1 and the fifty hams were purchased4 ,the ,duke of ,wellington liked a good dinner1 and employed an artist named ,felix4 ,lord ,seaforth1 finding ,felix too expensive1 allowed him to go to the ,iron ,duke1 but ,felix came back with tears in his eyes4 ,what is the matter1 said ,lord ,seaforth2 has the ,duke turned rusty8 ,no1 no1 my lord6 but ,i serve him a dinner which would make ,francatelli or ,ude die of envy1 and he say nothing4 ,i go to the country and leave him to try a dinner cooked by a stupid1 dirty cook-maid1 and he say nothing2 that is what hurt my feelings4 ,felix lived on approbation2 he would have been capable of dying like ,vatel4 ,going last winter to see le ,bourgeoise ,gentilhomme at the ,comdie ,franaise1 ,i was struck with the novelty of the dinner served by this hero of ,molire's who is so anxious to get rid of his money4 ,all the dishes were brought in by little fellows dressed as cooks1 who danced to the minuet4 ,in a later faithful chronicle ,i learn that a certain marquis of the days of ,louis ,,xvi4 invented a musical spit which caused all the snowy-garbed cooks to move in rhythmical steps4 ,all was melody and order4 ,the fish simmered in six-eight time1 the ponderous roasts circled gravely1 the stews blended their essences to solemn anthems4 ,the ears were gratified as the nose was regaled2 this was an idea worthy of ,apecius4 ,so ,molire1 true to the spirit of his time1 paid this compliment to the ,marquis4 ,bchamel was cook to ,louis ,,xiv41 and invented a famous sauce4 ,durand1 who was cook to the great ,napoleon1 has left a curious record of his tempestuous eating4 ,francatelli succeeded ,ude in ,england1 was the chef at ,chesterfield ,house1 at ,lord ,kinnaird's1 and at the ,melton ,club4 ,he held the post of matre d'htel for a while but was dismissed by a cabal4 ,the gay writer from whose pages we have gathered these desultory facts winds up with an advice to all who keep ,french cooks4 ,make your chef your friend4 ,take care of him4 ,watch over the health of this man of genius4 ,send for the physician when he is ill4 ,imagine the descent from these poets to the good plain cook1--you can depend upon the truth of this description1--with a six weeks' reference from her last place4 ,imagine the greasy soups1 the mutton cutlets hard as a board1 the few hard green peas1 the soggy potatoes4 ,how awful the recollections of one who came in a week on trial6 ,whose trial8 ,those who had to eat her food4 ,it is bad to be without a cook1 but ten times worse to have a bad one4 ,but if ,louis ,eustache ,ude1 the cook par excellence of all this little study1 lamented over the waste in great kitchens1 how much more should he revolt at that wholesale destruction of food which might go to feed the hungry1 nourish and sustain the sick1 and perhaps save many a child's life4 ,what should be done with the broken meats of a great household8 ,the cook is too apt to toss all into a tub or basket1 to swell her own iniquitous profits4 ,the half-tongues1 ends of ham1 roast beef1 chicken-legs1 the real honest relics of a generous kitchen would feed four or five poor families a week4 ,what gifts of mercy to hospitals would be the half of a form of jelly1 the pudding1 the blanc mange1 which are thrown away by the careless6 ,in ,france the ,little ,sisters of the ,poor go about with clean dishes and clean baskets1 to collect these morsels which fall from the rich man's table4 ,it is a worthy custom4 ,while studying the names of these great men like ,ude and ,carme1 ,vatel and ,francatelli1 what shades of dead ptissiers1 spirits of extinct confiseurs1 rise around us in savoury streams and revive for us the past of gastronomic pleasure6 ,many a ,frenchman will tell you of the iced meringues of the ,palais ,royal and the salades de fraises au marasquin of the ,grand ,seize as if they were things of the past4 ,the ,french1 gayer and lighter handed at the moulding of pastry1 are apt to exceed all nations in this delicate1 delicious entremet4 ,the vol au vent de volaille1 or chicken pie1 with its delicate filling of chicken1 mushroom1 truffles1 and its enveloping pastry1 is never better than at the ,grand ,htel at ,aix les ,bains1 where one finds the perfection of good eating4 ,aix les ,bains1 says a resident physician1 lies half-way between ,paris and ,rome1 with its famous curative baths to correct the good dinners of the one1 and the good wines of the other4 ,aix adds a temptation of its own4 ,the ,french have ever been fond of the playthings of the kitchen1--the tarts1 custards1 the frothy nothings which are fashioned out of the evanescent union of whipped cream and spun sugar4 ,their politeness1 their brag1 their accomplishments1 their love of the external1 all lead to such dainties4 ,it was observed even so long ago as #ahae1 when the allies were in ,paris1 that the fifteen thousand pts which ,madame ,felix sold daily in the ,passage des ,panoramas were beginning to affect the foreign bayonets2 and no doubt the ,german invasion may have been checked by the same dulcet influence4 ,there is romance and history even about pastry4 ,the baba1 a species of savoury biscuit coloured with saffron1 was introduced into ,france by ,stanislaus1 the first king of ,poland1 when that unlucky country was alternately the scourge and the victim of ,russia4 ,the dish was perhaps oriental in origin4 ,it is made with brioche paste1 mixed with madeira1 currants1 raisins1 and potted cream4 ,french jellies are rather monotonous as to flavour1 but they look very handsome on a supper-table4 ,a macdoine is a delicious variety of dainty1 and worthy of the ,french nation4 ,it is wine jelly frozen in a mould with grapes1 strawberries1 green-gages1 cherries1 apricots1 or pineapple1 or more economically with slices of pears and apples boiled in syrup coloured with carmine1 saffron1 or cochineal1 the flavour aided by angelica or brandied cherries4 ,an invention of ,ude and one which we could copy here is jelly au miroton de pche3-- ,get half a dozen peaches1 peel them carefully and boil them1 with their kernels1 a short time in a fine syrup1 squeeze six lemons into it1 and pass it through a bag4 ,add some clarified isinglass and put some of it into a mould in ice2 then fill up with the jelly and peaches alternately and freeze it4 ,fruit cheeses are very pleasant1 rich conserves for dessert4 ,they can be made with apricots1 strawberries1 pineapple1 peaches1 or gooseberries4 ,the fruit is powdered with sugar and rubbed through a colander2 then melted isinglass and thick cream is added1 whipped over ice and put into the mould4 ,the ,french prepare the most ornamental ices1 both water and cream1 but they do not equal in richness or flavour those made in ,new ,york4 ,pancakes and fritters1 although ,english dishes1 are very popular in ,france and very good4 ,apple fritters with sherry wine and sugar are very comforting things4 ,the ,french name is beignet de pomme4 ,thackeray immortalizes them thus3-- ,mid fritters and lollypops though we may roam1 ,on the whole there is nothing like beignet de pomme4 ,of flour half a pound with a glass of milk share1 ,a half-pound of butter the mixture will bear4 ,pomme6 ,pomme6 ,beignet de pomme6 ,of beignets there's none like the beignet de pomme6 ,a beignet de pomme you may work at in vain ,if you stir not the mixture again and again4 ,some beer just to thin it may into it fall1 ,stir up that with three whites of eggs added to all4 ,pomme6 ,pomme6 ,beignet de pomme6 ,of beignets there's nothing like beignet de pomme6 ,six apples when peeled you must carefully slice1 ,and cut out the cores if you'll take my advice2 ,then dip them in butter and fry till they foam1 ,and you'll have in six minutes your beignet de pomme4 ,pomme6 ,pomme6 ,beignet de pomme6 ,of beignets there's nothing like beignet de pomme6 ,in the ,almanach de ,gourmands there appeared a philosophical treatise on pastry and pastry cooks1 probably by the learned ,giedeaud de la ,reynire himself4 ,pastry1 he says1 is to cooking what rhetorical metaphors are to oratory1--life and ornament4 ,a speech without metaphors1 a dinner without pastry1 are alike insipid2 but1 in like manner1 as few people are eloquent1 so few can make perfect pastry4 ,good pastry-cooks are as rare as good orators4 ,this writer recommends the art of the rolling-pin to beautiful women as being at once an occupation1 a pleasure1 and a sure way of recovering embonpoint and freshness4 ,he says3 ,this is an art which will chase ennui from the saddest4 ,it offers varied amusement and sweet and salutary exercise for the whole body2 it restores appetite1 strength1 and gayety2 it gathers around us friends2 it tends to advance an art known from the most remote antiquity4 ,woman6 lovely and charming woman1 leave the sofas where ennui and hypochondria prey upon the springtime of your life1 unite in the varied moulds sugar1 jasmine1 and roses1 and form those delicacies that will be more precious than gold when made by hands so dear to us4 ,what woman could refuse to make a pudding and any number of pies after that8 ,there seems to be nothing left to eat after all this perilous sweet stuff but a devilled biscuit at ten o'clock4 ',a well devilled biscuit6' said ,jenkins1 enchanted1 ',i'll have after dinner1--the thought is divine6' ,the biscuit was brought and he now only wanted1 ,to fully enjoy it1 a glass of good wine4 ,he flew to the pepper and sat down before it1 ,and at peppering the well-buttered biscuit he went2 ,then some cheese in a paste mixed with mustard spread o'er it1 ,and down to the kitchen the devil was sent4 ',oh1 how6' said the cook1 'can ,i thus think of grilling8 ,when common the pepper1 the whole will be flat2 ,but here's the cayenne1 if my master be willing ,i'll make if he pleases a devil with that4' ,so the footman ran up with the cook's observation ,to ,jenkins1 who gave him a terrible look2 ',oh1 go to the devil6'--forgetting his station-- ,was the answer that ,jenkins sent down to the cook4 ,a slice of pt de foie gras1 olives stuffed with anchovy1 broiled bones1 anchovy on toast1 ,welsh rarebit1 devilled biscuit1 devilled turkey-legs1 devilled kidneys1 caviare1 devilled crabs1 soft-shell crabs1 shrimp salad1 sardines on toast1 broiled sausages1 etc41 are amongst the many appetizers which gourmets seek at ten or twelve o'clock1 to take the taste of the sweets out of their mouths1 and to prepare the pampered palate perhaps for punch1 whiskey1 or brandy and soda4 ,,the ,,furnishing ,,of ,a ,,country ,,house4 ,the hostess should1 in furnishing her house1 provide a number of bath-tubs4 ,the tin ones1 shaped like a hat1 are very convenient1 as are also india-rubber portable baths4 ,if there is not a bath-room belonging to every room1 this will enable an ,englishman to take his tub as cold as he pleases1 or allow the ,american to take the warmer sponge bath which ,americans generally prefer4 ,the house should also be well supplied with lunch-baskets for picnics and for the railway journey4 ,these can be had for a small sum1 and are well fitted up with drinking-cups1 knives1 forks1 spoons1 corkscrews1 sandwich-boxes1 etc4 ,these and a great supply of unbreakable cups for the lawn-tennis ground are very useful4 ,there should be also any number of painted tin pails1 and small pitchers to carry hot water2 several services of plain tea things1 and ,japanese waiters1 on which to send tea to the bedrooms2 and in every room should be placed a table1 thoroughly furnished with writing-materials1 and with all the conveniences for writing and sealing a letter4 ,shakspeare's bequest to his wife of his second-best bed has passed as a bit of post-mortem ungallantry1 which has dimmed his fame as a model husband2 but to-day that second-best bed would be a very handsome bequest1 not only because it was ,shakspeare's1 but because it was doubtless a tester1 for which there is a craze4 ,all the old four-posters1 which our grandmothers sent to the garret1 are on their way back again to the model bedroom4 ,with all our rage for ventilation and fresh air1 we no longer fear the bed curtains which a few years ago were supposed to foster disease and death2 because the model bedroom can now be furnished with a ventilator for admitting the fresh1 and one permitting the egress of the foul air4 ,each gas bracket is provided with a pipe placed above it1 which pierces the wall and through which the product of combustion is carried out of the house4 ,this is a late sanitary improvement in ,london1 and is being introduced in ,new ,york4 ,as for the bed curtains1 they are hung on rods with brass rings1 no canopy on top1 so that the curtains can be shaken and dusted freely4 ,this is a great improvement on the old upholstered top1 which recalls ,dickens's description of ,mrs4 ,todger's boarding-house1 where at the top of the stairs the odour of many generations of dinners had gathered and had never been dispelled4 ,in like manner the unpleasant feeling that perhaps whole generations of sleepers had breathed into the same upholstery overhead1 used to haunt the wakeful1 in old ,english inns1 to the murdering of sleep4 ,there is a growing admiration1 unfortunately1 for tufted bedsteads4 ,they are in the long run neither clean nor wholesome1 and not easily kept free from vermin2 but they are undeniably handsome1 and recall the imperial beds of state apartments1 where kings and queens are supposed to seek that repose which comes so unwillingly to them1 but so readily to the plough-boy4 ,these upholstered1 tufted1 satin-covered bedsteads should be fitted with a canopy1 and from this should hang a baldachin and side curtains4 ,certain very beautiful specimens of this regal arrangement1 bought in ,italy1 are in the ,vanderbilt palaces in ,new ,york4 ,opulent purchasers can get copies at the great furnishing-houses1 but it is becoming difficult to get the real antiques4 ,travellers in ,brittany find the most wonderful carved bedsteads built into the wall1 and are always buying them of the astonished fisher-folk1 who have no idea how valuable is their smoke-stained1 carved oak4 ,but as to the making up of the bed4 ,there are nowadays cleanly springs and hair mattresses1 in place of the old feather-beds2 and as to stiff white bedcovers1 pillowslips and shams1 false sheets and valenciennes trimmings1 monogrammed and ruffled fineries1 there is a truce4 ,they were so slippery1 so troublesome1 and so false withal1 that the beds that have known them shall know them no more forever4 ,they had always to be unpinned and unhooked before the sleeper could enter his bed2 and they were the torment of the housemaid4 ,they entailed a degree of washing and ironing which was endless1 and yet many a young housekeeper thought them indispensable4 ,that idea has gone out completely4 ,the bed now is made up with its fresh linen sheets1 its clean blankets and its ,marseilles quilt1 with square or long pillow as the sleeper fancies1 with bolster in plain linen sheath4 ,then over the whole is thrown a light lace cover lined with ,liberty silk4 ,this may be as expensive or as cheap as the owner pleases4 ,or the spreads may be of satin covered with ,chinese embroidery1 ,turkish ,smyrniote1 or other rare things1 or of the patchwork or decorative art designs now so fashionable4 ,one light and easily aired drapery succeeds the four or five pieces of unmanageable linen4 ,if the bed is a tester and the curtains of silk or chintz1 the bed-covering should match in tint4 ,in a very pretty bedroom the walls should be covered with chintz or silk4 ,the modern highly glazed tile paper for walls and ceiling is an admirable covering1 as it refuses to harbour dirt1 and the housemaid's brush can keep it sweet and clean4 ,wall papers are so pretty and so exquisite in design that it seems hardly necessary to do more than mention them4 ,let us hope the exasperating old rectangular patterns1 which have confused so many weary brains and haunted so many a feverish pillow1 are gone forever4 ,the floors should be of plain painted wood1 varnished1 than which nothing can be cleaner2 or perhaps of polished or oiled wood of the natural colour1 with parquetried borders4 ,if this is impossible cover with dark-stained mattings1 which are as clean and healthful as possible4 ,these may remain down all winter1 and rugs may be laid over them at the fireplace and near the bed1 sofa1 etc4 ,readily lifted and shaken1 rugs have all the comfort of carpets1 and none of their disadvantages4 ,much is said of the unhealthfulness of gas in bedrooms1 but if it does not escape1 it is not unhealthful4 ,the prettiest illumination is by candles in the charming new candlesticks in tin and brass1 which are as nice as ,roman lamps4 ,on the old bedsteads of ,cromwell's time we find a shelf running across the head of the bed1 just above the sleeper's head1--placed there for the posset cup4 ,this is now utilized for a safety lamp1 for those who indulge in the pernicious practice of reading in bed2 but it is even better used as a receptacle for the book1 the letter-case1 the many little things which an invalid may need1 and it saves calling a nurse4 ,all paint used in a model bedroom should be free from poison4 ,the fireplace should be tiled1 and the windows made with a deep beading on the sill4 ,this is a piece of wood like the rest of the frame1 which comes up two or three inches in front of the lower part of the window4 ,the object of this is to admit of the lower sash being raised without causing a draught4 ,the room is thus ventilated by the air which filters through the slight aperture between the upper and lower sashes4 ,above all things have an open fireplace in the bedroom4 ,abolish stoves from that sacred precinct4 ,use wood for fuel if possible2 if not1 the softest of cannel-coal4 ,have brass rods placed1 on which to hang portires in winter4 ,portires and curtains may be cheaply made of ingrain carpet embroidered2 or of ,turkish or ,indian stuffs2 splendid ,delhi pulgaries1 a mass of gold silk embroidered1 with bits of looking-glass worked in2 of velvet2 camel's-hair shawls2 satin1 chintz1 or cretonne4 ,costly thy portires as thy purse can buy2 nothing is so pretty and so ornamental4 ,glazed chintzes may be hung at the windows1 without lining1 as the light shines through the flowers1 making a good effect4 ,chenille curtains of soft rich colours are appropriate for the modern bedroom4 ,madras muslin curtains will do for the windows1 but are not heavy enough for portires4 ,there are hangings made of willow bamboo1 which can be looped back1 or left hanging1 which give a window a furnished look1 without intercepting the light4 ,low wooden tables painted red1 tables for writing materials1 brackets on the walls for vases1 candlesticks1 and photograph screens1 a long couch with many pillows1 a ,shaker rocking-chair1 a row of hanging book-shelves1--these1 with bed and curtains in fresh tints1 make a pretty room in a country house4 ,if possible1 people who entertain much should have a suite of bedrooms for guests1 so that no one need be turned out of one's room to make way for a guest4 ,brass beds are to be recommended as cleanly1 handsome1 and durable4 ,many ladies have1 however1 found fault with them because they show the under mattress1 where the clothes are tucked in over the upper one4 ,this can be remedied by making a valance which is finished with a ruffle at the top1 which can be fluted1 the whole tied on by tapes4 ,two or three of these in white will be all that a housekeeper needs1 and if made of pretty coloured merino to match the room1 they will last clean a long time4 ,every bedroom should have1 if possible1 a dressing-room1 where the wash-stand1 wardrobe1 bath-tub1 box for boots and shoes1 box for soiled clothes1 and toilet-table1 perhaps1 can be kept4 ,in the new sanitary houses in ,london1 the water cistern is placed in view behind glass in these rooms1 so that if anything is the matter with the water supply1 it can be remedied immediately4 ,however1 in old fashioned houses1 where dressing-rooms cannot be evoked1 screens can be so placed as to conceal the unornamental objects4 ,a toilet-table should be ornamental and not hidden1 with its curtains1 pockets1 looking-glasses1 little bows1 shelves for bottles1 devices for secret drawers for love letters1 and so on4 ,ivory brushes with the owner's monogram1 all sorts of pretty ,japanese boxes1 and dressing-cases1 silver-backed brushes and mirrors1 buttonhooks1 knives1 scissors can be neatly laid out4 ,a little table for afternoon tea should stand ready1 with a tray of ,satsuma or old ,worcester1 with cups and tea equipage1 and a copper kettle with alcohol lamp should stand on a bracket on the wall4 ,in the heating of water1 a trivet should be attached to the grate1 and a little iron kettle might sing forever on the hob4 ,ornamental ottomans in plush covers1 which open and disclose a wood box1 should stand by the fireplace4 ,chameleon glass lamps with king-fisher stems are pretty on the mantel-piece1 which can be upholstered to match the bed2 and there may be vases in amber1 primrose1 cream-colour1 pale blue1 and ruby4 ,no fragrant flowers or growing plants should be allowed in a bedroom4 ,there should be at least one clock in the room1 to strike the hour with musical reiteration4 ,as for baths1 the guest should be asked if he prefers hot or cold water1 and the hour at which he will have it4 ,if a tin hat-bath1 or an india-rubber tub is used1 the maid should enter and arrange it in this manner3 first lay a rubber cloth on the floor and then place the tub on it4 ,then bring a large pail of cold water1 and a can of hot4 ,place near the tub a towel-rack hung with fresh towels1 both damask and ,turkish1 and if a full-length ,turkish towel be added it will be a great luxury4 ,if the guest be a gentleman1 and no man-servant be kept1 this should all be arranged the night before1 with the exception of course of the hot water1 which can be left outside the door at any hour in the morning when it is desired4 ,if it is a stationary tub1 of course the matter is a simple one1 and depends on the turn of a couple of faucets4 ,some visitors are very fussy and dislike to be waited on2 to such the option must be given3 ,do you prefer to light your own fire1 to turn on your bath1 to make your own tea1 or shall the maid enter at eight o'clock and do it for you8 ,such questions are often asked in an ,english country house4 ,every facility for doing the work would of course be supplied to the visitor4 ,the bedroom being nowadays made so very attractive1 the guest should stay in it as much as possible1 if he or she find that the hostess likes to be alone2 in short1 absent yourself occasionally4 ,do your letter-writing and some reading in your room4 ,most people prefer this freedom and like to be let alone in the morning4 ,at a country house1 gentlemen should be very particular to dress for dinner4 ,if not in the regulation claw-hammer1 still with a change of garment4 ,there is a very good garment called a smokee1 which is worn by gentlemen in the summer1 a sort of light jacket of black cloth1 which goes well with either black or white cravat2 but with all the laisser aller of a country visit1 inattention to the proprieties of dress is not included4 ,a guest must go provided with a lawn-tennis costume1 if he plays that noble game which has become the great consolation of our rising generation4 ,no doubt the hostess blesses the invention of this great time killer1 as she sees her men and maidens trooping out to the ground1 under the trees4 ,this suggests the subject of out-of-door refreshment1 the claret cup1 the champagne cup1 the shandy gaff1 the fresh cider1 and the thousand and one throat-coolers1 for which our ,american genius seems to have been inspired to meet the drain of a very dry climate1 and which we shall consider elsewhere4 ,,entertaining ,,in ,a ,,country ,,house4 ,we who love the country salute you who love the town4 ,i praise the rivulets1 the rocks overgrown with moss1 and the groves of the delightful country4 ,and do you ask why8 ,i live and reign as soon as ,i have quitted those things which you extol to the skies with joyful applause1 and like a priest's fugitive-slave ,i reject luscious wafers2 ,i desire plain bread1 which is more agreeable than honied cakes4--,,horace1 ,ode ,x4 ,poets have been in the habit of praising a country life since the days of ,homer1 but ,americans have not as a people appreciated its joys4 ,as soon as a countryman was able to do it1 he moved to the largest city near him1 presumably ,new ,york1 or perhaps ,paris4 ,the condition of opulence1 much desired by those who had been bred in poverty1 suggested at once the greater convenience of a town life1 and the busy work-a-day world1 to which most ,americans are born1 necessitates the nearness to ,wall ,street1 to banks1 to people1 and to the town4 ,city people were content formerly to give their children six weeks of country air1 and old ,new ,yorkers did not move out of the then small city1 even in the hot months4 ,the idea of going to the country to live for pleasure1 to find in it a place in which to spend one's money and to entertain1 has been1 to the average ,american mind1 a thing of recent growth4 ,perhaps our climate has much to do with this4 ,people bred in the country feared to meet that long cold winter of the ,north1 which even to the well-to-do was filled with suffering4 ,who does not remember the ice in the pitcher of a morning1 which must be broken before even faces were washed8 ,therefore the furnace-heated city house1 the companionship1 the bustle1 the stir1 and convenience of a city has been1 naturally enough1 preferred to the loneliness of the country4 ,as ,hawthorne once said1 ,americans were not yet sufficiently civilized to live in the country4 ,when he went to ,england1 and saw a different order of things1 he understood why4 ,england1 a small place with two thousand years of civilization1 with admirable roads1 with landed estates1 with a mild winter1 with a taste for sport1 with dogs1 horses1 and well-trained servants1 was a very different place4 ,it may be years before we make our country life as agreeable as it is in ,england4 ,we have to conquer climate first4 ,but the love of country life is growing in ,america4 ,those so fortunate as to be able to live in a climate like that of southern ,california can certainly quote ,horace with sympathy4 ,those who live so near to a great city as to command at once city conveniences and country air and freedom1 are amongst the fortunate of the earth4 ,and to hundreds1 thousands of such1 in our delightfully prosperous new country1 the art of entertaining in a country house assumes a new interest4 ,no better model for a hostess can be found than an ,englishwoman4 ,there is1 when she receives her guests1 a quiet cordiality1 a sense of pleasurable expectancy1 an inbred ease1 grace1 suavity1 composure1 and respect for her visitors1 which seems to come naturally to a well-bred ,englishwoman2 that is to say1 to the best types of the highest class4 ,to be sure they have had vast experience in the art of entertaining2 they have learned this useful accomplishment from a long line of well-trained predecessors4 ,they have no domestic cares to worry them4 ,at the head of her own house1 an ,englishwoman is as near perfection as a human being can be4 ,there is the great advantage of the ,english climate1 to begin with4 ,it is less exciting than ours4 ,nervous women are there almost unknown4 ,their ability to take exercise1 the moist and soft air they breathe1 their good appetite and healthy digestion give ,english women a physical condition almost always denied to an ,american4 ,our climate drives us on by invisible whips2 we breathe oxygen more intoxicating than champagne4 ,the great servant question bothers us from the cradle to the grave2 it has never entered into an ,english woman's scheme of annoyance1 so that in an ,english hostess there is a total absence of fussiness4 ,english women spend the greater part of the year in travelling1 or at home in the country4 ,town life is with them a matter of six weeks or three months at the most4 ,they are fond of nature1 of walking1 of riding2 they share with the men a more vigorous physique than is given to any other race4 ,a ,french or ,italian woman dreads a long walk1 the companionship of a dozen dogs1 the yachting and the race course1 the hunting-field and the lawn tennis pursued with indefatigable vigilance2 but the fair ,english girl1 with her blushing cheeks1 her dog1 her pony1 and her hands full of wild flowers1 is a character worth crossing the ocean to see4 ,she is the product of the highest civilization1 and as such is still near the divine model which nature furnishes4 ,she has the underlying charm of simplicity1 she is the very rose of perfect womanhood4 ,she may seem shy1 awkward1 and reserved1 but what the world calls pride or coldness may turn out to be hidden virtue1 or reserve1 or modesty4 ,english home education is a seminary of infinite importance2 a girl learns to control her speech1 to be always calm and well-bred4 ,she has been toned down from her youth4 ,she has been carefully taught to respect the duties of her high position2 she has this advantage to counterbalance the disadvantage which we freeborn citizens think may come with an overpride of birth1--she has learned the motto noblesse oblige4 ,the ,english fireside is a beacon light forever to the soldier in the ,crimea1 to the colonist in ,australia1 to the grave official in ,india1 to the missionary in the ,south ,seas1 to the ,english boy wherever he may be4 ,it sustains and ennobles the ,english woman at home and abroad4 ,as a hostess1 the ,english woman is sure to mould her house to look like home4 ,she has soft low couches for those who like them1 high-backed tall chairs for the tall1 low chairs for the lowly4 ,she has her bookcases and pretty china scattered everywhere1 she has work-baskets and writing-tables and flowers1 particularly wild ones1 which look as if she had tossed them in the vases herself4 ,her house looks cheerful and cultivated4 ,i use the word advisedly1 for all taste must be cultivated4 ,a state apartment in an old ,english house can be inexpressibly dreary4 ,high ceilings1 stiff old girandoles1 pictures of ancestors1 miles of mirrors1 and the ,laocon or other specimens of ,grecian art1 which no one cares for except in the ,vatican1 and the ceramic and historical horrors of some old collector1 who had no taste1--are enough to frighten a visitor4 ,but when a young or an experienced ,english hostess has smiled on such a house1 there will be some delightful lumber strewn around1 no end of pretty brackets and baskets and curtains and screens1 and couches piled high with cushions2 and then the quaint carvings1 the rather affected niches1 the mantelpiece nearly up to the ceiling1 as in ,hogarth's picture1--all these become humanized by her touch4 ,the spirit of a hostess should aim at the combination of use and beauty4 ,some finer spirits command both1 as ,brunelleschi hung the dome at ,florence high in air1 and made a thing of beauty1 which is a joy forever1 but did not forget to build under it a convenient church as well4 ,as for the bedrooms in an ,english country house1 they transcend description1 they are the very apotheosis of comfort4 ,the dinners are excellent1 the breakfast and lunch comfortable1 informal1 and easy1 the horses are at your disposal1 the lawn and garden are yours for a stroll1 the chapel lies near at hand1 where you can study architecture and ancient brass4 ,there are pleasant people in the house1 you are let alone1 you are not being entertained4 ,that most dreadful of sensations1 that somebody has you on his mind1 and must show you photographs and lift off your ennui is absent2 you seem to be in ,paradise4 ,english people will tell you that house parties are dull1--not that all are1 but some are4 ,no doubt the jaded senses lose the power of being pleased4 ,a visit to an ,english house1 to an ,american who brings with her a fresh sense of enjoyment1 and who remembers the limitations of a new country1 one who loves antiquity1 history1 old pictures1 and all that time can do1 one who is hungry for ,old ,world refinements1 to such an one a visit to an ,english country house is delightful4 ,to a worn-out ,english set whose business it has been for a quarter of a century to go from one house to another1 no doubt it is dull4 ,some unusual distraction is craved4 ,to relieve the monotony and silence and the dull1 depressing cloud which sometimes settles on the most admirably arranged ,english dinner-party1 even an ,american savage would be welcomed1 says a modern novel-writer4 ,how much more welcome then is a pretty young woman who1 with a true enthusiasm and a wild liberty1 has found her opportunity and uses it1 plays the banjo1 tells fortunes by the hand1 has no fear of rank1 is in her set a glacier of freshness with a heart of fire1 like ,roman punch4 ,how much more gladly is a young ,american woman welcomed1 in such a house1 and how soon her head is turned4 ,she is popular until she carries off the eldest son1 and then she is severely criticised1 and by her spoiled caprices becomes a heroine for ,ouida to rejoice in1 and the fond of a society novel4 ,but the glory is departing from many a stately ,english country house4 ,fortune is failing them2 they are1 many of them1 to rent4 ,rich ,americans are buying their old pictures4 ,the ,gainsboroughs1 the ,joshua ,reynoldses1 the ,rembrandts1 which have been the pride of ,english country houses1 are coming down1 charmed by the silver music of the almighty dollar2 the old fairy tale is coming true1--even the furniture dances4 ,we have the money and we have the vivacity1 according to even our severest critics2 we have now to cultivate the repose of an ,english hostess1 if we would make our country houses as agreeable as she does4 ,we cannot improvise the antiquity1 or the old chapel1 or the brasses2 we cannot make our roads as fine as those which enable an ,english house party to drive sixteen miles to a dinner2 in fact we must admit that they have been nine hundred years making a lawn even4 ,but we must try to do things our own way1 and use our own advantages so that we can make our guests comfortable4 ,the ,american autumn is the most glorious of seasons for entertaining in a country house4 ,nature hangs our hillsides then with a tapestry that has no equal even at ,windsor4 ,the weather1 that article which in ,america is so apt to be good that if it is bad we apologize for it1 is more than apt to be good in ,october1 and makes the duties of a hostess easy then1 for ,nature helps to entertain4 ,it is to be feared that we have not yet learned to be guests4 ,trusting to that boundless ,american hospitality which has been apt to say1 ,come when you please and stay as long as you can1 we decline an invitation for the #fth1 saying we can come on the #ith4 ,this cannot be done when people begin to give house-parties4 ,we must go on the #fth or not at all4 ,we should also define the limits of a visit1 as in ,england2 one is asked on ,wednesday to arrive at five1 to leave at eleven on ,saturday4 ,then one does not overstay one's welcome4 ,host and hostess and guest must thoroughly understand one another on this point1 and then punctuality is the only thing to be considered4 ,the opulent1 who have butler1 footman1 and ,french cooks1 need read no further in this chapter1 the remainder of which will be directed to that larger class who have neither1 and who have to help themselves4 ,no lady should attempt to entertain in the country who has not a good cook1 and one or two attendant maids who can wait well and perform other duties about the house4 ,with these three and with a good deal of knowledge herself1 a hostess can make a country house attractive4 ,the dining-room should be the most agreeable room in the house1 shaded in the morning and cool in the afternoon1--a large room with a hard-wood floor and mats1 if possible1 as these are clean and cool4 ,carving should be done by one of the servants at a side table4 ,there is nothing more depressing on a warm evening than a smoking joint before one's plate4 ,a light soup only should be served1 leaving the more substantial varieties for cold weather4 ,nowadays the china and glass are so very pretty1 and so very cheap1 that they can be bought and used and left in the house all winter without much risk4 ,if people are living in the country all winter a different style of furnishing1 and a different style of entertaining is no doubt in order4 ,it is well to have very easy laws about breakfast1 and allow a guest to descend when he wishes4 ,if possible give your guest an opportunity to breakfast in his room4 ,so many people nowadays want simply a cup of tea1 and to wait until noon before eating a heavy meal2 so many desire to eat steaks1 chops1 toast1 eggs1 hot cakes1 and coffee at nine o'clock1 that it is difficult for a hostess to know what to do4 ,her best plan1 perhaps1 is to have an elastic hour1 and let her people come down when they feel like it4 ,in ,england the maid enters the bedroom with tea1 excellent black tea1 a toasted muffin1 and two boiled eggs at eight o'clock1 a pitcher of hot water for the wash-stand1 and a bath4 ,no one is obliged to appear until luncheon1 nor even then if indisposed so to do4 ,dinner at whatever hour is a formal meal1 and every one should come freshly dressed and in good form1 as the ,english say4 ,the ,arab law of hospitality should be printed over every lintel in a country house3 ,welcome the coming1 speed the parting guest2 ,he who tastes my salt is sacred2 neither ,i nor my household shall attack him1 nor shall one word be said against him4 ,bring corn1 wine1 and fruit for the passing stranger4 ,give the one who departs from thy tents the swiftest horse4 ,let him who would go from thee take the fleet dromedary1 reserve the lame one for thyself4 ,if these momentous hints were carried out in ,america1 and if these children of the desert1 with their grave faces1 composed manners1 and noble creed1 could be literally obeyed1 we fear country-house visiting would become almost too popular4 ,but if we cannot give them the fleet dromedary1 we can drive them to the fast train1 which is much better than any dromedary4 ,we can make them comfortable1 and enable them to do as they like4 ,unless we can do that1 we should not invite any one4 ,unless a guest has been rude1 it is the worst taste to criticise him4 ,he has come at your request4 ,he has entered your house as an altar of safety1 an ark of refuge4 ,he has laid his armour down4 ,your kind welcome has unlocked his reserve4 ,he has spoken freely1 and felt that he was in the presence of friends4 ,if in this careless hour you have discovered his weak spot1 be careful how you attack it4 ,the intimate unreserve of a guest should be respected4 ,and upon the guest an equal1 nay1 a superior conscientiousness should rest1 as to any revelation of the secrets he may have found out while he was a visitor4 ,no person should go from house to house bearing tales4 ,we do not go to our friend's house to find the skeleton in the closet4 ,no criticisms of the weaknesses or eccentricities of any member of the family should ever be heard from the lips of a guest4 ,whose bread ,i have eaten1 he is henceforth my brother1 is another ,arab proverb4 ,speak well always of your entertainers1 but speak little of their domestic arrangements4 ,do not violate the sanctity of the fireside1 or wrong the shelter of the roof-tree which has lent you its protection for even a night4 ,the decorations for a country ballroom1 in a rural neighbourhood1 have called forth many an unknown genius in that art which has become the well-known profession of interior decoration4 ,the favourite place in ,lenox1 and at many a summer resort1 has been the large floor of a new barn4 ,before the equine tenants begin to champ their oats1 the youths and maids assume the right to trip the light fantastic toe on the well-laid hard floor4 ,the ornamentations at such a ball at ,lenox were candles put in pine shields1 with tin holders1 and decorations of corn and wheat sheaves1 tied with scarlet ribbons1 surrounding pumpkins which were laid in improvised brackets1 hastily cut out of pine1 with hatchets1 by the young men4 ,magnificent autumn leaves were arranged with ferns as garlands1 and many were the devices for putting candles and kerosene lamps behind these so as to give almost the effect of stained glass1 without causing a general conflagration4 ,the effect of a pumpkin surrounded by autumn leaves recalls the ,gardens of the ,hesperides4 ,no apple like those golden apples which we call pumpkins was ever seen there4 ,to be sure they are rather large to throw to a goddess1 and might bowl her down1 but they look very handsome when tranquilly reposing4 ,a sort of ,druidical procession might be improvised to help along this ball1 and the hostess would amuse her company for a week with the preparations4 ,first1 get a negro fiddler to head it1 dressed like ,browning's ,pied ,piper in gay colours1 and playing his fiddle4 ,then have a procession of children1 dressed in gay costumes2 following them1 two milk-white oxen garlanded with wreaths of flowers and ribbons1 driven by a boy in ,swiss costume2 then a goat-cart with the baby driving two goats1 also garlanded2 next a lovely ,alderney cow1 also decorated1 accompanied by a milkmaid1 carrying a milking-stool2 then another long line of children1 followed by the youths and maids1 bearing the decorations for the ballroom4 ,let all these parade the village street and wind up at the ballroom1 where the cow can be milked1 and a surprise of ice cream and cake given to the children4 ,this is a ,sunday-school picnic and a ball decoration1 all in one1 and the country lady who can give it will have earned the gratitude of neighbours and friends4 ,it has been done4 ,in the spring the decorations of a ballroom might be early wild flowers and the delicate ground-pine1 far more beautiful than smilax1 and also ferns1 the treasures of the nearest wood4 ,wild flowers1 ferns1 and grasses1 the ground-pine1 the checkerberry1 and the partridge berry make the most exquisite garlands1 and it is only of late--when a few great geniuses have discovered that the field daisy is the prettiest of flowers1 that the best beauty is that which is at our hands wherever we are1 that the greatest rarity is the grass in the meadow--that we have reached the true meaning of interior decoration4 ,helen ,hunt1 in one of her prettiest papers1 describes the beauty of kinnikinick1 a lovely vine which grows all over ,colorado4 ,although we have not that1 we can even in winter find the hemlock boughs1 the mistletoe1 the holly1 for our decorations4 ,of course1 hot-house flowers and smilax1 if they can be obtained1 are very beautiful and desirable1 but they are not within the reach of every purse1 or of every country house4 ,sheaves of wheat1 tied with fine ribbons and placed at intervals around a room1 can be made to have the beauty of an armorial bearing4 ,these1 alternating with banners and hemlock boughs1 are very effective4 ,all these forms which ,nature gives us have suggested the ,corinthian capital1 the ,ionic pillar1 the most graceful of ,greek carvings4 ,the acanthus leaf was the inspiration of the architect who built the ,acropolis4 ,vine leaves1 especially after they begin to turn1 are capable of infinite suggestion1 and we all remember the recent worship of the sunflower4 ,hop vines and clematis1 especially after the last has gone to seed1 remain long as ornaments4 ,as for the refreshments to be served1--the oyster stew1 the ice cream1 the good home-made cake1 coffee1 and tea are within the reach of every country housekeeper1 and are in their way unrivalled4 ,of course1 if she wishes she can add chicken salad1 boned turkey1 pt de foie gras1 and punch1 hot or cold4 ,if it is in winter1 the coachmen outside must not be forgotten4 ,some hot coffee and oysters should be sent to these patient sufferers1 for our coachmen are not dressed as are the ,russians1 in fur from head to foot4 ,if possible1 there should be a good fire in the kitchen1 to which these attendants on our pleasure could be admitted to thaw out4 ,a ,,picnic4 ,come hither1 come hither1 the broom was in blossom all over yon rise1 ,there went a wild murmur of brown bees about it with songs from the wood4 ,we shall never be younger1 ,o ,love6 let us forth to the world 'neath our eyes-- ,ay6 the world is made young1 e'en as we1 and right fair is her youth1 and right good4 ,appetites flourish in the free air of hills and meadows1 and after drinking in the ozone of the sea1 one feels like drinking something else4 ,there is a very good story of a reverend bishop who with a friend went a-fishing1 like ,peter1 and being very thirsty essayed to draw the cork of a claret bottle4 ,in his zeal he struck his bottle against a stone1 and the claret oozed out to refresh the thirsty earth1 instead of that precious porcelain of human clay of which the bishop was made4 ,his remark to his friend was1 ,james1 you are a layman1 why don't you say something8 ,now to avoid having our layman or our reverend wish to say something1 let us try to suggest what they should eat and what they should drink4 ,there are many kinds of picnics1--fashionable ones at ,newport and other watering-places1 where the ,french waiters of the period are told to get up a repast as if at the ,casino2 there are clam-bakes which are ideal1 and there are picnics at ,lenox and at ,sharon1 where the hotel keeper will help to fill the baskets4 ,but the real picnic1 which calls for talent and executive ability1 should emanate from some country house1 where two or three other country houses co-operate and help4 ,then what jolly drives in the brakes1 what queer old family horses and antediluvian wagons1 what noble dog-carts1 and what prim pony phaetons can join in the procession4 ,the day should be fine1 and the place selected a hillside with trees1 commanding a fine view4 ,this is at least desirable4 ,the necessity for a short walk1 a short scramble after leaving the horses1 should not be disregarded4 ,the night before the picnic1 which presumably starts early1 the lady of the house should see to it that a boiled ham of perfect flavour is in readiness1 and she may flank it with a boiled tongue1 four roasted chickens1 a game pie1 and any amount of stale bread to cut into sandwiches4 ,now a sandwich can be at once the best and the worst thing in the world1 but to make it the best the bread should be cut very thin1 the butter1 which must be as fresh as a cowslip1 should be spread with deft fingers1 then a slice of ham as thin as a wafer with not too much fat must be laid between1 with a soupon of mustard4 ,the prepared ham which comes in cans is excellent for making sandwiches4 ,cheese sandwiches1 substituting a thin slice of ,american fresh cheese for the ham1 are delicious1 and some rollicking good-livers toast the cheese4 ,tongue1 cold beef1 and even cold sausages make excellent varieties of sandwich4 ,to prevent their becoming the sand which is under your feet cover them over night with a damp napkin4 ,chicken can be eaten for itself alone1 but it should be cut into very convenient fragments1 judiciously salted and wrapped in a very white napkin4 ,the game or veal pie must be in a strong earthen dish1 and having been baked the day before1 its pieces will have amalgamated with the crust1 and it will cut into easily handled slices4 ,all must be packed in luncheon baskets with little twisted cornucopias holding pepper and salt1 hard-boiled eggs1 the patty by itself1 croquettes1 if they happen to be made1 cold fried oysters1 excellent if in batter and well-drained after cooking2 no article must be allowed to touch another4 ,if cake and pastry be taken1 each should have a separate basket4 ,fruit also should be carefully packed by itself1 for if food gets mixed and mussy1 even a mountain appetite will shun it4 ,a bottle of olives is a welcome addition1 and pickles and other relishes may be included4 ,sardines are also in order4 ,now what to drink8 ,cold tea and iced coffee prepared the night before1 the cream and sugar put in just before starting1 should always be provided4 ,they are capital things to climb on1 to knit up the ravelled sleeve of care1 and if somewhat exciting to the nerves1 will be found the best thirst-quenchers4 ,these beverages should be carefully bottled and firmly corked1--and don't forget the corkscrew4 ,plenty of tin cups1 or those strong glass beer-mugs which you can throw across the room without breaking1 should also be taken4 ,claret is the favourite wine for picnics1 as being light and refreshing4 ,ginger ale is excellent and cheap and compact4 ,champagne1 says ,walter ,besant in his novel ,by ,celia's ,arbour is a wine as ,catholic as the ,athanasian ,creed1 because it goes well with chicken and with the more elaborate pt de foie gras4 ,some men prefer sherry with their lunch1 some take beer4 ,if you have room and a plentiful cellar1 take all these things4 ,but tea and coffee and ginger ale will do for any one1 anywhere4 ,it has been suggested by those who have suffered losses from mischievous friends1 that a composite basket containing everything should be put in each carriage1 but this is refining the matter4 ,arrived at the picnic-ground1 the whole force should be employed by the hostess as an amiable body of waiters4 ,the ladies should set the tables1 and the men bring water from the spring4 ,the less ceremony the better4 ,things have not been served in order1 they never are at a picnic1 and the cunning hostess now produces some claret cup4 ,she has made it herself since they reached the top of the mountain4 ,two bottles of claret to one of soda water1 two lemons1 a glass of sherry1 a cucumber sliced in to give it the most perfect flavour1 plenty of sugar and ice2 and where had she hidden that immense pitcher1 a regular brown toby1 in which she has brewed it8 ,i know1 said an enfant terrible2 ,i saw her hiding it under the back seat4 ,there it is1 filled with claret cup1 the most refreshing drink for a warm afternoon4 ,various young persons of opposite sexes1 who have been looking at each other more than at the game pie1 now prepare to disappear in the neighbouring paths1 under a pretence but feebly made of plucking blackberries1--artless dissemblers6 ,mamma shouts1 ,mary1 ,caroline1 ,jane1 ,tom1 ,harry1 be back before five1 for we must start for home4 ,may she get them1 even at half-past six4 ,from a group of peasants over a bunch of sticks in the ,black ,forest1 to a queen who delighted to picnic in ,fontainebleau1 these al fresco entertainments are ever delicious4 ,we cannot put our ears too close to the confessional of ,nature4 ,she has always a new secret to tell us1 and from the most artificial society to that which is primitive and rustic1 they always carry the same charm4 ,it is the ,antus trying to get back to ,mother ,earth1 who strengthens him4 ,in packing a lunch for a fisherman1 or a hunter1 the hostess often has to explain that brevity is the soul of wit4 ,she must often compress a few eatables into the side pocket1 and the bottle of claret into the fishing-basket4 ,if not1 she can palm off on the man one of those tin cases which poor little boys carry to school1 which look like books and have suggestive titles1 such as ,essays of ,bacon1 ,crabbe's ,tales1 or ,news from ,turkey1 on the back4 ,if the fisherman will take one of these his sandwiches will arrive in better order4 ,the ,western hunter takes a few beans and some slices of pork1 some say in his hat1 when he goes off on the warpath4 ,the modern hunter or fisher1 if he drive to the meet or the burn1 can be trusted with an orthodox lunch-basket1 which should hold cold tea1 cold game-pie1 a few olives1 and a bit of cheese1 and a large reserve of sandwiches4 ,when we grow more celestial1 when we achieve the physical theory of another life1 we may know how to concentrate good eating in a more portable form than that of the sandwich1 but we do not know it yet4 ,take an egg sandwich1--hard-boiled eggs chopped1 and laid between the bread and butter4 ,can anything be more like the sonnet8--complete in only fourteen lines1 and yet perfection6 ,only indefinite chicken1 wheaten flour1 the milk of the cow1 all that goes to make up our daily food in one little compact rectangle6 ,egg sandwich6 ,it is immense in its concentration4 ,some people like to take salads and apple pies to picnics4 ,there are great moral objections to thus exposing these two delicacies to the rough experiences of a picnic4 ,a salad1 however well dressed1 is an oily and slippery enjoyment4 ,like all great joys1 it is apt to escape us1 especially in a lunch basket4 ,apple pie1 most delicate of pasties1 will exude1 and you are apt to find the crust on the top of the basket1 and the apple in the bottom of the carriage4 ,if you will take salad1 and will not be taught by experience1 make a perfect jardinire of all the cold vegetables1 green peas1 beans1 and cauliflower1 green peppers1 cucumbers1 and cold potatoes1 and take this mixture dry to the picnic4 ,have your mayonnaise in a bottle1 and dress the salad with it after sitting down1 on a very slippery1 ferny rock1 at the table4 ,truth compels the historian to observe1 that this is delicious with the ham1 and you will not mind in the least1 until the next day1 the large grease-spot on the side breadth of your gown4 ,as for the apple pie1 that is taken at the risk of the owner4 ,it had better be left at home for tea4 ,of course1 pt de foie gras1 sandwiches1 boned turkey1 jellied tongue1 the various cold birds1 as partridges1 quails1 pheasant1 and chicken1 and raw oysters1 can be taken to a very elaborate picnic near a large town4 ,salmon dressed with green sauce1 lobster salad1 every kind of salad1 is in order if you can only get it there1 and caviare to the general4 ,cold terrapin is not to be despised2 eaten on a bit of bread it is an excellent dainty1 and so is the cold fried oyster4 ,public picnics1 like ,sunday-school picnics1 fed with ice cream and strawberries2 or the clam bake1 a unique and enjoyable affair by the sea1 are in the hands of experts1 and need no description here4 ,the ,french people picnic every day in the ,bois de ,boulogne1 the woods of ,versailles1 and even on their asphalt1 eating out of doors when they can4 ,it is a very strange thing that we do not improve our fine climate by eating our dinners and breakfasts with the full draught of an unrivalled ozone4 ,,pastimes ,,of ,,ladies4 ,her feet beneath her petticoat1 ,like little mice1 stole in and out1 ,as if they feared the light2 ,but oh1 she dances such a way6 ,no sun upon an ,easter day ,is half so fine a sight4 ,,sir ,,john ,,suckling4 ,the ,london ,times says that the present season has seen driving jump to a great height of favour amongst fashionable women4 ,it is a curious expression1 but enlightens us as to the liberty which even so great an authority takes with our common language4 ,there is no doubt of the fact that the pony phaeton and the pair of ponies are becoming a great necessity to an energetic woman4 ,the little pony and the ,ralli cart1 as a ladies' pastime1 is a familiar figure in the season at ,newport1 at a thousand country places1 at the seaside1 in our own ,central ,park1 and all through the ,west and ,south4 ,it has been much more the custom for ladies in the ,west and ,south to drive themselves1 than for those at the ,north2 consequently they drive better4 ,only those who know how to drive well ought ever to attempt it1 for they not only endanger their own lives1 but a dozen other lives4 ,whoever has seen a runaway carriage strike another vehicle1 and has beheld the breaking up1 can realize for the first time the tremendous force of an object in motion4 ,the little ,ralli cart can become a battering-ram of prodigious force4 ,no form of recreation is so useful and so becoming as horseback exercise4 ,no ,english woman looks so well as when turned out for out-of-door exercise4 ,and our ,american women1 who buy their habits and hats in ,london1 are getting to have the same chic4 ,indeed1 so immensely superior is the ,london habit considered1 that the ,french circus-women who ride in the ,bois1 making so great a sensation1 go over to ,london to have their habits made1 and thus return the compliment which ,english ladies pay to ,paris1 in having all their dinner gowns and tea gowns made there4 ,perhaps disliking this sort of copy1 the ,englishwomen are becoming careless of their appearance on horseback1 and are coming out in a straw hat1 a covert coat1 and a cotton skirt4 ,the soft felt hat has long been a favourite on the ,continent1 at watering-places for the ,english2 and it is much easier for the head4 ,still1 in case of a fall it does not save the head like a hard1 masculine hat4 ,we have not yet1 as a nation1 taken to cycling for women2 but many ,englishwomen go all over the globe on a tricycle4 ,a husband and wife are often seen on a tricycle near ,london1 and women who lead sedentary lives1 in offices and schools1 enjoy many of their ,saturday afternoons in this way4 ,boating needs to be cultivated in ,america4 ,it is a superb exercise for developing a good figure2 and to manage a punt has become a common accomplishment for the riverside girls4 ,ladies have regattas on the ,thames4 ,fencing1 which many actresses learn1 is a very admirable process for developing the figure4 ,the young ,princesses of ,wales are adepts in this4 ,it requires an outfit consisting of a dainty tunic reaching to the knees1 a fencing-jacket of soft leather with tight sleeves1 gauntlet gloves1 a mask1 a pair of foils1 and costing about fifteen dollars4 ,american women as a rule are not fond of walking4 ,there must be something in the nature of an attraction or a duty to rouse our delicate girls to walk4 ,they will not do it for their health alone4 ,gymnastic teaching is1 however1 giving them more strength1 and it would be well if in every family of daughters there were some calisthenic training1 to develop the muscles1 and to induce a more graceful walk4 ,to teach a girl to swim is almost a duty1 and such splendid physical exercises will have a great influence over that nervous distress which our climate produces with its over-fulness of oxygen4 ,if girls do not like to walk1 they all like to dance1 and it is not intended as a pun when we mention that a great jump has been made back to the old-fashioned dancing1 in which freedom of movement is allowed4 ,those who saw ,mary ,anderson's matchless grace in the ,winter's ,tale all tried to go and dance like her1 and to see ,ellen ,terry's spring1 as the pretty ,olivia1 teaches one how entirely beautiful is this strong command of one's muscles4 ,from the ,german cotillion1 back to the ,virginia reel1 is indeed a bound4 ,our grandfathers knew how to dance4 ,we are fast getting back to them4 ,the traditions of ,taglioni still lingered fifty years ago4 ,the earliest dancing-masters were ,frenchmen1 and our ancestors were taught to pirouette as did ,vestris when he was so obliging as to say after a royal command1 ,the house of ,vestris has always danced for that of ,bourbon4 ,the galop has1 during the long langour of the dance1 alone held its own1 in the matter of jollity4 ,the glide waltz1 the redowa1 the stately minuet1 give only the slow and graceful motions4 ,the galop has always been a great favourite with the ,swedes1 ,danes1 and ,russians1 while the redowa reminds one of the graceful ,viennese who dance it so well4 ,the mazourka1 danced to wild ,polish music1 is a poetical and active affair4 ,the introduction of ,hungarian bands and ,hungarian music is another reason why dancing has become a hop1 skip and a bound1 without losing dignity or grace4 ,activity need not be vulgar4 ,the ,german cotillion1 born many years ago at ,vienna to meet the requirements of court etiquette1 is still the fashionable dance with which the ball closes4 ,its favours1 beginning with flowers and ribbons and bits of tinsel1 have now ripened into fans1 bracelets1 gold scarf-pins and pencil-cases1 and many things more expensive4 ,favours may cost five thousand dollars for a fashionable ball1 or dance1 as they say in ,london4 ,the ,german is a dance of infinite variety1 and to lead it requires a man of head4 ,one such leader1 who can construct new figures1 becomes a power in society4 ,the waltz1 galop1 redowa1 and polka step can all be utilized in it4 ,there is a slow walk in the quadrille figure1 a stately march1 the bows and courtesies of the old minuet1 and above all1 the tour de valse1 which is the means of locomotion from place to place4 ,the changeful exigencies of the various figures lead the forty or fifty1 or the two hundred to meet1 exchange greetings1 dance with each other1 and change their geographical position many times4 ,indeed no army goes through more evolutions4 ,a pretty figure is ,la ,corbeille1 l',anneau1 et la ,fleur4 ,the first couple performs a tour de valse1 after which the gentleman presents the lady with a basket1 containing a ring and a flower1 then resumes his seat4 ,the lady presents the ring to one gentleman1 the flower to another1 and the basket to the third4 ,the gentleman to whom she presents the ring selects a partner for himself1 the gentleman who receives the flower dances with the lady who presents it1 while the other gentleman holds the basket in his hand and dances alone4 ,the kaleidoscope is one of the prettiest figures4 ,the four couples perform a tour de valse1 then form as for a quadrille2 the next four couples in order take positions behind the first four couples1 each of the latter couples facing the same as the couples in front4 ,at a signal from the leader1 the ladies of the inner couples cross right hands1 move entirely round and turn into places by giving left hands to their partners4 ,at the same time the outer couples waltz half round to opposite places4 ,at another signal the inner couples waltz entirely round1 and finish facing outward4 ,at the same time the outer couples chassent crois and turn at corners with right hands1 then dechassent and turn partners with left hands4 ,valse gnrale with vis vis4 ,la ,cavalier ,tromp is another favourite figure4 ,five or six couples perform a tour de valse4 ,they afterwards place themselves in ranks of two1 one couple behind the other4 ,the lady of the first gentleman leaves him and seeks a gentleman of another column4 ,while this is going on the first gentleman must not look behind him4 ,the first lady and the gentleman whom she has selected separate and advance on tip-toe on each side of the column1 in order to deceive the gentleman at the head1 and endeavour to join each other for a waltz4 ,if the first gentleman is fortunate enough to seize his lady1 he leads off in a waltz2 if not1 he must remain at his post until he is able to take a lady4 ,the last gentleman remaining dances with the last lady4 ,to give a ,german in a private house1 a lady has all the furniture removed from her parlours1 the floor covered with crash over the carpet1 and a set of folding-chairs for the couples to sit in4 ,a bare wooden floor is preferable to the carpet and crash4 ,it is considered that all taking part in a ,german are introduced to one another1 and on no condition whatever must a lady1 so long as she remains in the ,german1 refuse to speak or to dance with any gentleman whom she may chance to receive as a partner4 ,every ,american should learn that he can speak to any one whom he meets at a friend's house4 ,the roof is an introduction1 and1 for the purpose of making his hostess comfortable1 the guest should1 at dinner-party and dance1 speak to his next neighbour4 ,the laws of the ,german are so strict1 and to many so tiresome1 that a good many parties have abjured it1 and merely dance the round dances1 the lancers and quadrilles1 winding up with the ,sir ,roger de ,coverley or the ,virginia ,reel4 ,the leader of the ,german must have a comprehensive glance1 a quick ear and eye1 and a great belief in himself4 ,general ,edward ,ferrero1 who made a good general1 declared that he owed all his success in war to his training as a dancing-master4 ,with all other qualities1 the leader of the ,german must have tact4 ,it is no easy matter to get two hundred people into all sorts of combinations and mazes and then to get them out again1 to offend nobody1 and to produce that elegant kaleidoscope called the ,german4 ,the term tour de valse is used technically1 meaning that the couple or couples performing it execute the round dance designated by the leader once round the room4 ,should the room be small1 they make a second tour4 ,after the introductory tour de valse care must be taken by those who perform it not to select ladies and gentlemen who are on the floor1 but from among those who are seated4 ,when the leader claps his hands to warn those who are prolonging the valse1 they must immediately cease dancing4 ,the favours for the ,german are often fans1 and this time-honoured1 historic article grows in beauty and expense every day4 ,and what various memories come in with the fan6 ,it was created in primeval ages4 ,the ,egyptian ladies had fans of lotus leaves2 and lately a breakfast was given all in ,egyptian fashion1 except the eating4 ,the ,roman ladies carried immense fans of peacocks' feathers4 ,they did not open and shut like ours1 opening and shutting being a modern invention4 ,the flabilliferaor or fan-bearer1 was some young attendant1 generally female1 whose common business it was to carry her mistress's fan4 ,there is a ,pompeian painting of ,cupid as the fan-bearer of ,ariadne1 lamenting her desertion by ,theseus4 ,in ,queen ,elizabeth's day the fan was usually made of feathers1 like that still used in the ,east4 ,the handle was richly ornamented and set with stones4 ,a fashionable lady was never without her fan1 which was held to her girdle by a jewelled chain4 ,that fashion1 with the large feathers1 has returned in our day4 ,queen ,elizabeth dropped a silver-handled fan into the moat at ,arnstead ,hall1 which occasioned many madrigals4 ,sir ,francis ,drake presented to his royal mistress a fan of feathers1 white and red1 enamelled with a half-moon of mother-of-pearl4 ,poor ,leicester gave her1 as his ,new ,year's gift in #aegd1 a fan of white feathers set in a handle of gold1 adorned on one side with two very fair emeralds1 and fully garnished with rubies and diamonds1 and on each side a white bear1--his cognizance1--and two pearls hanging1 a lion rampant and a white1 muzzled bear at his foot4 ,just before ,christmas in #aeie ,elizabeth went to ,kew1 and dined at my ,lord ,keeper's house1 and there was handed her a fine fan with a handle garnished with diamonds4 ,fans in ,shakspeare's time seem to have been composed of ostrich and other feathers1 fastened to handles4 ,gentlemen carried fans in those days1 and in one of the later figures of the ,german they now carry fans4 ,according to an old manuscript in the ,ashmolean ,museum1 ,sir ,edward ,cole rode the circuit with a prodigious fan1 which had a long stick with which he corrected his daughters4 ,let us hope that that custom will not be reintroduced4 ,the vellum fans painted by ,watteau1 and the lovely fans of ,spain enriched with jewels are rather too expensive for favours for the ,german2 one very rich entertainer gave away tortoise-shell fans with jewelled sticks1 two years ago1 at ,delmonico's4 ,fans of silk1 egg-shaped1 and painted with birds1 were used for an ,easter ,german4 ,ribbons were used for a cotillon dinner with very good effect4 ,from the chandelier in the centre of the dining room1 we read1 depended twenty scarfs of grosgrain ribbon1 each three and a half yards long and nine inches wide1 heavily fringed and richly adorned at both ends with paintings of flowers and foliage4 ,these scarfs were so arranged that an end of each came down to the place one of the ladies was to occupy at the table1 and care was taken in their selection to have colours harmonizing with the ladies' dress and complexion4 ,these cotillion dinners have been a pretty fashion for two or three winters1 as they enable four or five young hostesses to each give a dinner1 the whole four to meet with their guests at one house for a small ,german1 after the dinner4 ,each hostess compares her list with that of her neighbour1 that there shall be no confusion4 ,it is believed that this device was the invention of the incomparable ,mr4 ,mc,allister1 to whom society owes a great deal4 ,fashionable society like the ,german must have a leader1 some one who will take trouble1 and think out these elaborate details4 ,nowhere in ,europe is so much pains taken about such details as with us4 ,the menus of these cotillion dinners are often water-colour paintings1 worthy of preservation2 sometimes a scene from one of ,shakspeare's plays1 sometimes a copy of some famous ,french picture1--in either case something delightfully artistic4 ,for a supper after a dance the dishes are placed on the table1 and it is served en buffet2 but for a sit-down supper1 served at little tables1 the service should be exactly like a dinner except that there is no soup or fish4 ,the manner of using flowers in ,america at such entertainments is simply bewildering4 ,a climbing rose will seem to be going everywhere over an invisible trellis2 delicate green vines will depend from the chandelier1 dropping roses2 roses cover the entire table-cloth2 or perhaps the flowers are massed1 all of yellow1 or of white1 or red1 or pink4 ,nothing could exceed the magnificence of the great baskets of white and yellow chrysanthemums1 roses1 violets1 and carnations1 at a breakfast given to the ,comte de ,paris1 at ,delmonico's on ,october #bjth1 and at the subsequent dinner given him by his brother officers of the ,army of the ,potomac4 ,his royal arms were in white flowers1 the fleur de lis of ,joan of ,arc1 on a blue ground of flowers4 ,jacqueminot ,roses went up and down the table1 with the words ,grand ,army of the ,potomac in white flowers4 ,the orchid1 that most regal and expensive of all flowers1 a single specimen often costing many dollars1 was used by a lady to make an imitation fire1 the wood1 the flames1 and all consisting of flowers placed in a most artistic chimney-piece4 ,indeed1 the cost of the cut flowers used in ,new ,york in one winter for entertaining is said to be five millions of dollars4 ,orchids have this advantage over other flowers--they have no scent2 and that in a mixed company and a hot room is an advantage1 for some people cannot bear even the perfume of a rose4 ,a large lump of ice1 with flowers trained over it1 is a delightfully refreshing adornment for a hot ballroom4 ,in grand party decorations1 like one given by the ,prince of ,wales to the ,czarina of ,russia1 ten tons of ice were used as an ornamental rockery4 ,in smaller rooms the glacier can be cut out and its base hidden in a tub1 lights put behind it and flowers and green vines draped over it4 ,the effect is magical4 ,the flowers are kept fresh1 the white column looks always well1 and the coolness it diffuses is delicious4 ,it might1 by way of contrast to the ,dark ,continent1 be a complimentary decoration for a supper to be given to ,mr4 ,stanley1 to ornament the ballroom with ,arctic bowlders1 around which should be hung the tropical flowers and vines of ,africa4 ,,private ,,theatricals4 ,a poor thing1 my masters1 not the real thing at all1 a base imitation1 but still a good enough mock-orange1 if you cannot have the real thing4--,,old ,,play4 ,some of our opulent citizens in the ,west1 particularly in that wondrous city ,chicago1 which is nearer to ,aladdin's ,lamp than anything else ,i have seen1 have built private theatres in their palaces4 ,this is taking time by the forelock1 and arranging for a whole family of coming histrionic geniuses4 ,when all the arrangements for private theatricals must be improvised1--and1 indeed1 it is a greater achievement to play in a barn than on the best stage1--the following hints may prove serviceable4 ,wherever the amateur actor elects to play1 he must consider the extraneous space behind the acting arena necessary for his exits and entrances1 and his theatrical properties4 ,in an ordinary house the back parlour1 with two doors opening into the dining-room1 makes an ideal theatre1 for the exits can be masked and the space is especially useful4 ,at least one door opening into another room is absolutely necessary1 if no better arrangement can be made4 ,the best stage1 of course1 is like that of a theatre1 raised1 with space at the back and sides1 for the players to retire to1 and issue from4 ,but if nothing better can be managed1 a pair of screens and a curtain will do4 ,it is hardly necessary to say that all these arrangements depend on the requirements of the play and its legitimate business1 which may demand a table1 a bureau1 a piano1 or a bed4 ,that very funny piece ,box and ,cox needs nothing but a bed1 a table1 and a fireplace4 ,and here we would say to the youthful actor1 ,select your play at first with a view to its requiring little change of scene1 and not much furniture4 ,a young actor needs space4 ,he is embarrassed by too many chairs and tables4 ,then choose a play which has so much varied incident that it will play itself4 ,the first thing is to build the stage4 ,any carpenter will lay a few stout boards on end pieces1 which are simply squared joists1 and for very little money will take away the boards and joists afterwards1 so that a satisfactory stage can be built for a few dollars4 ,sometimes1 ingenious boys build their own stage with a few boxes1 but this is apt to be dangerous4 ,very few families are without an old carpet which will serve for a stage covering2 and if this is lacking1 green baize is very cheap4 ,a whole stage fitting1 curtains and all1 can be made of green baize4 ,footlights may be made of tin1 with bits of candle put in2 or a row of old bottles of equal height1 with candles stuck in the mouth1 make a most admirable and cheap set of footlights4 ,the curtain is always difficult to arrange1 especially in a parlour4 ,a light wooden frame should be made by the carpenter1--firm at the joints1 and as high as the room allows4 ,attached to the stage1 at the foot1 this frame forms three sides of a square4 ,the curtain must be firmly nailed to the top piece4 ,a stiff wire should be run along the lower edge of the curtain1 and a number of rings attached to the back of it1 in squares1--three rows1 of four rings each1 extending from top to bottom4 ,three cords are now fastened to the wire1 and passing through the rings are run over three pulleys on the upper piece of the frame4 ,it is well for all young managers of garret theatres to get up one of these curtains1 even with the help of an upholsterer1 as the other draw-curtain never works so securely1 and often hurts the dnouement of the play4 ,when the drop curtain above described is used1 one person holds all the strings1 and it pulls together4 ,now for the stage properties4 ,they are easily made4 ,a boy who can paint a little will indicate a scene1 with black paint1 on a white ground2 tinsel paper1 red flannel1 and old finery will supply the fancy dresses4 ,a stage manager who is a natural born leader is indispensable4 ,certain ambitious amateurs performed the opera of ,patience in ,new ,york4 ,it would have been a failure but for the musical talent of the two who took the title rles1 and the diligent six weeks' training which the players received at the hand of the principal actor in the real operetta4 ,this seems very dear for the whistle1 when one can go and hear the real tune4 ,it is in places where the real play cannot be heard1 that amateur theatricals are of importance4 ,young men at college get up the best of all amateur plays1 because they are realistic1 and stop at nothing to make strong outlines and deep shadows4 ,they1 too1 buy many properties like wigs and dresses1 and give study and observation to the make-up of the character4 ,if they need a comic face they have an artist from the theatre put it on with a camel's-hair pencil4 ,an old man's face1 or a brigand's is only a bit of water-colour4 ,a pretty girl can be made out of a heavy young man by rouge1 chalk1 and a blond wig4 ,for a drunkard or a villain1 a few purple spots are painted on chin1 cheek1 forehead and nose1 judiciously4 ,young girls are apt1 in essaying private theatricals1 to sacrifice too much to prettiness4 ,this is a fatal mistake2 one must even sacrifice native bloom if the part requires it1 or put on rouge1 if necessary4 ,as amusement is the object1 the plays had better be comedy than tragedy2 and no such delicate wordy duels as the ,scrap of ,paper1 should be attempted1 as that requires the highest skill of two great actors4 ,after reading the part and committing the lines to memory1 young actors must submit to many and long rehearsals4 ,after many of these and much study1 they must not be discouraged if they grow worse instead of better4 ,perseverance conquers all things1 and at last they reach the dress rehearsal4 ,this is generally a disappointment1 and time should be allowed for two dress rehearsals4 ,it is a most excellent and advantageous discouragement1 if it leads the actors to more study4 ,the stage manager has a difficult rle to play1 for he may discover that his actors must change parts4 ,this nearly always excites a wounded self-love1 and ill-feeling4 ,but each one should bear in mind that he is only a part of a perfect whole1 and be willing to sacrifice himself4 ,if1 however1 plays are not successful and cease to amuse1 the amateur stage can be utilized for tableaux vivants1 which are always pretty1 and may be made very artistic4 ,the principle of a picture1 the pyramidal form1 should be closely observed in a tableau4 ,there should be a square of black tarletan or gauze nailed before the picture1 between the players and the footlights4 ,the drop curtain must be outside of this1 and go up and down very carefully1 at a concerted signal4 ,although the pure white light of candles1 or lime light1 is the best for such pictures1 very pretty effects can be easily made by the introduction of coloured lights1 such as are produced by the use of nitrate of strontia1 chlorate of potash1 sulphuret of antimony1 sulphur1 oxymuriate of potassa1 metallic arsenic1 and pulverized charcoal4 ,muriate of ammonia makes a bluish-green fire1 and many colours can be obtained by a little study of chemistry4 ,to make a red fire1 take five ounces of nitrate of strontia dry1 and one and a half ounces finely powdered sulphur2 also five drachms chlorate of potash1 and four drachms sulphuret of antimony4 ,powder the last two separately in a mortar1 then mix them on paper and having mixed the other ingredients1 previously powdered1 add these last and rub the whole together on paper4 ,to use1 mix a little spirits of wine with the powder1 and burn in a flat iron plate or pan2 the effect is excellent on the picture4 ,sulphate of copper when dissolved in water turns it a beautiful blue4 ,the common red cabbage gives three colours4 ,slice the cabbage and pour boiling water on it4 ,when cold add a small quantity of alum1 and you have purple4 ,potash dissolved in the water will give a brilliant green4 ,a few drops of muriatic acid will turn the cabbage water into crimson4 ,put these various coloured waters in globes1 and with candles behind them they will throw the light on the picture4 ,again1 if a ghastly look be required1 and a ghost scene be in order1 mix common salt with spirits of wine in a metal cup1 and set it upon a wire frame over a spirit lamp4 ,when the cup becomes heated1 and the spirits of wine ignites1 the other lights in the room should be extinguished1 and that of the spirit lamp hidden from the observer4 ,a light will be produced that will make the players seem like the witches in ,macbeth1 that look not like the inhabitants of the earth1 but yet are of it4 ,the burning of common salt produces a very weird effect2 for salt has properties other than the conservative1 preserving1 hospitable qualities which legend and the daily needs of mankind have ascribed to it4 ,a very pretty effect for ,christmas ,eve may be made by throwing these lights on the highly decorated tree4 ,a set of ,christmas tableaux can be arranged1 giving groups of the early ,christians going into the ,catacombs as the ,pagans are going out1 with a white shaft of light making a cross between them4 ,a picture representing the ,christmas of each nationality can be made1 as for instance the ,russian1 the ,norwegian1 the ,dane1 the ,swede1 the ,german1 the ,english of three hundred years ago4 ,these are all possible to a family in which are artistic boys and girls4 ,the grotesque is lost in a tableau where there seems to be an sthetic need of the heroic1 the refined1 and the historic4 ,a double action may be represented with good effect1 and here can be used the coloured lights4 ,angels above1 for instance1 can well be in another colour than sleeping children below4 ,to return for a moment to the first use of the stage1 the play4 ,it is a curious thing to see the plays which amateurs act well4 ,the ,rivals is one of these1 and so is ,everybody's ,friend4 ,the ,follies of a ,night plays itself1 and ,the ,happy ,pair goes very well4 ,a ,regular ,fix1 one of ,sothern's plays1 is exceptionally funny1 as is ,the ,liar1 in which poor ,lester ,wallack was so very good4 ,woodcock's ,little ,game1 too1 is excellent4 ,cheap and unsophisticated theatricals1 such as schoolboys and girls can get up in the garret or the basement1 are those which give the most pleasure4 ,but so strong is the underlying love of the drama that youth and maid will attempt the hard and sometimes discouraging work1 even in cities where professional work is so very much better4 ,the private amateur player should study to be accurate as to costume4 ,pink-satin ,marie ,antoinette slippers must not be worn with a ,greek dress2 classic sandals are easily made4 ,it is an admirable practice to get up a play in ,french4 ,it helps to conquer the dlicatesse of the language4 ,the ,french rpertoire is very rich in easily acted plays1 which any ,french teacher can recommend4 ,imitation ,negro minstrels are funny1 and apt to be better than the original4 ,a funny man1 a mimic1 one who can talk in various dialects1 is a precious boon to an amateur company4 ,many of ,dion ,boucicault's ,irish characters can be admirably imitated4 ,in this connection1 why not call in the transcendent attraction of music8 ,now that we have lady orchestras1 why not have them on the stage1 or let them be asked to play occasional music between the acts1 or while the tableaux are on8 ,it adds a great charm4 ,the family circle in which the brothers have learned the key bugle1 cornet1 trombone1 and violoncello1 and the sisters the piano and harp1 and the family that can sing part songs are to be envied4 ,what a blessing in the family is the man who can sing comic songs1 and who does not sing them too often4 ,a small operetta is often very nicely done by amateurs4 ,we need not refer to the lamented ,pinafore1 but that sort of thing4 ,would that ,sir ,arthur would write another ,pinafore6 but1 alas6 there was never but one4 ,a private theatre is a great addition to a large country house1 and it can be made cheaply and well by a modern architect4 ,it can be used as a ballroom on off evenings1 as a dining-room1 or for any other gathering4 ,nothing can be more improving for young people than to study a play4 ,observe the expressions of the ,oberammergau peasants1 their intellectual and happy faces1 informed with thought1 and contrast them with the faces of the ,german and ,bavarian peasants about them4 ,their old pastor1 ,deisenberg1 by training them in poetry and declamation1 by founding his well-written play on their old traditions1 by giving them this highly improving recreation for their otherwise starved lives1 made another set of human beings of them4 ,they have a motive in life besides the mere gathering in of a livelihood4 ,so it would be in any country neighbourhood1 however rustic and remote1 if some bright woman would assemble the young people at her house and train them to read and recite1 lifting their young souls above vulgar gossip1 and helping them to understand the older dramatists1 to even attempt ,shakspeare4 ,funny plays might be thrown in to enliven the scene1 but there should be a good deal of earnest work inculcated as well4 ,music1 that most divine of all the arts1 should be assiduously cultivated4 ,all the ,oberammergau school-masters must be musicians1 and all the peasants learn how to sing4 ,what a good thing it would be if our district school-teachers should learn how to teach their scholars part songs4 ,when the art of entertaining has reached its apotheosis1 we feel certain that we can have this influence emanating from every opulent country house1 and that there will be no more complaint of dulness4 ,,hunting ,,and ,,shooting4 ,my love shall hear the music of my hounds3 ,uncouple in the western valley2 let them go1-- ,dispatch1 ,i say1 and find the ,forester4 ,we will1 fair ,queen1 up to the mountain's top4 ,,midsummer ,,night',s ,,dream4 ,fashion is at her best when she makes men and women love horses1 dogs1 boating1 swimming1 and all out-of-door games1--when she preaches physical culture4 ,it is a good thing to see a man play lawn-tennis under a hot sun for hours2 you feel that such a man could storm a battery4 ,nothing is more encouraging to the lover of all physical culture than the hunting1 shooting1 boating1 and driving mania in the ,united ,states4 ,hunting and shooting are sometimes used as synonymous terms in ,america2 in ,england they mean quite different things4 ,hunting is riding to hounds without firearms1 letting the dogs kill the fox2 while shooting is to tramp over field1 mountain1 and through forest with dogs and gun1 to kill deer1 grouse1 or partridge4 ,the #abth of ,august is the momentous day1 the first of the grouse shooting4 ,every one who can afford it1 or who has a friend who can afford it1 is off for the moors on the #aath1 hoping to fill his bag4 ,the #ast of ,september1 partridge1 and the #ast of ,october1 pheasant shooting1 are gala days1 and the man is little thought of who cannot handle a gun4 ,in ,august inveterate fox-hunters meet at four or five o'clock in the morning for cub-hunting1 which amusement is over by eleven or twelve4 ,as the winter comes on the real hunting begins1 and lasts until late in ,march4 ,in the midland counties it is the special sport4 ,melton1 in ,leicestershire1 is a noted hunting rendezvous4 ,people1 many ,americans among them1 take boxes there for the season1 with large stables1 and beguile the evenings with dinners1 dancing1 and card-parties4 ,it is a sort of winter watering-place without any water1 where the wine flows in streams every night1 and where the brandy flask is filled every morning1 in case of accidents while out with the hounds4 ,an enthusiast in riding can be in the saddle ten or twelve hours out of every day1 except ,sunday1 which is a dull day at ,melton4 ,all the houses within such a neighbourhood are successively made the rendezvous or meet of the hunt4 ,people come from great distances and send their horses by rail2 others drive or ride in1 and send their valuable hunters by a groom1 who walks them the whole way4 ,the show of pink is generally good4 ,pink means the scarlet hunting-coat worn by the gentlemen1 the whippers-in1 etc4 ,the weather fades these coats to a pale pink very much esteemed by the older men4 ,they suggest the scars of a veteran warrior1 hence the name4 ,some men hunt in black1 but always in top boots4 ,these boots are a cardinal point in a sportsman's dandyism4 ,once or twice during the season a hunt breakfast is given in the house where the meet takes place4 ,this is a pretty scene4 ,all sorts of neat broughams1 dog-carts1 and old family chariots bring the ladies1 who wear as much scarlet as good taste will allow4 ,ladies1 with their children1 come to these breakfasts1 which are sumptuous affairs4 ,great rounds of cold beef1 game patties1 and salads are spread out4 ,all sorts of drinks1 from beer up to champagne1 are offered4 ,one of the ladies of the house sits at the head of the table1 with a large antique silver urn before her1 and with tea and coffee ready for those who wish these beverages4 ,some girls come on horseback1 and look very pretty in their habits4 ,these ,dianas cut slices of beef and make impromptu sandwiches for their friends outside who have not dismounted4 ,the daughters of the house stand on the steps while liveried servants hand around cake and wine1 and others carry foaming tankards of ale1 and liberal slices of cheese1 among the farmers and attendants of the kennel4 ,it is an in-door and an out-door feast4 ,the hounds are gathered in a group1 the huntsman standing in the centre cracking his whip1 and calling each hound by his name4 ,two or three masters of neighbouring packs are talking to the master of the hounds1 a prominent gentleman of the county1 who holds fox-hunting as something sacred1 and the killing of a fox otherwise than in a legitimate manner as one of the seven deadly sins4 ,twelve o'clock strikes1 and every one begins to move4 ,generally the throw off is at eleven1 but in honour of this breakfast a delay has been allowed4 ,the huntsman mounts his horse and blows his horn2 the hounds gather around him1 and the whole field starts out4 ,they are going to draw the covers at some large plantation above the park4 ,the earths1 or fox-holes1 have been stopped for miles around1 so that the fox once started has no refuge to make for1 and is compelled to give the horses a run4 ,it is a fine1 manly sport1 for with all the odds against him1 the fox often gets away4 ,it is a pretty sight4 ,the hounds go first1 with nose to the ground1 searching for the scent4 ,the hunters and whippers-in1 professional sportsmen1 in scarlet coats and velvet jockey caps1 ride immediately next to them1 followed by the field4 ,in a little while a confusion of rumours and cries is heard in the wood1 various calls are blown on the horn1 and the frequent cracking of high whips1 which sound is used to keep the hounds in order1 has all the effect of a succession of pistol shots4 ,hark6 the fox has broken cover1 and a repeated cry of ,tally ,ho6 bursts from the wood4 ,away go the hounds1 full cry1 and what sportsmen call their music1 something between a bay and a yelp1 is indeed a pleasant sound1 heard as it always is under circumstances calculated to give it a romantic character4 ,many ladies and small boys are amongst the followers of the chase4 ,as soon as a boy can sit on his pony he begins to follow the hounds4 ,a fox has no tail and no feet in hunting parlance1 he has only a brush and pads4 ,the lady who is in at the death receives the brush1 and the man the pads1 as a rule4 ,the hunt is a privileged institution in ,england1 and can make gaps in hedges and break down walls with impunity4 ,the farmer never complains if his wheat and turnip fields are ruined by the sport1 nor does a lady complain if her flower garden and ornamental arbour be laid in ruins4 ,the wily fox who has made such a skilful run must be followed at any cost4 ,shooting is1 however1 the favourite sport of all ,englishmen4 ,both pheasants and partridges are first carefully reared2 the eggs generally purchased in large quantities1 hatched by hens1 and the birds fed through the summer with meal and other appropriate food4 ,the gamekeepers take the greatest pride in the rearing of these birds4 ,the pheasant is to the ,englishman what the ibis was to the ,egyptian4 ,they are let loose in the woods only when nearly full-grown4 ,when the covers are full1 and a good bag is to be expected1 the first of ,october is a regular feast-day2 a large party is asked1 and a variety of costumes makes the scene picturesque4 ,red or purple stockings1 knickerbockers of stout cloth or velveteen1 a shooting-jacket of rough heavy material1 and stout shoes make up the costume4 ,the ladies collect after breakfast to see the party start out1 a rendezvous is agreed upon1 and luncheon or tea brings them together at either two or five o'clock1 under a sheltering hedge on the side of a wood4 ,the materials for an ample meal are brought to the appointed place1 and a gay picnic ensues4 ,though shooting is a sport in which more real personal work is done by those who join in it1 and in which skill is a real ingredient1 still it is neither so characteristic nor so picturesque as fox-hunting4 ,there1 a firm seat in the saddle1 a good horse1 and a determination to ride straight across country1 are all that is needed for the majority of the field4 ,in shooting much patience is required1 besides accuracy of aim1 and a judicious knowledge of when and how to shoot4 ,when we consider that hunting is the fashion which ,americans are trying to follow1 in a country without foxes1 we must concede that success must be the result of considerable hard study4 ,the fox is an anise-seed bag1 but stone walls and high rail fences often make a stiffer country to ride over than any to be found abroad4 ,in ,england there are no fences4 ,as an addition to the art of entertaining1 hunting is a very great boon1 and a hunt breakfast at the ,westchester ,hunting ,club is as pretty a sight as possible4 ,in ,america1 the sport began in ,virginia in the last century1 and no doubt in our great ,west and ,south it will some day become as recognized an institution as in ,england4 ,we have room enough for it1 too much perhaps4 ,shooting should become1 from the ,adirondacks to the ,mississippi1 a recognized sport1 as it was once a necessity4 ,if ,americans could devote five months of the year to sport1 as the ,englishmen do1 they might rival ,great ,britain4 ,unfortunately1 ,americans are bringing down other kinds of game4 ,we cannot help thinking1 however1 that shooting a buck in the ,adirondacks is a more manly sport than shooting one in ,england4 ,no one who has ever had the privilege will forget his first drive through the delights of an ,english park4 ,the herds of fallow deer that haunt the ferny glades beneath the old oaks and beeches1 are kept both for show and for the table2 for park-fed venison is a more delicious morsel than the flesh of the ,scotch red deer1 that runs wild on the moor4 ,white1 brown1 and mottled1 with branching antlers which serve admirably for offensive and defensive weapons1 the deer browse in groups2 the does and fawns generally keeping apart from the more lordly bucks4 ,the park-keeper knows them all1 and when one is shot1 the hides1 hoofs1 and antlers become his perquisites4 ,the method of shooting a buck is1 however1 this3 ,the keeper's assistant drives the herd in a certain direction previously agreed upon4 ,the sight is a very pretty one4 ,the keeper stations himself1 rifle in hand1 in the fork of some convenient tree along the route4 ,he takes aim at the intended victim1 and at the ominous report the scared herd scampers away faster than ever1 leaving their comrade to the knives of the keeper4 ,it is very much like going out to shoot a cow4 ,there is occasionally an attempt to renew the scenes of ,robin ,hood and ,sherwood ,forest1 and the hounds are let out1 but it is a sham after all1 as they are trained not to kill the deer4 ,the stag in this instance is given a start1 being carried bound in a cart to a certain point1 whence he is released and the chase commences4 ,thus the same stag may be hunted a number of times and be none the worse for it1--which is not the way they do it in the ,adirondacks4 ,american venison is a higher flavoured meat than ,english1 and should be only partly roasted before the fire1 then cut in slices half-raw1 placed on a chafing-dish with jelly and gravy1 and warmed and cooked before the guest to ensure perfection4 ,a ,polish officer of distinction has sent me the following account of hunting in his province3-- ,we do not hunt the fox as in ,england4 ,he is shot when met in a drive1 or worried out of his subterranean castle by a special breed of dogs1 the ,dachshund1 or ,texel2 or if young cubs are suspected to be in the hole the exits so far as known are closed1 a shaft sunk to the centre1 and the whole brood extinguished4 ,we ride to hounds after hare1 and the speed of a fox-hunt is nothing when compared with a cruise of the hare2 for the greyhound1 used for the latter1 can beat any fox hound in racing4 ,no one would ever think of water-killing deer as is done in the ,adirondacks1 and woe unto him who kills a doe6 ,the old-fashioned way to kill the wild boar is to let him run at you1 then kneel on one knee holding a hunting knife1 or cutlass1 double-edged4 ,the boar infuriated by the dogs rushes at you4 ,if well directed1 the knife enters his breast and heart2 if it does not1 then look out4 ,this is what is called pig-sticking in ,india4 ,old ,emperor ,william hunted the boar in the ,royal ,forests near ,berlin1 and ,king ,humbert does the same in the mountains near ,rome4 ,bird hunting1 that of snipe1 woodcock1 partridge1 quail1 and waterfowl1 is done in the same way as here1 excepting the use of duck batteries4 ,there is very little big game to be found in ,europe1 that is1 in the civilized parts of it1 but in some forests belonging to royalty and that ilk1 the elk1 the stag1 the bear1 and the wild boar1 present themselves as a target1 and bison are to be found in ,russia4 ,the elk is purely royal game in ,prussia4 ,southern or ,upper ,silesia is called the ,prussian ,ireland1 and was famous for hunting-parties2 ladies would join1 and we would drive home with lighted torches attached to our sleighs4 ,these accounts of hunting-parties are introduced into the ,art of ,entertaining as they each and all contain hints which may be of use to the future ,american entertainer4 ,,the ,,game ,,of ,,golf4 ,as an addition to one's power of entertaining one's self1 golf affords a wide field of observation for the philosopher and the student of human nature4 ,to play it aright requires nerve1 endurance1 and self-control1 qualities which are essential to success in all great vocations2 on the other hand1 golf is peculiarly trying to the temper1 although it must be said that when the golfer forgets himself his outbursts are usually directed against inanimate objects1 or showered upon his own head4 ,how it may take possession of one is well described in this little poem from the ,st4 ,james ,gazette3-- ,would you like to see a city given over1 ,soul and body1 to a tyrannizing game8 ,if you would1 there's little need to be a rover1 ,for ,st4 ,andrews is that abject city's name4 ,it is surely quite superfluous to mention1 ,to a person who has been here half an hour1 ,that ,golf is what engrosses the attention ,of the people1 with an all-absorbing power4 ,rich and poor alike are smitten with the fever2 ',tis their business and religion both to play2 ,and a man is scarcely deemed a true believer ,unless he goes at least a round a day4 ,the city boasts an old and learned college1 ,where you'd think the leading industry was ,greek2 ,even there the favoured instruments of knowledge ,are a driver1 and a putter1 and a cleek4 ,all the natives and the residents are patrons ,of this royal1 ancient1 irritating game2 ,all the old men1 all the young men1 maids and matrons1 ,with this passion burn in hard and gem-like flame4 ,in the morning1 as the light grows strong and stronger1 ,you may see the players going out in shoals2 ,and when night forbids their playing any longer1 ,they will tell you how they did the different holes4 ,golf1 golf1 golf1 and golf again1 is all the story6 ,till despair my overburdened spirit sinks2 ,till ,i wish that every golfer was in glory1 ,and ,i pray the sea may overflow the links4 ,still a slender1 struggling ray of consolation ,comes to cheer me1 very feeble though it be2 ,there are two who still escape infatuation1 ,one's my bosom friend ,mc,foozle1 t'other's me4 ,as ,i write the words ,mc,foozle enters blushing1 ,with a brassy and an iron in his hand2 ,and this blow1 so unexpected and so crushing1 ,is more than ,i am able to withstand4 ,so now it but remains for me to die1 sir4 ,stay6 ,there is another course ,i may pursue4 ,and perhaps1 upon the whole1 it would be wiser1 ,i will yield to fate and be a golfer1 too6 ,the game of golf1 says ,andrew ,lang1 its gifted poet and its historian1 has been described as putting little balls into holes difficult to find1 with instruments which are sadly inadequate and illy adapted to the purpose4 ,its learned home is ,st4 ,andrews1 in ,scotland1 although its advocates give it several classic starting-points4 ,learned antiquarians seem to think that the name comes from a ,celtic word1 meaning club4 ,it is certainly an ancient game1 and some variation of it was known on the ,continent under various names4 ,the game requires room4 ,a golf-course of nine holes should be at least a mile and a half long1 and a hundred and twenty feet wide4 ,it is usual to so lay out the course that the player ends where he began4 ,all sorts of obstructions are left1 or made artificially1--running water1 railway embankments1 bushes1 ditches1 etc4 ,the game is played with a gutta-percha ball1 about an inch and a quarter in diameter1 and a variety of clubs1 with wooden or iron heads1 whose individual use depends on the position in which the ball lies4 ,it is usual for each player to be followed by a boy1 who carries his clubs and watches his ball1 marking it down as it falls4 ,games are either singles1--that is1 when two persons play against one another1 each having a ball1--or fours1 when there are two on each side1 partners playing alternately on one ball4 ,the start is made near the club house at a place called the tee4 ,down the course1 anywhere from two hundred and fifty to five hundred yards distant1 is a level space1 fifty feet square1 called a putting-green1 and in its centre is a hole about four and a half inches in diameter and of the same depth4 ,this is the first hole1 and the contestant who puts his ball into it in the fewest number of strokes wins the hole4 ,as the score is kept by strokes1 the ball that is behind is played first4 ,in this way the players are always together4 ,for his first shot from the tee1 the player uses a club called the driver4 ,it has a wooden head and a long1 springy1 hickory handle4 ,with this an expert will drive a ball for two hundred yards4 ,it is needless to say that the beginner is not so successful4 ,after the first shot a cleek is used2 or if the ball is in a bad hole1 a mashie2 if it is necessary to loft it1 an iron1 and so on1--the particular club depending1 as we have said1 on the position in which the ball lies4 ,the first hole won1 the contestants start from a teeing-ground close by it1 and fight for the second hole1 and so on around the course1--the one who has won the most holes being the winner4 ,a fine day1 a good match1 and a clear green is the paradise of the golfer1 but it still can be played all the year and even1 by the use of a red ball1 when snow is on the ground4 ,in ,scotland and athletic ,england it is a game for players of all ages1 though in nearly all clubs children are not allowed4 ,it can be played by both sexes4 ,a beginner's inclination is to grasp a golf club as he would a cricket bat1 more firmly with the right hand than with the left1 or at times equally firm with both hands4 ,now in golf1 in making a full drive1 the club when brought back must be held firmly with the left hand and more loosely with the right1 because when the club is raised above the shoulder1 and brought round the back of the neck1 the grasp of one hand or the other must relax1 and the hand to give way must be the right hand and not the left4 ,the force of the club must be brought squarely against the ball4 ,the keeping of one's balance is another difficulty4 ,in preparing to strike1 the player bends forward a little4 ,in drawing back his club he raises1 or should raise1 his left heel from the ground1 and at the end of the upward swing stands poised on his right foot and the toe or ball of the left foot4 ,at this point there is danger of his losing his balance1 and as he brings the club down1 falling either forward or backward1 and consequently either heeling or toeing the ball1 instead of hitting it with the middle of the face4 ,accuracy of hitting depends greatly on keeping a firm and steady hold of the ground with the toe of the left foot1 and not bending the left knee too much4 ,to keep your eye on the ball sounds an injunction easy to be obeyed1 but it is not always so4 ,in making any considerable stroke1 the player's body makes or should make a quarter turn1 and the difficulty is to keep the head steady and the eye fixed upon the ball while doing this4 ,like all other games1 golf has its technical terms2 the teeing-ground1 putting1 the high-lofting stroke1 the approach shot1 hammer-hurling1 topping1 slicing1 hooking1 skidding1 and foozling mean little to the uninitiated1 but everything to the golfer4 ,let us copy verbatim the following description of the ,links of ,st4 ,andrews1 the ,elysium of the braw ,scots3 ,the ,links occupy a crook-necked stretch of land bordered on the east by the sea and on the left by the railway and by the wide estuary of the ,eden4 ,the course1 out and in1 is some two miles and a half in length1 allowing for the pursuit of balls not driven quite straight4 ,few pieces of land have given so much inexpensive pleasure for centuries4 ,the first hole is to some extent carpeted by grass rather longer and rougher than the rest of the links4 ,on the left lie some new houses and a big hotel2 they can only be 'hazards' on the outward tack to a very wild driver indeed4 ,these hazards mean1 dear reader1 that if you and ,i are stopping at that big hotel1 we may have our eyes put out by a passing ball2 small grief would that be to a golfer6 ,on the right it is just possible to 'heel' the ball over heaps of rubbish into the sea sand4 ,the natural and orthodox hazards are few4 ,everybody should clear the road from the tee2 if he does not the ruts are tenacious4 ,the second shot should either cross or fall short of the celebrated ,swilcan ,burn4 ,this tributary of ocean is extremely shallow1 and meanders through stone embankments1 hither and thither1 between the tee and the hole4 ,the number of balls that run into it1 or jump in from the opposite bank1 or off the old stone footbridge is enormous6 ,people 'funk' the burn1 top their iron shots1 and are engulfed4 ,once you cross it1 the hole whether to right or left is easily approached4 ,the second hole1 when the course is on the left1 is guarded near the tee by the ',scholar's ,bunker1' a sand face which swallows a topped ball4 ,on the right of the course are whins1 much scantier now than of old2 on the left you may get into long grass1 and thence into a very sandy road under a wall1 a nasty lie4 ,the hole is sentinelled by two bunkers and many an approach lights in one or the other4 ,the putting-green is nubbly and difficult4 ,driving to the third hole1 on the left you may alight in the railway1 or a straight hit may tumble into one of three little bunkers1 in a knoll styled 'the ,principal's ,nose4' ,there are more bunkers lying in wait close to the putting-green4 ,the driver to the fourth hole has to 'carry' some low hills and mounds2 then comes a bunker that yawns almost across the course1 with a small outpost named ,sutherlands1 which ,englishmen profanely desired to fill up4 ,this is impious4 ,the long bunker has a buttress1 a disagreeable round knoll2 from this to the hole is open country if you keep to the right1 but it is whinny4 ,on the left1 bunkers and broken ground stretch1 and there is a convenient sepulchre of hope here1 and another beyond the hole4 ,as you drive to the fifth hole you may have to clear 'hell1' but 'hell' is not what it was4 ,the first shot should carry you to the broken spurs of a table land1 the ,elysian fields1 in which there yawn the ,beardies1 deep1 narrow1 greedy bunkers4 ,beyond the table land there is a gorge1 and beyond it again a beautiful stretch of land and the putting-green4 ,to the right is plenty of deep bent grass and gorse4 ,this is a long hole and full of difficulties1 the left side near the hole being guarded by irregular and dangerous bunkers4 ,the sixth or heathery hole has lost most of its heather1 but is a teaser4 ,a heeled ball from the tee drops into the worst whins of the course in a chaos of steep1 difficult hills4 ,a straight ball topped falls into ',walkinshaw's ,grave1' or if very badly topped into a little spiteful pitfall2 it is the usual receptacle of a well-hit second ball on its return journey4 ,escaping ',walkinshaw's ,grave' you have a stretch of very rugged and broken country1 bunkers on the left1 bent grass on the right1 before you reach the sixth hole4 ,the next1 the high hole1 is often shifted4 ,it is usually placed between a network of bunkers with rough grass immediately beyond it4 ,the first shot should open the hole and let you see the uncomfortable district into which you have to play4 ,you may approach from the left1 running the ball up a narrow causeway between the bunkers1 but it is usually attempted from the front4 ,grief1 in any case1 is almost unavoidable4 ,it is evident the ,scotch pleasure in contradeectin' is emphasized in golf4 ,one gets a wholesome sense of invigorating sea air1 healthy exercise1 and that delightful smell of the short1 fresh grass4 ,one sees the beauty of the wild aerial landscape1 the delicate tints of sand1 and low1 far-off hills1 the distant crest of ,lochnager1 the gleaming estuary1 and the black cluster of ruined towers above the bay1 which make the charm of ,st4 ,andrews ,links4 ,golf has come to our country1 and is becoming a passion4 ,there is a club at ,yonkers and one at ,cedarhurst1 but that on the ,shinnecock ,hills1 on ,long ,island1 will probably be the great headquarters of golf in the ,united ,states1 as this club owns eighty acres beautifully adapted to the uses of the game1 and has a large club-house1 designed by ,stanford ,white4 ,so we may expect an ,american historian to write an account of this fine vigorous game1 in some future ,badminton ,library of sports and pastimes2 and we shall have our own dear fifth hole1 which offers every possible facility to the erratic driver for coming to grief1 if we can be as contradeectin' as a ,scot4 ,you never hear one word about victory2 this golf literature is all written in the minor key1--but it is a gay thing to look at4 ,the regular golf uniform is a red jacket1 which adds much to the gayety of a green1 and has its obvious advantages4 ,ladies' links should be laid out on the model1 though on a smaller scale1 of the long round1 containing some short putting-holes1 some larger holes admitting of a drive or two of seventy or eighty yards1 and a few suitable hazards4 ,we venture to suggest seventy or eighty yards as the average limit of a drive1 advisedly not because we doubt a lady's power to make a longer drive1 but because that cannot be well done without raising the club above the shoulder4 ,now we do not presume to dictate1 but we must observe that the posture and gestures requisite for a full swing are not particularly graceful when the player is clad in female dress4 ,most ladies put well1 and all the better because they play boldly for the hole1 without considering too much the lay of the ground2 and there is no reason why they should not practise and excel in wrist shots with a lofting-iron or cleek4 ,their right to play1 or rather the expediency of their playing1 the long round is much more doubtful4 ,if they choose to play at times when the male golfers are feeding or resting1 no one can object2 but at other times1 must we say it8 they are in the way1 just because gallantry forbids to treat them exactly as men4 ,the tender mercies of the golfer are cruel4 ,he cannot afford to be merciful1 because1 if he forbears to drive into the party in front he is promptly driven into from behind4 ,it is a hard lot to follow a party of ladies with a powerful driver behind you1 if you are troubled with a spark of chivalry or shyness4 ,as to the ladies playing the long round with men as their partners1 it may be sufficient to say1 in the words of a promising young player who found it hard to decide between flirtation and playing the game1 ',it is mighty pleasant1 but it is not business4' ,to learn this difficult game requires months of practice1 and great nerve and talent for it4 ,i shall not attempt to define what is meant by dormy1 divot1 foozle1 gobble1 grip1 or gully4 ,mashy1 a straight-faced niblich1 is one of these definitions4 ,horace ,g4 ,hutchinson's book on golf is a most entertaining work1--if for no other reason than that its humour1 the pleasant out-of-door atmosphere1 the true enthusiasm for the game1 and the illustrations1 which are very well drawn1 all make it an addition to one's knowledge of athletic sports4 ,that golf has taken its place amongst the arts of entertaining1 we have no better proof than the very nice description of it in ,norris's novel of ,marcia4 ,this clever writer introduces a scene where ,lady ,evelyn backs the winner in the following sprightly manner3-- ,not many years ago all golfers who dwelt south of the ,tweed were compelled1 when speaking of their favourite relaxation1 to take up an apologetic tone2 they had to explain with humility1 and with the chilling certainty of being disbelieved1 that an immense amount of experience1 dexterity1 and self-command are requisite in order to make sure of hitting a little ball across five hundred yards of broken ground1 and depositing it in a small hole in four or five strokes2 but now that golf links have been established all over ,england there is no longer any need to make excuses for one of the finest games that human ingenuity or the accident of circumstances have ever called into existence4 ,the theory of the game is simplicity itself1--you have only to put your ball into a hole in one or less strokes than your opponent2 but the practice is full of difficulty1 and what is better still1 full of endless variety1 so that you may go on playing golf from the age of eight to that of eighty1 and yet never grow tired of it4 ,indeed1 the circumstance that gray-haired enthusiasts are to be seen enjoying themselves thoroughly1 and losing their tempers ludicrously1 wherever 'the royal and ancient sport' has taken root1 has caused certain ignorant persons to describe golf contemptuously as the old gentleman's game4 ,such criticisms1 however1 come only from those who have not attempted to acquire the game4 ,we advise all incipient golfers to read ,marcia1 and to see how well golf and love-making can go together4 ,golf has its poetic and humoristic literature2 and as we began with its poetic side we may end with its broadest1 latest joke3-- ,two well-known professional golfers were playing a match4 ,we will call them ,sandy and ,jock4 ,on one side of the golf course was a railway1 over which ,jock drove his ball1 landing it in some long grass4 ,they both hunted for a long while for the missing ball4 ,sandy wanted ,jock to give in and say that the ball was lost2 but ,jock would not consent1 as a lost ball meant a lost hole4 ,they continued to look round1 and ,jock slyly dropped another ball1 and then came back and cried1 ,i've found the ba'1 ,sandy4 ,ye're a leear1 said ,sandy1 for here it's in ma pooch4 ,we commend also ,famous ,golf ,links1 by ,hutchinson as clear and agreeable reading4 ,,of ,,games4 ,come1 thou complaisant cards1 and cheat me ,of a bad night1 and miserable dreams4 ,,shakspeare4 ',tis pleasant1 through the loopholes of retreat1 ,to peep at such a world1--to see the stir ,of the great ,babel1 and not feel the crowd4 ,,cowper4 ,there is no amusement for a town or country-house1 where people like to stay at home1 so perfectly innocent and amusing as games which require a little brain4 ,it is a delightful feature of our modern civilization that books are cheap1 and that the poets are read by every one4 ,that would be a barren house where we did not find ,scott1 ,byron1 ,goldsmith1 ,longfellow1 ,tennyson1 ,browning1 ,bret ,harte1 and ,jean ,ingelow4 ,therefore1 there would be little embarrassment should we ask the members of the circle around the evening lamp to write a parody on ,evangeline1 ,lady ,clara ,vere de ,vere1 ,herv ,riel1 or ,the ,heathen ,chinee4 ,the result is amusing4 ,amongst games requiring memory and attention1 we may mention ,cross ,purposes1 ,the ,horned ,ambassador1 ,i ,love my ,love with an ,a1 the ,game of the ,ring1 which is arithmetical1 ,the ,deaf ,man1 ,the ,goose's ,history1 ,story ,play1 which consists in putting a word into a narrative so cleverly that it will not readily be guessed1 although several may tell different stories with the word repeated4 ,the best way to play this is to have some word which is not the word1 like ambassador1 if the word be banana for instance1 so by thus repeating ambassador the listener maybe baffled4 ,the ,dutch ,conceit1 ,my ,lady's ,toilette1 ,scheherazade's ,ransom are also very good4 ,this last deserves a description4 ,three of the company sustain the parts of the ,sultan1 the ,vizier1 and the ,princess4 ,the ,sultan takes his seat at the end of the room1 and the ,vizier then leads the ,princess before him with her hands bound behind her4 ,the ,vizier then makes an absurd proclamation that the ,princess1 having exhausted all her stories is about to be punished1 unless a sufficient ransom be offered4 ,all the rest of the company then advance in turn1 and propose enigmas which must be solved by the ,sultan or ,vizier2 sing the first verse of a song1 to which the ,vizier must answer with the second verse2 or recite any well-known piece of poetry in alternate lines with the ,vizier4 ,forfeits must be paid1 either by the company when successfully encountered by the ,sultan and ,vizier1 or by the ,vizier when unable to respond to his opponents2 and the game goes on till the forfeits amount to any specified number on either side4 ,should the company be victorious and obtain the greater number of forfeits1 the ,princess is released and the ,vizier has to execute all the penalties that may be imposed upon him4 ,if otherwise1 the ,princess is led to execution4 ,for this purpose she is seated on a low stool4 ,the penalties for the forfeits1 which should be previously prepared1 are written on slips of paper and put in a basket1 which she holds in her hands1 tied behind her4 ,the owners of the forfeits advance1 and draw each a slip of paper4 ,as each person comes forward the ,princess guesses who it is1 and if right1 the person must pay an additional forfeit1 the penalty for which is to be exacted by the ,princess herself4 ,when all the penalties have been distributed1 the hands and eyes of the ,princess are released1 and she then superintends the execution of the various punishments that have been allotted to the company4 ,another very good game is to send one of the company out1 and as he comes in again to address him in the supposed character of ,general ,scott1 the ,duke of ,wellington1 or of some ,shakspearean hero4 ,this1 amongst bright people1 can be very amusing4 ,the hero thus addressed must find out who he is himself1--a difficult task for any one to discover1 even with leading questions4 ,the ,echo is another nice little game4 ,it is played by reciting some story1 which ,echo is supposed to interrupt whenever the narrator pronounces certain words which recur frequently in his narrative4 ,these words relate to the profession or trade of him who is the subject of the story4 ,if1 for example1 the story is about a soldier the words which would recur most frequently would naturally be uniform1 gaiters1 chapeau bras1 musket1 plume1 pouch1 sword1 sabre1 gun1 knapsack1 belt1 sash1 cap1 powder-flask1 accoutrements1 and so on4 ,each one of the company1 with the exception of the person who tells the story1 takes the name of soldier1 powder-flask1 etc41 except the name accoutrements4 ,when the speaker pronounces one of these words1 he who has taken it for his name1 ought1 if the word has been said only once1 to pronounce it twice2 if it has been said twice1 to pronounce it once4 ,when the word accoutrements is uttered the players1 all except the soldier1 ought to repeat the word accoutrements either once or twice4 ,these games are amusing1 as showing how defective a thing is memory1 how apt it is to desert us under fire4 ,it is very interesting to mark the difference of character exhibited by the players4 ,another very funny game is ,confession by a ,die1 played with cards and dice4 ,it would look at first like a parody on ,mother ,church1 but it does not so offend4 ,a person takes some blank cards1 and counting the company1 writes down a sin for each4 ,the unlucky sinner when called upon must not only confess1 but1 by throwing the dice1 also confess as many sins as they indicate1 and do penance for them all4 ,these can1 with a witty leader1 be made very amusing4 ,the ,secretary is another good game4 ,the players sit at a table with square pieces of paper and pencils1 and each one writes his own name1 handing the paper1 carefully folded down1 to the secretary1 who distributes them1 saying1 ,character4 ,then each one writes out an imaginary character1 hands it to the secretary1 who says1 ,future4 ,the papers are again distributed1 and the writers forecast the future4 ,of course the secretary throws in all sorts of other questions1 and when the game is through1 the papers are read4 ,they form a curious and heterogeneous piece of reading2 sometimes such curious bits of character-reading crop out that one suspects complicity4 ,but if honestly played it is amusing4 ,the ,traveller's ,tour is interesting4 ,one of the party announces himself as the traveller4 ,he is given an empty bag1 and counters1 with numbers on1 are distributed amongst the players4 ,thus if twelve persons are playing the numbers must count up to twelve1--a set of ones to be given to one1 twos to two1 and so on4 ,then the traveller asks for information about the places to which he is going4 ,the first person gives it if he can2 if not1 the second1 and so on4 ,if the traveller considers it correct information or worthy of notice he takes from the person one of his counters as a pledge of the obligation he is under to him4 ,the next person in order takes up the next question1 and so on4 ,after the traveller reaches his destination he empties his bag and sees to whom he has been indebted for the greatest amount of information4 ,he then makes him the next traveller4 ,of course this opens the door for all sorts of witty rejoinders1 according as the players choose to exaggerate the claims of certain hotels1 and to invent hits at certain watering-places4 ,the rhyming game is amusing4 ,i have a word that rhymes with game4 ,interlocutor4--,is it something statesmen crave8 ,speaker4--,no1 it is not fame4 ,interlocutor4--,is it something that goes halt8 ,speaker4--,no1 it is not lame4 ,interlocutor4--,is it something tigers need8 ,speaker4--,no1 it is not to tame4 ,interlocutor4--,is it something we all would like8 ,speaker4--,no1 it is not a good name4 ,interlocutor4--,is it to shoot at duck8 ,speaker4--,yes1 and that duck to maim4 ,such words as nut1 thing1 fall1 etc41 which rhyme easily1 are good choices4 ,the two who play it must be quick-witted4 ,the game of ,crambo1 in which each player has to write a noun on one piece of paper1 and a question on another1 is curious4 ,as1 for instance1 the drawer gets the word ,africa and the question ,have you an invitation to my wedding8 ,he must write a poem in which he answers the question and brings in the other word4 ,the game of ,preferences has had a long and successful career4 ,it is a very good addition to the furniture of a country parlour to possess a blank-book which is left lying on the table1 in which each guest should be asked to write out answers to the following questions3 ,who is your favourite hero in history8 ,who is your favourite heroine8 ,who is your favourite king8 ,who is your favourite queen8 ,what is your favourite ,christian name for a man8 ,what is your favourite ,christian name for a woman8 etc4 ,the game of ,authors1 especially when created by the persons who wish to play it1 is very interesting4 ,the game can be bought and is a very common one1 as perhaps every one knows1 but it can be rendered uncommon by the preparation of the cards among the members of the family4 ,there are sixty-four cards to be prepared1 each bearing the name of a favourite author and any three of his works4 ,the entire set is numbered from one to sixty-four4 ,any four cards containing the name and works of the same author form a book4 ,or the names of kings and queens and the learned men of their reigns may be used1 instead of authors2 it is a very good way to study history4 ,the popes can be utilized1 with their attendant great men1 and after playing the game for a season one has no difficulty in fixing the environment of the history of an epoch4 ,as the numbers affixed to the cards may be purely arbitrary1 the count at the end will fluctuate with great impartiality4 ,the ,dickens cards may count but one1 while ,tupper will be named sixteen4 ,carlyle will only count two1 while ,artemas ,ward will be sixty4 ,king ,henry ,,viii41 who set no small store by himself1 may be ,no4 ,i in the kingly game1 while ,edward ,,iv4 will be allowed a higher numeral than he was allotted in life4 ,now we come to a game which interests old and young4 ,none are so apathetic but they relish a peep behind the dark curtain4 ,the apple-paring in the fire1 the roasted chestnut and the raisin1 the fire-back and the stars1 have been interrogated since time began4 ,the pack of cards1 the teacup1 the dream-book1 the board with mystic numbers1 the ,bible and key1 have been consulted from time immemorial4 ,the makers of games have given in their statistics1 and they declare there are no games so popular as those which foretell the future4 ,now this tampering with gruesome things which may lead to bad dreams is not recommended1 but so long as it is done for fun and an evening's amusement it is not at all dangerous4 ,the riches which are hidden in a pack of fortune-telling cards are very comforting while they last4 ,they are endless1 they are not taxed1 they have few really trying responsibilities attached1 they bring no beggars4 ,they buy all we want1 they are gained without headache or backache1 they are inherited without stain1 and lost without regret4 ,of what other fortune can we say so much8 ,who is not glad to find a four-leaved clover1 to see the moon over his right shoulder1 to have a black cat come to the house8 ,she is sure to bring good fortune6 ,the ,french have1 however1 tabularized fortune-telling for us4 ,their peculiar ability in arranging ceremonials and ftes1 and their undoubted genius for tactics and strategy1 show that they might be able to foresee events4 ,their ingenuity1 in all technical contrivances1 is an additional testimony in the right direction1 and we are not surprised that they have here1 as is their wont1 given us the practical help which we need in fortune-telling4 ,mademoiselle ,lenormand1 the sorceress who foretold ,napoleon's greatness and to many of the great people of ,france their downfall and misfortunes1 has left us thirty-six cards in which we can read the decrees of fate4 ,lenormand was a clever sybil4 ,she knew how to mix things1 and throw in the inevitable bad and the possible good so as at least to amuse those who consulted her4 ,in this game1 which can be bought at any bookstore1 the cavalier1 for instance1 is a messenger of good fortune1 the clover leaf a harbinger of good news1 but if surrounded by clouds it indicates great pain1 but if ,no4 #b lies near ,no4 #bf or #bh the pain will be of short duration1 and so on4 ,thus ,mlle4 ,lenormand tells fortunes still1 although she has gone to the land of certainty1 and has herself found out whether her symbols and emblems and her combinations really did draw aside the curtain of the future with invisible strings4 ,amateur sybils playing this game can be sure that they add to the art of entertaining4 ,the cup of tea1 and the mysterious wanderings of the grounds around the cup1 is used for divination by the old crone in an ,english farmhouse1 while the ,spanish gypsy uses chocolate grounds for the same purpose4 ,that most interesting of tragic sybils1 ,norna of the ,fitful ,head1 used molten lead4 ,cards from the earliest antiquity have been used to tell fortunes4 ,fortuna1 courted by all nations1 was in ,greek ,tyche1 or the goddess of chance4 ,she differed from ,destiny1 or ,fate1 in so far as that she worked without law1 giving or taking at her own good pleasure4 ,her symbols were those of mutability1 a ball1 a wheel1 a pair of wings1 a rudder4 ,the ,romans affirmed that when she entered their city she threw off her wings and shoes1 determined to live with them forever4 ,she seems to have thought better of it1 however4 ,she was the sister of the ,parcae1 or ,fates1 those three who spin the thread of life1 measure it1 and cut it off4 ,the power to tell fortunes by the hand is easily learned from ,desbarolles' book1 is a very popular accomplishment1 and never fails to amuse the company and interest the individual4 ,it must not be made1 however1 of too much importance4 ,it never amuses people to be warned that they may expect an early and violent death4 ,then comes ,merelles1 or ,blind ,men's ,morris1 which can be played on a board or on the ground1 but which now finds itself reduced to a parlour game4 ,this takes two players4 ,american ,bagatelle can be played alone or with an antagonist4 ,chinese puzzles1 which are infinitely amusing1 and all the great family of the ,sphinx1 known as puzzles1 are of infinite service to the retired1 the invalid1 and weary people for whom the active business of life is at an end4 ,we may describe one of these games as an example4 ,it is called ,the ,blind ,abbot and his ,monks4 ,it is played with counters4 ,arrange eight external cells of a square so that there may be always nine in each row1 though the whole number may vary from eighteen to thirty-six4 ,a convent in which there were nine cells was occupied by a blind abbot and twenty-four monks1 the abbot lodging in the centre cell and the monks in the side cells1 three in each1 giving a row of nine persons on each side of the building4 ,the abbot suspecting the fidelity of his brethren often went out at night and counted them4 ,when he found nine in each row1 the old man counted his beads1 said an ,ave1 and went to bed contented4 ,the monks1 taking advantage of his failing sight1 contrived to deceive him1 so that four could go out at night1 yet have nine in a row4 ,how did they do it8 ,the next night1 emboldened by success1 the monks returned with four visitors1 and then arranged them nine in a row4 ,the next night they brought in four more belated brethren1 and again arranged them nine in a row1 and again four more4 ,finally1 when the twelve clandestine monks had departed1 and six monks with them1 the remainder deceived the abbot again by presenting a row of nine4 ,try it with the counters1 and see how they so abused the privileges of conventual seclusion6 ,then try quibbles3 ,how can ,i get the wine out of a bottle if ,i have no corkscrew and must not break the glass or make a hole in it or the cork8 ,the raconteur1 or story-teller1 is a potent force4 ,any one who can memorize the stories of ,grimm1 or ,hans ,christian ,anderson1 or ,browning's ,pied ,piper1 or ,ouida's ,dog of ,flanders1 or ,dr4 ,holmes' delightful ,punch ,bowl1 and tell these in a natural sort of way is a blessing4 ,but this talent should never be abused4 ,the man who1 in cold blood1 fires off a long poetical quotation at a dinner1 or makes a speech when he is not asked1 in defiance of the goose-flesh which is creeping down his neighbours' backs1 is a traitor to honour and religion1 and should be dragged to execution with his back to the horses1 like a ,nihilist4 ,it is only when these extempore talents can be used without alarming people that they are useful or endurable4 ,perhaps we might make our ,christmas ,holidays a little more gay4 ,there are old ,english and ,german customs beyond the mistletoe1 and the tree1 and the rather faded legend of ,santa ,claus4 ,there are worlds of legendary lore4 ,we might bring back the ,leprechaun1 the little fairy-man in red1 who if you catch him will make you happy forever after1 and who has such a strange relationship to humanity that at birth and death the ,leprechaun must be tended by a mortal4 ,to follow up the ,banshee and the ,brownie1 to light the ,yule log1 to invoke the ,lord of ,misrule1 above all to bring back the waits or singing-boys who come under the window with an old carol1 and the universal study of symbolism1--all this is useful at ,christmastide1 when the art of entertaining is ennobled by the song ,glory to ,god in the highest1 and on earth peace1 good-will toward men4 ,the supper-table has unfortunately fallen into desuetude1 probably on account of our exceedingly late dinners4 ,we sup out1 we sup at a ball1 but rarely have that informal and delightful meal which once wound up every evening4 ,mrs4 ,elizabeth ,montague1 in her delightful letters1 talks about the ,whisk1 and the ,quadrille parties1 with a light supper1 which amused the ladies of her day4 ,we still have the ,whisk1 but what has become of lansquenet1 quadrille basset1 piquet1 those pretty and courtly games8 ,whist6 ,who shall pretend to describe its attractions8 ,what a relief to the tired man of affairs1 to the woman who has no longer any part in the pageant of society6 ,what pleasure in its regulating1 shifting fortunes4 ,we have seen1 in its parody on life1 that holding the best cards1 even the highest ones1 does not always give us the game4 ,we have noticed that with a poor hand1 somebody wins fame1 success1 and happiness4 ,we have all felt the injustice of the long suit1 which has baffled our best endeavours4 ,we play our own experience over again1 with its faithless kings and queens4 ,the knave is apt to trip us up1 on the green cloth as on the street4 ,so long as cards do not lead to gambling1 they are innocent enough4 ,the great passion for gambling is behind the game of boaston1 played appropriately for beans4 ,we all like to accumulate1 to believe that we are fortune's favourite4 ,what matter if it be only a few more beans than one's neighbour8 ,that is a poorly furnished parlour which has not a chess table in one corner1 a whist table properly stocked1 and a little solitaire table for ,grandma4 ,cribbage and backgammon boards1 cards of every variety1 bezique counters and packs1 and the red and white champions for the hard-fought battle-field of chess1 should be at hand4 ,playing cards made their way through ,arabia from ,india to ,europe1 where they first arrived about the year #acgj4 ,they carried with them the two rival arts1 engraving and painting4 ,they were the avants couriers of engraving on wood and metal1 and of the art of printing4 ,cards1 begun as the luxuries of kings and queens1 became the necessity of the gambler1 the solace of all who like games4 ,they have been one of the worst curses and one of the greatest blessings of poor human nature4 ,when failing health1 or cross event1 ,or dull monotony of days1 ,has brought us into discontent ,which darkens round us like a haze-- then the arithmetical progression of a game has sometimes saved the reason4 ,they are a priceless boon to failing eyesight4 ,piquet1 a courtly game1 was invented by ,etienne ,vignoles1 called ,la ,hire1 one of the most active soldiers of the reign of ,charles ,,vii4 ,this brave soldier was an accomplished cavalier1 deeply imbued with a reverence for the manners and customs of chivalry4 ,cards continued from his day to follow the whim of the court1 and to assume the character of the period1 through the regency of ,marie de ,medicis1 the time of ,anne of ,austria and of ,louis ,,xiv4 ,the ,germans were the first people to make a pack of cards assume the form of a scholastic treatise2 the king1 queen1 knight1 and knave tell of ,english customs1 manners1 and nomenclature4 ,the highly intellectual game of ,twenty ,questions can be played by three or four people or by a hundred4 ,it is an unfailing delight by the wood fire in the remote house in the wood1 or by the open window looking out on the lordly ,hudson of a summer's night4 ,it only needs that one bright mind shall throw the ball1 and half a dozen may catch4 ,mr4 ,lowell once said there was no subject so erudite1 no quotation so little known1 that it could not be reached in twenty questions4 ,but we are not all as bright as ,james ,russell ,lowell4 ,we can1 however1 all ask questions and we can all guess2 it is our ,yankee privilege4 ,the game of ,twenty ,questions has led to the writing of several books4 ,the best way to begin is1 however1 to choose a subject4 ,two persons should be in the secret4 ,the questioner begins3 ,is it animal1 vegetable or mineral8 ,is it a manufactured object8 ,ancient or modern8 ,what is its shape1 size and colour8 ,what is its use8 ,where is it now8 ,the object of the answerer is of course to baffle1 to excite curiosity2 it is a mental battledore and shuttlecock4 ,it is strange that the pretty game of croquet has gone out of favour4 ,it is still1 however1 to be seen on some handsome lawns4 ,twenty years ago it inspired the following lines3-- ,,croquet4 ,a painter must that poet be ,and lay with brightest hues his palette ,who'd be the bard of ,croquet'rie ,and sing the joys of hoop and mallet4 ,given a level lawn in ,june ,and six or eight1 enthusiastic1 ,who never miss their hoops1 or spoon1 ,and are on duffers most sarcastic2 ,given the girl whom you adore-- ,and given1 too1 that she's your side on1 ,given a game that's not soon o'er1 ,and ne'er a bore the lawn espied on2 ,given a claret cup as cool ,as simple ,wenham ,ice can make it1 ,given a code whose every rule ,is so defined that none can break it2 ,given a very fragrant weed-- ,given she doesn't mind your smoking1 ,given the players take no heed ,and most discreetly keep from joking2 ,given all these1 and ,i proclaim1 ,be fortune friendly or capricious1 ,whether you win or lose the game1 ,you'll find that croquet is delicious4 ,,archery4 ,the stranger he made no muckle ado1 ,but he bent a right good bow1 ,and the fattest of all the herds he slew ,forty good yards him fro3 ',well shot6 well shot6' quoth ,robin ,hood4 ,aim at the moon1 if you ambitious are1 ,and failing that1 you may bring down a star4 ,fashion has brought us again this pretty and romantic pastime1 which has filled the early ballads with many a picturesque figure4 ,now on many a lawn may be seen the target and the group in ,lincoln green4 ,indeed1 it looks as if archery were to prove a very formidable rival to lawn tennis4 ,the requirements of archery are these3 ,first1 a bow2 secondly1 arrows2 thirdly1 a quiver1 pouch1 and belt2 fourthly1 a grease pot1 an arm-guard or brace1 a shooting-glove1 a target and a scoring-card4 ,the bow is the most important article in archery1 and also the most expensive4 ,it is usually from five to six feet in length1 made of a simple piece of yew or of lance-wood and hickory glued together back to back4 ,the former is better for gentlemen1 the latter for ladies1 as it is adapted for the short1 sharp1 pull of the feminine arm4 ,the wood is gradually tapered1 and at each end is a tip of horn2 the one from the upper end being longer than the other or lower end4 ,the strength of bows is marked in pounds1 varying from twenty-five to forty pounds in strength for ladies1 for gentlemen from fifty to eighty pounds4 ,one side of the bow is flat1 called the back1 the other1 called the belly1 is rounded4 ,nearly in the middle1 where the hand should take hold1 it is lapped round with velvet1 and that part is called the handle4 ,in each of the tips of the horns is a notch for the string1 called the nock4 ,bow strings are made of hemp or flax1 the former being the better material1 for though at first they stretch more1 yet they wear longer and stand a harder pull1 and are1 as well1 more elastic in the shooting4 ,in applying a fresh string to a bow1 be careful in opening it not to break the composition that is on it4 ,cut the tie1 take hold of the eye which will be found ready worked at one end1 let the other part hang down1 and pass the eye over the upper end of the bow4 ,if for a lady1 it may be held from two to two and a half inches below the nock2 if for a gentleman1 half an inch lower1 varying it according to the length and strength of the bow4 ,then run your hand along the side of the bow and string to the bottom nock4 ,turn it around that and fix it by the noose1 called the timber noose1 taking care not to untwist the string in making it4 ,this noose is simply a turn back and twist1 without a knot4 ,when strung a lady's bow will have the string about five inches from the belly1 and a gentleman's about half an inch more4 ,the part opposite the handle is bound round with waxed silk in order to prevent its being frayed by the arrow4 ,as soon as a string becomes too soft and the fibres too straight1 rub it with beeswax and give it a few turns in the proper direction1 so as to shorten it1 and twist its strands a little tighter4 ,a spare string should always be provided by the shooter4 ,arrows are differently shaped by various makers2 some being of uniform thickness throughout1 while others are protuberant in the middle2 some again are larger at the point than at the feather end4 ,they are generally made of white deal1 with joints of iron or brass riveted on1 and have a piece of heavy wood spliced to the deal1 between it and the point1 by which their flight is improved4 ,at the other end a piece of horn is inserted1 in which is a notch for the string4 ,they are armed with three feathers glued on1 one of which is a different colour from the others1 and is intended to mark the proper position of the arrow when placed on the string1 this one always pointing from the bow4 ,these feathers1 properly applied1 give a rotary motion to the arrow1 which causes its flight to be straight4 ,they are generally from the wing of the turkey or the goose4 ,the length and weight of the arrows vary1 the latter in ,england being marked in sterling silver coin and stamped in the arrow in plain figures4 ,it is usual to paint a crest or a monogram or distinguishing rings on the arrow1 just between the feathers by which they may be known in shooting at the target4 ,the quiver is merely a tin case painted green1 intended for the security of the arrows when not in use4 ,the pouch and belt are worn round the waist1 the latter containing those arrows which are actually being shot4 ,a pot to hold grease for touching the glove and string1 and a tassel to wipe the arrows are hung at the belt4 ,the grease is composed of beef suet and wax melted together4 ,the arm is protected from the blow of the string by the brace1 a broad guard of strong leather buckled on by two straps4 ,a shooting-glove1 also of thin tubes of leather1 is attached to the wrist by three flat pieces1 ending in a circular strap buckled around it4 ,this glove prevents the soreness of the fingers1 which soon comes after using the bow without it4 ,the target consists of a circular mat of straw1 covered with canvas painted in a series of circles4 ,it is usually from three feet six inches to four feet in diameter1 the centre is gilt1 and called the gold2 the ring about it is called the red1 after which comes the inner white1 then the black1 and finally the outer white4 ,these targets are mounted on triangular stands1 from fifty to a hundred yards apart2 sixty being the usual shooting distance4 ,a scoring-card is provided with columns for each colour1 which are marked with a pin4 ,the usual score for a gold hit1 or the bull's-eye1 is #i1 the red #g1 inner white #e1 black #c1 and outer white1 #a4 ,to string the bow properly it should be taken by the handle in the right hand4 ,place one end on the ground1 resting in the hollow of the right foot1 keeping the flat side of the bow1 called the back1 toward your person4 ,the left foot should be advanced a little1 and the right placed so that the bow cannot slip sideways4 ,place the heel of the left hand upon the upper limb of the bow1 below the eye of the string4 ,now while the fingers and thumb of the left hand slide the eye towards the notch in the horn1 and the heel pushes the limb away from the body1 the right hand pulls the handle toward the person and thus resists the action of the left1 by which the bow is bent1 and at the same time the string is slipped into the nock1 as the notch is termed4 ,take care to keep the three outer fingers free from the string1 for if the bow should slip from the hand1 and the string catch them1 they will be severely pinched4 ,in shooting in frosty weather1 warm the bow before the fire or by friction with a woollen cloth4 ,if the bow has been lying by for a long time1 it should be well rubbed with boiled linseed oil before using it4 ,to unstring the bow hold it as in stringing1 then press down the upper limb exactly as before1 and as if you wished to place the eye of the string in a higher notch4 ,this will loose the string and liberate the eye1 when it must be lifted out of the notch by the forefinger1 and suffered to slip down the limb4 ,before using the bow hold it in a perpendicular direction1 with the string toward you1 and see if the line of the string cuts the middle of the bow4 ,if not1 shift the eye and noose of the string to either side1 so as to make the two lines coincide4 ,this precaution prevents a very common cause of defective shooting1 which is the result of an uneven string throwing the arrow on one side4 ,after using it unstring it1 and at a large shooting-party unloose your bow after every round4 ,some bows get bent into very unmanageable shapes4 ,the general management of the bow should be on the principle that damp injures it1 and that any loose floating ends interfere with its shooting4 ,it should therefore be kept well varnished1 and in a waterproof case1 and it should be carefully dried after shooting in damp weather4 ,if there are any ends hanging from the string cut them off close1 and see that the whipping1 in the middle of the string1 is close and well-fitting4 ,the case should be hung up against a dry1 internal wall1 not too near the fire4 ,in selecting your bow be careful that it is not too strong for your power1 and that you can draw the arrow to its head without any trembling of the hand4 ,if this cannot be done after a little practice1 the bow should be changed for a weaker one2 for no arrow will go true1 if it is discharged by a trembling hand4 ,if an arrow has been shot into the target on the ground1 be particularly careful to withdraw it by laying hold close to its head1 and by twisting it around as it is withdrawn1 in the direction of its axis4 ,without this precaution it may be easily bent or broken4 ,in shooting at the target the first thing is to nock the arrow1 that is1 to place it properly on the string4 ,in order to effect this1 take the bow in the left hand1 with the string toward you1 the upper limb being toward the right4 ,hold it horizontally while you take the arrow by the middle2 pass it on the under side of the string and the upper side of the bow1 till the head reaches two or three inches past the left hand4 ,hold it there with the forefinger or thumb1 while you remove the right hand down to the neck2 turn the arrow till the cock feather comes uppermost1 then pass it down the bow1 and fix it on the working part of the string4 ,in doing this all contact with the feathers should be avoided1 unless they are rubbed out of place1 when they may be smoothed down by passing them through the hand4 ,the body should be at right angles with the target1 but the face must be turned over the left shoulder1 so as to be opposed to it4 ,the feet must be flat on the ground1 with the heels a little apart1 the left foot turned toward the mark4 ,the head and chest inclined a little forward so as to present a full bust1 but not bent at all below the waist4 ,draw the arrow to the full length of the arm1 till the hand touches the shoulder1 then take aim4 ,the loosing should be quick1 and the string must leave the fingers smartly and steadily4 ,the bow-head must be as firm as a vise1 no trembling allowed4 ,the rules of an ,archery ,club are usually that a ,lady ,paramount be annually elected2 that there be a ,president1 ,secretary1 and ,treasurer2 that all members intending to shoot shall appear in the uniform of the club1 and that a fine shall be imposed for non-attendance4 ,the ,secretary sends out cards at least a week before each day of meeting1 acquainting members with the place and hour4 ,there are generally four prizes for each meeting1 two for each sex1 the first for numbers1 the second for hits4 ,no person is allowed to take both on the same day4 ,a certain sum of money is voted to the ,lady ,paramount1 for prizes for each meeting4 ,in case of a tie for hits1 numbers decide1 and in case of a tie for numbers1 hits decide4 ,the decision of the ,lady ,paramount is final4 ,there is also a challenge prize1 and a commemorative ornament is presented to the winner of this prize4 ,the distance for shooting is sixty or one hundred yards1 and five-feet targets are used4 ,the dress or uniform of the club is decided by the ,lady ,paramount4 ,the expenses of archery are not great1 about the same as lawn tennis1 although a great many arrows are lost in the course of the season4 ,bows and other paraphernalia last a long time4 ,the lady archers are apt to feel a little lame after the first two or three essays1 but they should practise a short time every morning1 and always in a loose waist or jacket4 ,it will be found a very healthy and strengthening practice and pastime4 ,we must not judge of the merits of ancient bowmen from the practice of archery in the present day4 ,there are no such distances now assigned for the marks as we find mentioned in old histories or poetic legends1 nor such precision1 even at short lengths1 in the direction of the arrow4 ,few1 if any1 modern archers in long shooting reach four hundred yards2 or in shooting at a mark exceed eighty or a hundred4 ,archery has been since the invention of gunpowder followed as a pastime only4 ,it is decidedly the most graceful game that can be practised1 and the legends of ,sherwood ,forest1 of ,maid ,marion1 ,little ,john1 ,friar ,tuck1 and the ,abbot carry us back into the fragrant heart of the forest1 and bring back memories which are agreeable to all who have in them a drop of ,saxon blood4 ,the usual dress is the ,lincoln green of ,robin ,hood and his merry men1 and at ,auburn in ,new ,york they have a famous club and shooting ground1 over the gate of which is painted this motto3-- ,what is hit is history1 ,and what is missed is mystery4 ,the traveller still sees in the ,alpine ,tyrol1 and in some parts of ,switzerland1 bands of archers who depend on the bow and arrow for their game4 ,but there is not that skill or that poetry attached to the sport which made ,locksley try conclusions with ,hubert1 in the presence of ,prince ,john1 as we read in the immortal pages of ,ivanhoe4 ,the prize was to be a bugle horn mounted with silver1 a silken baldric richly ornamented1 having on it a medallion of ,saint ,hubert1 the patron of sylvan sport4 ,had ,robin ,hood been beaten he would have yielded up bow1 baldric1 and quiver to the provost of the sports2 as it was1 however1 he let fly his arrow1 and it lighted upon that of his competitor1 which it split to shivers4 ,,the ,,season1 ,,balls1 ,,and ,,receptions4 ,good-night to the season6 the dances1 ,the fillings of hot little rooms1 ,the glancings of rapturous glances1 ,the flarings of fancy costumes1 ,the pleasures which fashion makes duties1 ,the phrasings of fiddles and flutes1 ,the luxury of looking at beauties1 ,the tedium of talking to mutes1 ,the female diplomatists1 planners ,of matches for ,laura and ,jane1 ,the ice of her ,ladyship's manners6 ,the ice of his ,lordship's champagne4 ,the season in ,london extends from ,may to ,august1 often longer if ,parliament is in session4 ,in ,paris it is from ,may to the ,grand ,prix1 when it is supposed to end1 about the #bjth of ,june4 ,in ,new ,york and ,washington it is all winter1 from ,november #ast to ,lent1 with good ,episcopalians1 and from ,november to ,may with the rest of mankind4 ,it then begins again in ,july1 with the people who go to ,newport and to ,bar ,harbor1 and keeps up until ,september1 when comes in ,tuxedo and the gayety of ,long ,island1 and the ,hudson4 ,indeed1 with the gayety of country-house life1 hunting1 lawn tennis and driving1 it is hard to say when the ,american season ends4 ,there is one sort of entertainment which is a favourite everywhere and very convenient4 ,it is the afternoon reception or party by daylight4 ,the gas is lighted1 the day excluded1 the hostess and her guests are in beautiful toilets2 their friends come in street dresses and bonnets2 their male friends in frock coats4 ,this is one of the anomalies of fashion4 ,these entertainments are very large1 and a splendid collation is served4 ,the form of invitation is simply-- ,,mrs4 ,,brownton at home ,thursday1 from #c to #f4 and unless an ,r4 ,s4 ,v4 ,p4 is appended1 no reply is expected4 ,these receptions are favourites with housekeepers1 as they avoid the necessity of keeping the servants up at night4 ,the drawback to this reception is that1 in our busy world of ,america1 very few men can spare the time to call in the daytime1 so the attendance is largely feminine4 ,on entering1 the guest places a card on the table1 or1 if she cannot be present1 she should send a card in an envelope4 ,after these entertainments1 which are really parties1 a lady should call4 ,they are different things entirely from afternoon tea1 after which no call is expected4 ,if the reception is given to some distinguished person1 the lady stands beside her guest to present all the company to him or her4 ,if on the card the word ,music is added1 the guests should be punctual1 as1 doubtless1 they are to be seated1 and that takes time4 ,no lady who gives a musicale should invite more than she can seat comfortably2 and she should have her rooms cool1 and her lights soft and shaded4 ,people with weak eyes suffer dreadfully from a glare of gas1 and when music is going on they cannot move to relieve themselves4 ,the hostess should think of all this4 ,who can endure the mingled misery of a hot room1 an uncomfortable seat1 a glare of gas1 and a pianoforte solo8 ,a very sensible reformation is now in progress in regard to the sending of invitations and the answering of the same4 ,the post is now freely used as a safe and convenient medium1 and no one feels offended if an invitation arrives with a two-cent stamp on the envelope4 ,there is no loss of caste in sending an invitation by post4 ,then comes the ball1 or1 as they always say in ,europe1 the dance1 which is the gayest of all things for the dbutante4 ,the popular form for an invitation to an evening party is as follows3-- ,,mrs4 ,,hammond ,requests the pleasure of ,,mr4 and ,,mrs4 ,,norton',s company on ,tuesday evening1 ,december #bc1 at #i o'clock4 ,r4 ,s4 ,v4 ,p4 ,dancing4 ,the card of the dbutante1 if the ball is given for one1 is enclosed4 ,if a hostess gives her ball at some public place1 like ,delmonico's1 she has but little trouble4 ,the compliment is not the same as if she gave it in her own house1 however4 ,if there is room1 a ball in a private house is much more agreeable1 and a greater honour to the guest4 ,gentlemen who have not an acquaintance should be presented to the young dancing set2 but first1 of course1 to the chaperon4 ,as1 however1 the hostess cannot leave her post while receiving1 she should have two or three friends to help her4 ,great care should be taken that there be no wall-flowers1 no neglected girls4 ,the non-dancers in an ,american ball are like the non-,catholics in a highly doctrinal sermon3 they are nowhere1 pushed into a corner where there is perhaps a draught1 and the smell of fried oysters4 ,such is the limbo of the woman of forty or over1 who in ,europe would be the belle1 the person just beginning to have a career4 ,for it is too true that the woman who has learned something1 who is still beautiful1 the woman who has maturity and experience1 is pushed to the wall in ,america1 while in ,europe she is courted and admired4 ,society holds out all its attractive distractions and comforts to such a woman in ,europe2 in ,america it keeps everything1 even its comforts1 for the very young4 ,the fact that ,american ballrooms1 or rather the parlours of our ordinary houses1 are wholly disproportioned to the needs of society1 has led to the giving of balls at ,delmonico's and other public places4 ,if these are under proper patronage there is no reason why they should not be as entertaining1 as exclusive1 and as respectable as a ball at home4 ,any hostess or group of managers should1 if they give up a ball at home and use the large accommodations of ,delmonico or the ,assembly ,rooms1 certainly consider the claims of chaperons and mammas who must wearily sit through the ,german4 ,it is to be feared that attention to the mamma is not yet a grace in which even her daughter excels4 ,young men who wish to marry mademoiselle had better pay her mother the compliment of getting her a seat1 and social leaders should also show her the greatest attention1 not alone from the selfish reason which the poet commemorates3-- ,philosophy has got a charm1-- ,i thought of ,martin ,tupper1-- ,and offering mamma my arm1 ,i took her down to supper4 ,i gave her ,pommery1 ,cte d',or1 ,which seethed in rosy bubbles2 ,i called this fleeting life a bore1 ,the world a sea of troubles4 ,it is to be feared that the life of a chaperon in ,america is not a bed of roses1 even if softened by all these attentions4 ,kept up late1 pushed into a corner1 the mother of a society girl becomes only a sort of head-chambermaid4 ,were she in ,europe1 she would be the person who would receive the compliments and the attention and be asked to dance in the ,german4 ,a competent critic of our manners spoke of this in the following sensible words3-- ,the evils arising from the excessive liberty permitted to ,american girls cannot be cured by laws4 ,if we ever root them out we must begin with the family life1 which must be reformed4 ,for young people1 parental authority is the only sure guide4 ,coleridge well said that he who was not able to govern himself must be governed by others2 and experience has shown us that the children of civilized parents are as little able to govern themselves as the children of savages4 ,the liberty or license of our youth will have to be curtailed1 as our society is becoming more complex and artificial1 like older societies in ,europe4 ,the children will have to approximate to them in status1 and parents will have to waken to a sense of their responsibilities1 and subordinate their ambitions and their pleasures to their duties4 ,mothers should go out more with their daughters1 join in their pleasures1 and never permit themselves to be shelved4 ,society is in a transition state in ,america4 ,in one or more cities of the ,west and ,south it is considered proper for a young man to call for a young girl1 and drive with her alone to a ball4 ,in ,northern cities this is considered very bad form4 ,in ,europe it would be considered a vulgar madness1 and a girl's character compromised4 ,therefore it is better for the mother to keep her rightful place as guardian1 chaperon1 friend1 no matter how she is treated4 ,women are gifted with so much tact and so intuitive a faculty1 that in the conduct of fashionable life they need but few hints4 ,the art of entertaining should be founded first1 on good sense1 a quiet considerateness1 a good heart1 a spirit of friendliness2 next1 a consideration of what is due to others and what is due to one's self4 ,there is always a social conscience in one's organization1 which will point aright2 but the outward performance of conventional rules can never be thoroughly learned1 unless the heart is well-bred4 ,many ladies are now introducing dancing at crowded day receptions and teas4 ,where people are coming and going this is objectionable1 as the hostess is expected to do too much1 and the guests being in street dress1 while the hostess and her dancers are in low evening dress1 the appearance of the party is not ornamental4 ,evening parties are far more formal1 and require the most elaborate dress4 ,every lady who can wear a low-necked dress should do so4 ,the great drawback in ,new ,york is now the ridiculous lateness of the hour--eleven or twelve--at which the guests arrive4 ,if a card is written1-- ,,mrs4 ,,brown at home ,tuesday evening1 some sticklers for etiquette say that she should not put ,r4 ,s4 ,v4 ,p4 on her card4 ,if she wishes an answer1 she should say1-- ,,mrs4 ,,brown requests the pleasure of ,,mr4 and ,,mrs4 ,,campbell',s company4 ,r4 ,s4 ,v4 ,p4 ,perhaps the latter is better form4 ,it is more respectful4 ,the ,at ,home can be used for large and informal receptions1 where an individual acceptance is not required4 ,garden parties are becoming very fashionable at watering-places1 in rural cities1 and at country houses which are accessible to a town4 ,no doubt the garden party is a troublesome affair in a climate so capricious as ours4 ,the hostess has to be prepared for a sudden shower1 and to have two tables of refreshments4 ,the effort to give the out-of-door plays in this country1 as in ,england1 has often been frustrated by a sudden shower1 as at ,mrs4 ,stevens' palace at ,castle ,point4 ,it is curious that they can and do give them in ,england1 where it always rains4 ,however1 these entertainments and hunting remain rather as visitors than as old and recognized institutions4 ,americans all dance well1 and are always glad to dance4 ,whether it be assembly1 hunt ball1 or private party1 the ,german cotillion finishes the bail4 ,it is an allegory of society in its complicated and bewildering complications1 its winding and unwinding of the tangled chain4 ,in every large city a set arises whose aim is to be exclusive4 ,sometimes this privilege seems to be pushed too far4 ,often one is astonished at the black sheep who leap into the well-defended enclosures4 ,in ,london1 formerly1 an autocratic set of ladies1 well known as ,almacks1 turned out the ,duke of ,wellington because he came in a black cravat4 ,in our republican country perpetual ,almacks arise1 offensive and defensive1--a state of things which has its advantages and disadvantages4 ,it keeps up an interest in society4 ,it is like the fire in the engine3 it makes the train move1 even if it sends out smoke and cinders which get into people's eyes and make them weep4 ,it is a part of the inevitable friction which accompanies the best machinery2 and if they have patience1 those who are left out one winter will be the inside aristocrats of the next1 and can leave somebody else out4 ,quadrilles1 the ,lancers1 and occasionally a ,virginia ,reel1 are introduced to make the modern ball more interesting1 and enable people who cannot bear the whirl of the waltz to dance4 ,the elderly can dance a quadrille without loss of breath or dignity4 ,indeed1 the ,americans are the only people who relegate the dance to the young alone4 ,in ,europe the old gray-head1 the old mustache1 leads the ,german4 ,ambassadors and generals1 princes and potentates1 go spinning around with gray-haired ladies until they are seventy4 ,grandmothers dance with their grandsons4 ,socrates learned to dance4 ,in ,europe it is the elderly woman who receives the most flattering invitations to lead the ,german4 ,an ambassadress of fifty would be very much astonished if the prince did not ask her to dance4 ,the saltatory art is like the flight of a butterfly1--hard to describe1 impossible to follow4 ,the valse deux temps keeps its precedence in ,europe as the favourite measure1 varied with galop1 polka1 and polka mazourka4 ,we add1 in ,america1 ,dancing in the ,barn1 which is really a ,spanish dance4 ,the ,pavanne is worthy of study1 and the ,minuet de la ,cour is a stately and beautiful thing1 quite worthy of being learned1 if it only teaches our women how to make a courtesy4 ,each leader of the ,german is a potentate2 he leads his troops through new evolutions1 and into combinations so vast1 varied1 and changeful that it is impossible to do more than hint at them4 ,the proper name for a private ball is a dance4 ,in ,london one never talks of balls2 it is always a dance4 ,although supper is served generally at a buffet1 yet some leaders1 with large houses1 are introducing little tables1 which are more agreeable1 but infinitely inconvenient4 ,the comfort1 however1 of being able to sit while eating1 and the fact that a party of four or six may enjoy their supper together would certainly determine the question as to its agreeableness4 ,this is a ,london fashion1 one set succeeding another at the same table4 ,it can only be carried out1 however1 in a very large house or public place4 ,the ball suppers in ,new ,york--indeed1 all over ,america--are very gorgeous feeds compared with those one sees in ,europe4 ,the profusion of flowers1 the hot oysters1 boned turkey1 terrapin1 and canvas-back duck1 the salmon1 the game patties1 salads1 ices1 jellies1 and creams1 all crowded in1 sweetbreads and green peas1 filet de boeuf1 constant cups of bouillon1--one feels ,carlyle's internal rat gnawing as one reads of them1--the champagne1 the punch1 the fine glass1 choice china1 the drapery of ,german looms1 the ,queen ,anne silver1 the porcelain of ,svres and ,dresden1 the beauty of the women1 the smart dressing1 make the ball supper an elegant1 an amazing1 a princely sort of sight1 saving that princes do not give such feasts1--only ,americans4 ,,weddings4 ,rice and slippers1 slippers and rice6 ,quaint old symbols of all that's nice ,in a world made up of sugar and spice1 ,with a honeymoon always shining2 ,a world where the birds keep house by twos1 ,and the ring-dove calls1 and the stock-dove coos1 ,and maids are many1 and men may choose1 ,and never shall love go pining6 ,if there were no weddings1 there would be no art of entertaining4 ,it is the key-note1 the initial letter1 the open sesame1 of the great business of society4 ,therefore certain general and very1 perhaps1 unnecessary hints as to the conduct of weddings in all countries may not be out of place here4 ,in ,london a wedding in high life--or1 as the ,french call it1 higlif--is a very sweeping affair4 ,if we were to read the descriptions in the ,court ,journal of one wedding trousseau alone1 furnished to a royal princess1 or to ,lady ,gertrude ,somebody1 we should say with ,fielding that dress is the principal accomplishment of men and women4 ,as for the wedding-cake which is built at ,gunter's1 it is a sight to see1--almost as big as ,mont ,blanc4 ,the importance of ,gunter is assured by the ,epicure's ,almanac1 published in #ahae2 and for many years this firm supplied the royal family4 ,when ,george ,,iii4 was king1 the royal dukes stopped to eat ,gunter's pies1 in gratitude for the sweet repasts furnished them in childhood2 but now the ,buzzards1 of #aig ,oxford ,street1 also are specialists in wedding-cakes4 ,leigh ,hunt1 in one of his essays1 described one ,trumbull ,walker as the artist who confined himself to that denomination1 meaning wedding-cake4 ,his mantle fell on the ,buzzards4 ,this enormous cake1 and the equally enormous bouquet are the chief distinctive marks in which a ,london wedding differs from ours4 ,to be legal1 unless by special license1 weddings in ,england must be celebrated before twelve o'clock4 ,the reason given for this law is that before #ahbj gentlemen were supposed to be drunk after that hour1 and not responsible for what they promised at the altar4 ,in ,france1 a singular difference of dress on the part of the groom exists4 ,he always wears a dress-coat and white cravat1 as do all his ushers and immediate friends4 ,it looks very strange to ,english and ,american eyes4 ,how does a wedding begin8 ,as for the premonitory symptoms1 they are in the air for several weeks4 ,it is whispered about amongst the bridesmaids2 it gets into the papers4 ,it would be easy to write a volume1 and it would be a useful volume if it brought conviction to the hearts of the offenders1 of the wrong done to young ladies by the newspapers who assume1 without authority1 to publish the news of an engagement4 ,many a match has been broken off by such a premature surmise1 and the happiness of one or more persons injured for life4 ,young people like to approach this most important event of their lives in a mutual confidence and secrecy2 consequently society newspapers should be very careful how they either report an engagement1 or declare that it is off4 ,sometimes rumors prejudicial to the gentleman are circulated without sufficient reason1 and of course much ill-feeling is engendered4 ,the first intimation of an engagement should come from the bride's mother1 and the young bride fixes the day of her wedding herself4 ,then the father and mother1 or guardians1 of the young lady issue cards1 naming the day and hour of the wedding4 ,brides often give the attendant maidens their dresses2 or if they do not choose to do this1 they suggest what they shall wear4 ,six ushers generally precede the party into the church1 after having seated the guests4 ,these are generally followed by six bridesmaids1 who walk two and two4 ,no one wears a veil but the bride herself1 who enters on her father's arm4 ,widows who marry again must not wear white1 or veils4 ,the fact that the bride is in white satin1 and often with low neck and short sleeves1 and the groom in full morning costume1 is much criticised in ,france4 ,if the wedding occurs in the evening1 the groom must wear a dress-coat and white tie4 ,the invitations to the wedding are very simple and explicit3-- ,,general ,,and ,,mrs4 ,,brounlow ,request the pleasure of your company at the marriage of their daughter ,,exclairmonde to ,,mr4 ,,gerald ,,fitzgerald1 on ,thursday1 ,june #afth1 at #ab o'clock1 ,st4 ,peter's ,church4 ,in asking a young lady to be her bridesmaid1 the bride is supposed to be prompted by claims of relationship or friendship1 although fashion and wealth and other considerations often influence these invitations4 ,as for the ushers1 they must be unmarried men1 and are expected to manage all matters at the church4 ,music should play softly during the entrance of the family1 before the service4 ,the mother of the bride1 and her nearest relatives1 precede her into the church1 and are seated before she enters1 unless the mother be a widow and gives the bride away4 ,the ceremony should be conducted with great dignity and composure on all sides2 for exhibitions of feeling in public are in the worst possible taste4 ,at the reception1 the bride's mother yields her place as hostess for the nonce1 and is addressed after the bride4 ,after two hours of receiving her friends1 the young wife goes upstairs to put on her dress for the journey1 which may be of any colour but black4 ,perhaps this is the time for a few tears1 as she kisses mamma good-by4 ,she comes down1 with her mother and sisters1 meets the groom in the hall1 and dispenses the flowers of her bouquet to the smiling maidens1 each of whom struggles for a flower4 ,the parents of the bride send announcement cards to persons not invited to the wedding4 ,dinners to the young pair succeed each other in rapid succession4 ,for the first three months the art of entertaining is stretched to its uttermost4 ,a widow1 in marrying again1 should not use the name or initials of her late husband4 ,if she was ,mary ,steward1 and had married ,mr4 ,hamilton1 and being his widow1 wishes to marry ,james ,constable1 her cards should read3 ,,mr4 ,,and ,,mrs4 ,,steward ,request the pleasure of your company at the marriage of their daughter ,,mary ,,steward-,,hamilton to ,,mr4 ,,james ,,constable4 ,if she is alone1 she can invite in her own name as ,mrs4 ,mary ,steward ,hamilton2 or better still1 a friend sends out the cards in her own name1 with simply the cards of ,mrs4 ,mary ,steward ,hamilton1 and of the gentleman whom she is to marry4 ,the custom of giving bridal presents has grown into an outrageous abuse of a good thing4 ,there has grown up a rivalry between families2 and the publicity of the whole thing1 its notoriety and extravagance1 ought to be well rebuked4 ,at the wedding refreshment-table1 the bride sometimes cuts the cake and allows the young people to search for a ring1 but this is rather bad for the gloves4 ,at a country wedding1 if the day is fine1 little tables are set out on the lawn4 ,the ladies seat themselves1 the gentlemen carry refreshments to them4 ,the piazzas can be decorated with autumn boughs1 evergreens1 and flowers2 the whole thing becomes a garden-party1 and even the family dogs should have a wreath of white flowers around their necks4 ,much ill feeling is apt to be engendered by the distinction which is inevitably made in leaving out the friends who feel that they were entitled to an invitation to the house4 ,it is better to offend no one on so important an occasion4 ,wedding-cards and wedding stationery should be simple1 white without glaze1 and with no attempt at ornamentation4 ,it is proper for the bride to have her left hand bare as she walks to the altar1 as it saves her the trouble of taking off a long glove4 ,child bridesmaids are very pretty and very much in favour4 ,these charming children1 covered with flowers and looking very grave and solemn1 are the sweetest of heralds for a wedding procession4 ,there is not1 however1 much difficulty except when ,protestant marries ,catholic4 ,such a marriage cannot be celebrated at the ,high ,altar2 it leads to a house wedding which is in the minds of many much more agreeable1 as saving the bride the journey to church4 ,in this matter1 one of individual preference of course1 the large and liberal ,american mind can have a very wide choice4 ,in ,france the couple must go to the ,mairie1 where an official in a tricolour scarf1 looking like ,marat1 marries them4 ,this is especially the case if husband or wife is a divorced person1 the ,catholic church refusing to marry such4 ,it is a curious fact1 that in ,catholic ,italy a civil marriage is the only legal marriage2 therefore good ,catholics are all married twice4 ,a mixed marriage in ,catholic countries is very difficult2 but in our country1 alas6 the wedding knot can be untied as easily as it is tied4 ,this train waits twenty minutes for divorces is a joke founded on fact4 ,what do divorces do with their wedding presents8 has been a favourite conundrum of late1 especially with those sent by the friends of the husband4 ,if an evening wedding takes place in a church those who are asked to the house afterwards should go without bonnets4 ,catholic ladies1 however1 must always cover their heads in church2 so they throw a light lace or mantilla over the head4 ,it is not often that the bride dances at her own wedding1 but there is no reason why she should not4 ',tis custom that makes cowards of us all4 ,one brave girl was married on a ,saturday in ,may1 thus violating all the old saws and superstitions4 ,she has been happy ever afterwards4 ,marriages in ,may used to be said to lead to poverty4 ,it is the month of ,mary1 the ,virgin1 therefore ,catholics object4 ,one still braver bride chose ,friday2 this is hangman's day1 and also the day of the crucifixion1 therefore considered unlucky by the larger portion of the human race4 ,however1 marriage is lucky or unlucky as the blind goddess pleases2 no foresight of ours can make it a certainty4 ,sometimes two very doubtful characters make each other better1 and live happily2 again two very fine characters but help to sublimate each other's misery4 ,perhaps no more hopeless picture of this failure was ever painted than the misery of ,caroline and ,robert ,elsmere1 in that masterly novel which led you nowhere4 ,there is a capital description of a ,french bourgeoise wedding in one of ,daudet's novels3-- ,the least details of this important day were forever engraved on ,risler's mind4 ,he saw himself at daybreak pacing his bachelor chamber1 already shaved and dressed1 with two pairs of white gloves in his pocket4 ,then came the gala carriages1 and in the first one1 the one with white horses1 white reins1 and a lining of yellow satin1 his bride's veil floated like a cloud4 ,then the entrance to the church1 two by two1 with this white cloud always at their head1 floating1 light1 gleaming2 the organ1 the verger1 the sermon of the cur1 the tapers twinkling like jewels1 the spring toilets1 and all the world in the sacristie--the little white cloud lost1 engulfed1 surrounded1 embraced1 while the groom shook hands with the representatives of the great ,parisian firms assembled in his honour2 and the grand swell of the organ at the end1 more solemn because the doors of the church were wide open so that the whole quarter took part in the family ceremony2 the noises of the street as the cortge passed out1 the exclamations of the lookers-on1--a burnisher in a lustring apron crying aloud1 ',the groom is not handsome1 but the bride is stunning1'--all this is what makes one proud when he is a bridegroom4 ,then the breakfast at the works1 in a room ornamented with hangings and flowers2 the stroll in the ,bois1 a concession to the bride's mother1 ,madame ,chbe1 who in her position as a ,parisian bourgeoise would not have considered her daughter married without the round of the lake and a visit to the cascade2 then the return for dinner just as the lights were appearing on the ,boulevard1 where every one turned to see the wedding party1 a true1 well-appointed party1 as it passed in a procession of liveried carriages to the very steps of the ,caf ,vefour4 ,it was all like a dream4 ,now1 dulled by fatigue and happiness1 the worthy ,risler looked dreamily at the great table of twenty-five covers1 with a horseshoe at each end4 ,around it were well-known1 smiling faces in whose eyes he seemed to see his own happiness reflected4 ,little waves of conversation from the different groups drifted across the table2 faces were turned toward one another4 ,you could see here the white cuffs of a black suit behind a basket of asclepias1 here the laughing face of a girl above a dish of confections4 ,the faces of the guests were half hidden behind the flowers and the dessert2 all around the board were gayety1 light1 and colour4 ,yes1 ,risler was happy4 ,aside from his brother ,franz1 all whom he loved were there4 ,first and foremost1 facing him1 was ,sidonie1--yesterday the little ,sidonie1 to-day his wife4 ,she had laid aside her veil for dinner1 she had emerged from the white cloud4 ,now in her silken gown1 white and simple1 her charming face seemed more clear and sweet under the carefully arranged bridal wreath4 ,by the side of ,risler sat ,madame ,chbe1 the mother of the bride1 who shone and glistened in a dress of green satin gleaming like a shield4 ,since morning all the thoughts of the good woman had been as brilliant as her robe4 ,every moment she had said to herself1 ',my daughter is marrying ,fremont and ,risler1'--because in her mind it was not ,risler whom her daughter married1 but the whole establishment4 ,all at once came that little movement among the guests that announces their leaving the table1--the rustle of silks1 the noise of chairs1 the last words of talk1 laughter broken off4 ,then they all passed into the grand salon1 where those invited were arriving in crowds1 and1 while the orchestra tuned their instruments1 the men with glass in eye paraded before the young girls all dressed in white and impatient to begin4 ,,how ,,royalty ,,entertains4 ,stand back1 and let the ,king go by4--,,old ,,play4 ,thrones1 dominations1 princedoms1 virtues1 powers4 ,when we approach the subject of royal entertainments1 we cannot but feel that the best of us are at a disadvantage4 ,princes have palaces and retainers furnished for them4 ,they have a purse which knows no end4 ,they are either by the divine right1 or by lucky chance1 the personages of the hour6 ,it is only when one of them loses his head1 or is forced to abdicate1 or falls by the assassin's dagger1 that they approach at all our common humanity4 ,doubtless to them1 entertaining1 being a perfunctory affair1 becomes very tedious4 ,pomp is not an amusing circumstance and they get so tired of it all that when off duty kings and queens are usually the most plainly dressed and the most simple of mortals4 ,the age of strut has passed away4 ,no one cares to assume the puffiness of ,louis ,,xiv4 or ,george ,,iv4 ,royal entertainments1 however1 have this advantage1 they open to the observer the historical palace1 and the pictures1 gems of art1 and interesting collections of which palaces are the great conservators4 ,it would seem that ,louis ,,xiv41 called le ,grand ,monarque1 ,louis the ,magnificent1 was a master of the art of entertaining4 ,under him the science of giving banquets received1 in common with the other sciences1 a great progressive impulse4 ,there still remains some memory of those festivals1 which all ,europe went to see1 and those tournaments1 where for the last time shone lances and knightly suits of armour4 ,the festivals always ended with a sumptuous banquet1 where were displayed huge centre-pieces of gold and silver1 painting1 sculpture1 and enamel1 all laudatory of the hero of the occasion4 ,this fashion made the fame of ,benvenuto ,cellini in the previous century4 ,to-day1 monarchs content themselves with having these centre-pieces made of cake1 sugar1 or ices4 ,there will be no record of their great feasts for future ages4 ,toward the end of the reign of ,louis ,,xiv41 the cook1 the cordon bleu1 received favourable notice2 his name was written beside that of his patron2 he was called in after dinner4 ,it is mentioned in some of the ,english memoirs that this fashion was not unknown so lately as fifty years ago in great houses in ,england1 where the cook was called in1 in his white cap and apron1 publicly thanked for his efforts1 and a glass of wine offered him by his master1 all the company drinking his health4 ,this must have had an excellent effect on the art of gastronomy4 ,madame de ,maintenon1 whose gloomy sway over the old king reduced the gay court to the loneliness of an empty cathedral1 threw a wet napkin on the science of good eating1 and put out the kitchen fires for a season4 ,queen ,anne1 however1 was fond of good cheer1 and consulted with her cook4 ,many cookery books have the qualification after ,queen ,anne's fashion4 ,under the ,regent ,orlans1 a princely prince in spite of his faults1 the art of good eating and entertaining was revived2 and he has left a reputation for piqus of superlative delicacy1 matelots of tempting quality1 and turkeys superbly stuffed4 ,the reign of ,louis ,,xv4 was equally favourable to the art of entertaining4 ,eighteen years of peace had made ,france rich1 and a spirit of conviviality was diffused amongst all classes4 ,the proper setting of the table1 and order1 neatness1 and elegance1 as essentials of a well-appointed meal1 date from this reign4 ,it is from this period that the history of the petit soupers de ,choisy begins4 ,we need hardly go in to that history of all that was reckless1 witty1 gay1 and dissolute in the art of entertaining2 but as one item1 a floor was constructed so that the table and sideboard sank into the lower story after each course1 to be immediately replaced by others which rose covered with a fresh course4 ,from this we may imagine its luxury and detail4 ,louis ,,xv4 was a proficient in the art of cookery2 he also worked tapestry with his own hand4 ,we should linger over his feasts with more pleasure had they not led on to the ,french ,revolution1 as a horrible dessert4 ,his carving-knives later on became the guillotine4 ,under ,louis ,,xvi4 there was a constant improvement in all the occupations which are required in the preparation of food by cooks1 traiteurs1 pastry cooks1 and confectioners4 ,the art of preserving food1 so that one could have the fruits of summer in the midst of winter1 really began then1 although the art of canning may safely be said to belong to our own much later time4 ,in the year #agdj a dinner was served in this order3 ,soup1 followed by the bouilli1 an entre of veal cooked in its own gravy1 as a side dish4 ,second course3 ,a turkey1 a dish of vegetables1 a salad1 and sometimes a cream4 ,dessert3 ,cheese1 fruit and sweets4 ,plates were changed only thrice3 after the soup1 at the second course1 and at dessert4 ,coffee was rarely served1 but cherry brandy or some liqueur was passed4 ,louis ,,xviii41 who grew to be an immensely fat man1 was a remarkable gastronome4 ,let any one read ,victor ,hugo's ,les ,misrables1 and an account of his reign1 to get an idea of this magnificent entertainer4 ,his most famous matre d'htel was the ,duc d',escars4 ,when he and his royal master were closeted together to meditate a dish1 the ministers of state were kept waiting in the antechamber1 and the next day an official announcement was made1 ,monsieur le ,duc d',escars a travaill dans le cabinet4 ,how strangely would it affect the ,american people if ,president ,harrison kept them waiting for his signature because he was discussing terrapin and ,madeira sauce with his chef4 ,the king had invented the truffles la pure d'ortolans1 and invariably prepared it himself1 assisted by the duke4 ,on one occasion they jointly composed a dish of more than ordinary dimensions1 and duly consumed the whole of it4 ,in the night the duke was seized with a fit of indigestion1 and his case was declared hopeless4 ,loyal to the last1 he ordered an attendant to awake and inform the king1 who might be exposed to a similar attack4 ,his majesty was roused accordingly1 and told that ,d',escars was dying of his invention4 ,dying6 exclaimed the king3 well1 ,i always said ,i had the better stomach of the two4 ,so much for the gratitude of kings4 ,the ,parisian restaurants1 those world-renowned ,edens of the gastronomer1 were formed and founded on the theories of these cookery-loving kings4 ,but political disturbances were to intervene in the year #aggj4 ,after the glorious days of ,louis ,,xiv4 and the wild dissipation of the ,regency1 after the long tranquillity under the ministry of ,fleury1 travellers arriving in ,paris found its resources very poor as to good cheer4 ,but that soon mended itself4 ,it was not until about #ahad that the parent of ,parisian restaurants1 ,beauvilliers1 made himself a cosmopolitan reputation by feeding the allied armies4 ,he learned to speak ,english1 and in that way became most popular4 ,he had a prodigious memory1 and would recognize and welcome men who had dined at his house twenty years before4 ,in this he was like ,general ,grant and the ,prince of ,wales4 ,it is a very popular faculty4 ,beauvilliers1 ,mot1 ,robert1 ,rose ,legacque1 the ,brothers ,very1 ,hennevan1 and ,baleine1 are the noble army of argonauts in discovering the ,parisian restaurant2 or rather1 they founded it4 ,the ,brothers ,very1 and the ,trois ,frres ,prevenceaux1 both in the ,palais ,royal1 are still great names to compete with4 ,when the allied monarchs held ,paris1 in #ahad1 the ,brothers ,very supplied their table for a daily charge of one hundred and twenty pounds1 not including wine1 and in ,pre-la-,chaise a magnificent monument is erected to one of them1 declaring that his whole life was consecrated to the useful arts1 as it doubtless was4 ,from that day until #ahij1 what an advance there has been4 ,there is now a restaurant in nearly every street in ,paris1 where one can get a good dinner4 ,what a crowd of them in the ,champs lyses and out near the ,bois4 ,a ,parisian dinner is thoroughly cosmopolitan1 and the best in the world1 when it is good4 ,parisian cookery has declined of late in the matter of meats4 ,they are not as good as they ought to be4 ,but the sauces are so many and so fine that they have given rise to many proverbs4 ,the sauce is the ambassador of a king4 ,with such a sauce1 a man could eat his grandfather4 ,leaving ,france for other shores1 for ,france has no monarch to entertain us now1 let us see how two reigning monarchs entertain4 ,a presentation at the ,court of ,st4 ,james is a picturesque affair and worth seeing1 although it is a fatiguing process4 ,a lady must be dressed at eleven in the morning1 in full court dress1 which means low neck and short sleeves1 with a train four yards long and three wide4 ,she must wear a white veil and have three feathers in her hair so that they can be seen in front4 ,white gloves are also de rigueur1 and as they are seldom worn now1 except at weddings1 a lady must remember to buy a pair4 ,the carriages approach ,buckingham ,palace in a long queue1 and the lady waits an hour or more in line1 exposed to the jeers of the populace1 who look in at the carriage windows and make comments1 laugh1 and amuse themselves4 ,one hopes that this may do these ragamuffins some good1 for they look miserable enough4 ,arriving in the noble quadrangle of ,buckingham ,palace1 the music of the ,guard's band enlivens one1 and the silent1 splendid figures of the household troops1 the handsomest men in the world1 sit like statues on their horses4 ,no matter if the rain is pouring1 as it generally is1 neither man nor horse stirs4 ,once inside the palace1 the card of entrance is taken by one of the ,queen's pages1 some other official takes her cloak1 and the lady wends her way up a magnificent staircase into another gallery1 out of which open many fine rooms4 ,gentlemen of the ,household in glittering uniforms1 and with orders1 stand about in picturesque groups4 ,the last room is filled with chairs1 and is soon crowded with ladies and gentlemen1 waiting for the summons to move on4 ,the gentlemen are all in black velvet suits1 with knee breeches and sword1 silk stockings and low shoes4 ,a slight commotion at the little turnstile tells you to take your turn2 you pass on with the others1 your name is loudly called1 you make three little courtesies to her ,majesty1 the ,prince and ,princess of ,wales1 you see a glittering line of royalties1 you hear the words1 ,your train1 ,madame1 it is thrown over your arm by some cavalier behind1 and all is over2 except that you are amongst your friends1 and see a glittering room full of people1 and realize that nothing is so bad as you had feared4 ,after about an hour1 you find your carriage and drive home1 or to your minister's for a cup of tea4 ,then you receive1 if you are fortunate1 a great card from the ,lord ,chamberlain1 with the ,queen's command that you should be invited to a ball at ,buckingham ,palace4 ,this ball is a sight to see1 so splendid is the ball-room1 so grand the elevated red sofas1 with the duchesses and their jewels4 ,royalty enters about eleven o'clock1 followed by all the ambassadors4 ,of late years the ,queen has relegated her place as hostess to the ,princess of ,wales1 but during the jubilee year she kept it1 and it was a beautiful sight to see the little woman all covered with jewels1 with her royal brood around her4 ,the royal family go in to supper through a lane of guests4 ,the supper-room is adorned with the gold plate bought by ,george ,,iv41 and many very fine pieces of plate given by other monarchs4 ,the eatables and drinkables are what they would be at any great ball4 ,the prettiest entertainment of the jubilee year was1 however1 the ,queen's garden-party4 ,no one had seen that lovely park behind ,buckingham ,palace for eighteen years2 then it was used for the garden-party given to the ,khedive of ,egypt4 ,now it was filled by a most picturesque group4 ,the ,indian princes with all their jewels1 their turbans1 their robes1 their dark1 handsome faces1 stood at the foot of a grand staircase which runs from the palace to the green turf4 ,every other man was a king1 a prince1 a nobleman1 a great soldier1 a statesman1 a diplomate1 a somebody4 ,the women were all1 of course1 beautifully dressed in summer costume2 and the grounds1 full of ancient trees and fountains1 artificial lakes with swans1 marquees with refreshments1 were as pretty as only a royal ,english park can be4 ,presently we heard the sound of the bagpipes1 and a procession headed by some dancing ,scotchmen came along4 ,it was the ,queen1 with all her children and grandchildren1 ladies-in-waiting1 and many monarchs1 amongst whom marched ,queen ,kapiolani of the ,sandwich ,islands4 ,the ,queen walked with a cane1 the ,prince of ,wales by her side4 ,they all stopped repeatedly and spoke to their guests on either side2 then the younger members of the family led the way to the refreshment tents1 where a truly regal buffet was spread4 ,there was much talk1 much music1 much laughter1 no stiffness4 ,it was real hospitality4 ,in one of the windows of the palace stood looking out the ,crown ,prince of ,germany1 later on to be the noble ,emperor ,frederic1 even then feeling the pressure of that malady which in another year was to kill him4 ,he who had been1 in the procession of ,princes on the great day1 so important and so handsome a figure1 was on this day a silent observer4 ,the ,queen after this gave an evening party to all the royalties1 and the ambassadors1 and many invited guests4 ,the hospitality of the ,queen is1 of course1 regal1 but her dinners must of a necessity be formal4 ,general ,grant mentioned his disappointment that he did not sit next her1 when she invited him to ,windsor1 but she had one of her children on either side1 and he came next to the ,princess ,beatrice4 ,the entertainments at ,marlborough ,house are much less formal4 ,the ,prince of ,wales1 the most genial and hospitable of men1 cannot always pen up his delightful cordiality behind the barriers of rank4 ,as for the ,king and ,queen of ,italy1 they do not try to restrain their cordiality4 ,the ,court of ,italy is most easy-going1 democratic1 and agreeable1 in spite of its thousand years of grandeur4 ,the favoured guest who is to be presented receives a card to the cercle1 on a certain ,monday evening4 ,the card prescribes low-necked dress1 and any colour but black4 ,to drive to the ,quirinal ,palace on a moonlight night in ,rome is not unpleasant4 ,the grand staircase1 all covered with scarlet carpet1 was lined with gigantic cuirassiers in scarlet1 who stood as motionless as statues4 ,we entered a grand hall frescoed by ,domenichino4 ,how small we felt under these giant figures4 ,we passed on to another salon1 frescoed by ,julio ,romano1 so on to another where a handsome cavalier1 the ,prince ,vicovara1 received our cards1 and opening a door1 presented us to the ,marchesa ,villamarina1 the ,queen's dearest friend and favourite lady-in-waiting4 ,we were arranged in rows around a long and handsome room4 ,presently a little movement at the door1 and the deep courtesies of the ,princess ,brancaccio and the ,princess ,vicovara1 both ,americans1 told us that the ,queen had entered4 ,truly she is a royal beauty1 a wonder on a throne4 ,an accomplished scholar1 a thoughtful woman1 ,marguerite of ,savoy is the rose of the nineteenth century2 her smile keeps ,italy together4 ,she is the sweetest1 the most beautiful of all the queens1 and as she walks about accompanied by her ladies1 who introduce every one1 she speaks to each person in his or her own language2 she is mistress of ten languages4 ,after she had said a few gracious words1 the ,queen disappeared1 and the ,marchesa ,villamarina asked us to take some refreshments1 saying1 ,i hope we shall see you on ,thursday4 ,the next day came an invitation to the grand court-ball4 ,this is a very fine sight4 ,the ,king and ,queen enter and take their places on a high estrade covered with a crimson velvet baldaquin4 ,then the ladies and gentlemen of the household and the ambassadors enter4 ,the ,count ,gianotti1 a very handsome ,piedmontese1 the favourite friend of the ,king1 the prefect of the palace and master of ceremonies1 declared the ball opened1 and the ,queen danced with the ,baron ,kendall4 ,the royal quadrille over1 dancing became general4 ,the ,king stood about looking soldier-like1 bored and silent2 a patriot and brave man1 he hates society4 ,the ,queen does all the social work1 and she does it admirably4 ,what a company that was1--all the ,roman nobility1 the diplomatic corps1 the visitors to ,rome1 ,s4 ,p4 ,q4 ,r41 the senate and the ,roman people4 ,after the dancing1 supper was announced4 ,royalty does not sup in public in ,rome1 as in ,england4 ,the difference in etiquette is curious4 ,the ,king and ,queen retired4 ,we went in as we pleased at ten o'clock1 had seats1 and supped gloriously2 the excellent ,italian cookery1 of which we have spoken previously1 was served admirably4 ,the housekeeping at the ,quirinal is excellent4 ,the ,queen of ,italy moves about amongst the ambassadors' wives1 and summons any stranger to whom she may wish to speak1 to her side4 ,a presentation to her is more personal and gracious than a like honour at any other court4 ,a presentation at court resolves itself into two advantages4 ,one sees the paraphernalia of royalty1 always amusing and interesting to ,american eyes4 ,americans see its poetry1 its almost vanished meaning1 better than others4 ,power1 even when it descends for a day on fresh ,republican shoulders1 is awe-inspiring4 ,the boy who is a leader at school is more important than the boy who walks behind him4 ,a captain of thousands was an old ,greek term for leadership1 dignity1 and honour4 ,therefore it is not snobbery to desire to see these people on whom have fallen the ermine of power4 ,it is snobbery to bow down before some unworthy bearer of a title2 but when1 as in the case of ,marguerite of ,savoy1 there is a very good1 a very gifted1 a very wonderful woman behind it all1 we are glad that she has been born to wear all these jewels4 ,we have in our minds one more scene1 and a very picturesque one4 ,in ,september1 #ahhh1 the ,duc d',aosta1 brother to ,king ,humbert1 married his niece1 ,letitia ,bonaparte1 daughter of the ,princess ,clotilde and ,prince ,jerome ,bonaparte4 ,this marriage occurred at ,turin4 ,a fine week of autumn weather was devoted to this ceremony4 ,it was a great gathering of all the family of ,victor ,emmanuel4 ,the ,pope had granted an especial dispensation to the nearly related couple4 ,the degree of consanguinity so repellent to us1 is not considered1 however1 as prejudicial to marriage in ,spain1 ,italy1 or ,germany4 ,the ,king of ,italy made this occasion of his brother's marriage1 an open door for returning to the old ,italian customs of past centuries1 in the art of entertaining4 ,the city of ,turin was en fte for the week4 ,at booths1 in the open air1 strolling companies were playing opera1 tragedy1 burlesque1 and farce4 ,at the ,king's charge1 the streets were lined with gay decorations of pink and white silk1 banners and escutcheons2 music was heard everywhere1 and at evening brilliant illuminations followed the river4 ,when the royal cortge appeared on their way to a public square they were preceded by six hundred young cavaliers in the dress of ,prince ,eugene1 powdered hair1 bright red and blue coats1 each detachment escorting a royal carriage4 ,first came the ,king and ,queen1 then the bridal pair4 ,they mounted a superb thing1 like a basket of flowers1 in the ,piazza ,vittorio ,emmanuel1 where all the royalties sat around the bride4 ,music and flags saluted them4 ,the vast crowd sat and looked at them for two hours4 ,a gayly decorated balloon1 covered with roses1 floated over the ,queen's head1 and finally1 as the rosy light faded away1 a gun from the fortress sounded the hour of departure4 ,the glittering cavalcade drove back to the palace1 and we foreigners knew that we had seen a real1 medival ,italian festa4 ,,entertaining ,,at ,,easter4 ,there is a tender hue that tips the first young leaves of spring1 ,a trembling beauty in their notes when young birds learn to sing ,a purer look when first on earth the gushing brook appears1 ,a liquid depth in infant eyes that fades with summer years4 ,in the early days of ecumenical councils it was a mooted point when ,easter should be celebrated4 ,the ,christian ,jews kept the feast on the same day as their ,passover1 the fourteenth of ,nisan1 the month corresponding to our ,march or ,april2 but the ,gentile church observed the first ,sunday following this1 because ,christ rose from the dead on that day4 ,it was not until the fourth century that the ,council of ,nice decided upon the first ,sunday after the full moon which follows the twenty-first of ,march4 ,the contest was waged long and heavily1 but the ,western churches were victorious2 a vote settled it4 ,perhaps this victory decided the later and more splendid religious ceremonials of ,easter1 which are much more observed in ,rome and in all ,catholic countries than those of ,christmas4 ,constantine gratified his love of display by causing ,easter to be celebrated with unusual pomp and parade4 ,vigils and night watches were instituted1 people remaining all night in the churches in ,rome1 and carrying high wax tapers through the streets in processions4 ,people in the ,north1 glad of an escape from four months of darkness1 watch to see the sun dawn on an ,easter morning4 ,they have a superstitious feeling about this observance1 which came originally from ,egypt1 and is akin to the legend that the statue of ,memnon sings when the first ray of the sun touches it4 ,it is the queen of feasts in all ,catholic churches1 the world over4 ,in early days1 the fasting of ,lent was restricted to one day1 the ,friday of ,passion ,week1 ,good ,friday2 then it extended to forty hours1 then to forty days1--showing how much fashion1 even in churchly affairs1 has to do with these matters4 ,one witty author says that1 people who do not believe in anything will observe ,lent1 for it is the fashion4 ,certainly1 the little dinners of ,lent1 in fashionable society1 are amongst the most agreeable of all entertainments4 ,the crme d'crevisse1 the oyster and clam soups1 the newly arrived shad1 the codfish la royale and other tempting dainties are very good1 and the dinner being small1 and at eight o'clock1 there is before it a long twilight for the drive in the ,park4 ,a pope of ,rome once offered a prize to the man who would invent one thousand ways of cooking eggs1 for eggs can always be eaten in ,lent1 and let us hope that he found them4 ,the greatest coxcomb of all cooks1 ,louis ,ude1 who was prone to demand a carriage and five thousand a year1 was famous for his little ,lenten menus1 and could cook fish and eggs marvellously4 ,the amusements of ,lent have left one joke in ,new ,york4 ,roller skates were once a very fashionable amusement for ,lenten afternoons1 though now gone out1 and a club had rented ,irving ,hall for their playground and chosen ,festina lente1 ,make haste slowly1 for their motto4 ,it was a very witty motto1 but some wise ,malaprop remarked1 ,what a very happy selection1 ',festivals of ,lent6' ,however1 ,lent once passed1 with its sewing circles and small whist-parties1 then comes the brilliant ,easter1 with its splendid dinners1 its weddings1 its christenings and caudle parties1 its ladies' lunches1 its ,meadow ,brook hunt1 its asparagus parties1 and the chickens of gayety which are hatched out of ,easter eggs4 ,it is a great day for the confectioner4 ,in ,paris1 that city full of gold and misery1 the splendour and luxury of the ,easter egg bonbonnire is fabulous4 ,a few years since a ,paris house furnished an ,easter egg for a ,spanish infanta1 which cost eight hundred pounds sterling4 ,easter dinners can be made delightful4 ,they are simple1 less heavy1 hot1 and stuffy1 than those of mid-winter4 ,that enemy of the feminine complexion1 the furnace1 is put out4 ,it no longer sends up its direful sirocco behind one's back4 ,spring lamb and mint sauce1 asparagus and fresh dandelion salad1 replace the heavy joint and the canned vegetables4 ,a foreigner said of us that we have everything canned1 even the canvas-back duck and the ,american opera4 ,everything should be fresh4 ,the ice-cream man devises allegorical allusions in his forms1 and there are white dinners for young brides1 and roseate dinners for dbutantes4 ,for a gorgeous ladies' lunch1 behold a menu4 ,this is for ,easter ,monday3-- ,little ,neck clams4 ,chablis4 ,beef tea or consomm in cups4 ,ctelettes de cervelles la cardinal4 ,cucumbers4 ,little ducks with fresh mushrooms4 ,champagne4 ,artichokes4 ,sweetbread la ,richelieu4 ,asparagus1 ,hollandaise sauce4 ,claret4 ,roman punch4 ,pt de foie gras4 ,roast snipe4 ,tomato salad1 lettuce4 ,liqueur4 ,ice-creams1 in form of nightingales' nests4 ,strawberries1 sugared fruit1 nougat cakes4 ,coffee4 ,of course1 a season of such rejoicing1 when ,christians stand praying1 each in an exalted attitude1 with outstretched hands and uplifted faces1 expressing joy and gladness1 is thought to be very propitious for marriage4 ,there is generally a wedding every day1 excepting ,friday1 during ,easter week4 ,a favourite spring travelling-dress for an ,easter bride is fawn coloured cashmere1 with a little round hat and bunch of primroses4 ,for a number of choir boys to sing an epithalamium1 walking up the aisle before the bride1 is a new and very beautiful ,easter fashion4 ,a favourite entertainment for ,easter is a christening4 ,christening parties are becoming very important functions in the art of entertaining4 ,many ,roman ,catholics are so anxious for the salvation of the little new soul1 that they have their children baptized as soon as possible1 but others put off this important ceremony until mamma can go to church1 when little master is five weeks old4 ,then friends are invited to the ceremony very much in this fashion3-- ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,hamilton request the pleasure of your company at the baptism of their infant daughter at the ,cathedral1 ,monday1 ,march #cj1 at #ab o'clock4 ,at home1 after the ceremony1 #ad ,w4 ,ellicott ,square4 ,many wealthy ,roman ,catholics have private chapels where the ceremony may be performed earlier4 ,presents are sent to the mamma1 of flowers and bonbonnires shaped like an altar1 a cradle1 a powder-box2 and there may be gold tea-scoops1 pap-spoons and a caudle-cup4 ,gifts of old ,dutch silver and the inevitable posy or couplet are very favourite gifts for the baby and mamma on these auspicious occasions4 ,caudle is a very succulent porridge made of oatmeal1 raisins1 spices1 and rum1 all boiled together for several days until it becomes a jelly gruel4 ,it is very much sweetened1 and is served hot in cups4 ,the caudle-cup designed by ,albrecht ,drer for some member of the family of ,maximilian is still shown4 ,caudle cards are very often stamped with a cameo resemblance of these cups1 and the invitation reads3-- ,,mrs4 ,,james ,,hamilton1 at ,home1 ,thursday1 ,march #cj1 from three to six4 ,caudle4 ,these do not require an answer4 ,very pretty tea-gowns are worn by mamma and the ladies of her family for this entertainment1 but the guests come in bonnets and street dresses4 ,there is no objection to having the afternoon tea-table with its silver tea-kettle1 alcohol-lamp1 pretty silver tea-set1 plates of bread and butter1 and little cakes ready for those ladies who prefer tea4 ,caudle is sometimes added to the teas of a winter afternoon1 by the remnants of old ,dutch families1 even when there is no little master as a raison d'tre1 and delicious it is4 ,there is a pretty account of the marriage of ,marguerite of ,austria with ,philibert1 the handsome ,duke of ,savoy4 ,it is called ,mariage aux oeufs4 ,she had come to the ,castle of ,brae1 in the charming district of ,bresse lying on the western slopes of the ,alps4 ,here the rich princess kept open house1 and ,philibert1 who was hunting in the neighbourhood1 came to pay his court to her4 ,it was ,easter ,monday1 and high and low danced together on the green4 ,the old men drew their bows on a barrel filled with wine1 and when one succeeded in planting his arrow firmly in it he was privileged to drink as much as he pleased jusqu' merci4 ,a hundred eggs were scattered in a level place1 covered with sand1 and a lad and lass1 holding each other by the hand1 came forward to execute a dance of the country4 ,according to the ancient custom1 if they succeeded in finishing the branle without breaking a single egg they became affianced1 and even the will of their parents might not avail to break their union4 ,three couples had already tried it unsuccessfully and shouts of laughter derided their attempts1 when the sound of a horn was heard1 and ,philibert of ,savoy1 radiant with youth and happiness1 appeared on the scene4 ,he bent his knees before the noble chtelaine and besought her hospitality4 ,he proposed to her to try the egg fortune4 ,she accepted4 ,their grace and beauty charmed the lookers-on and they succeeded1 without a single crash1 in treading the perilous maze4 ,savoy and ,austria6 shouted the crowd4 ,and she said1 ,let us adopt the custom of ,bresse4 ,they were married1 and enjoyed a few years of exquisite happiness2 then the beloved husband died4 ,marguerite survived him long1 but never forgot him4 ,she built in his memory a beautiful church4 ,travellers go to-day to see their magnificent tomb4 ,the egg has been in all ages and in all countries the subject of infinite mystery1 legend1 and history4 ,the ancient ,finns believed that a mystic bird laid an egg in the lap of ,vaimainon1 who hatched it in his bosom4 ,he let it fall in the water1 and it broke4 ,the lower portion of the shell formed the earth1 the upper the sky1 the liquid white became the sun1 the yolk the moon1 while little bits of egg-shells became the stars4 ,old ,english and ,irish nurses instruct the children1 when they have eaten a boiled egg1 to push the spoon through the bottom of the shell to hinder the witches from making a boat of it4 ,it is difficult to ascertain the precise origin of the custom of offering eggs at the festival of ,easter4 ,the ,persians1 the ,russians1 and the ,jews all follow it4 ,amongst the ,romans the year began at ,easter1 as it did amongst the ,franks under the ,capets4 ,many presents are exchanged1 and as an egg is the beginning of all things1 nothing better could be found as an offering4 ,its symbolic meaning is striking4 ,we offer our friends all the blessings contained under that fragile shell1 whose fragility represents that of happiness here below4 ,the ,romans commenced their repasts with an egg2 hence the proverbial phrase1 ab ovo usque ad mala1 or1 as we still say1 beginning ab ovo4 ,another reason given for the ,easter egg is that1 about the fourth century1 the ,church forbade the use of eggs in ,lent4 ,but as the heretical hens would go on laying1 the eggs accumulated to such a degree that they were boiled hard and given away4 ,they were given to the children for playthings1 and they dyed them of gay colours4 ,in certain churches in ,belgium the priests1 at the beginning of a glad anthem1 threw the eggs at the choristers who threw them back again1 dancing to the music whilst catching the frail eggs that they might not break4 ,in ,germany1 where means are more limited than in ,france1 the ,easter egg bonbonnire is rare4 ,there are none of the eight-hundred-pound kind1 which was made of enamel1 and which on its inside had engraved the gospel for the day1 while by an ingenious mechanism a little bird1 lodged in this pretty cage1 sang twelve airs from as many operas4 ,but in ,germany1 to make up for this poverty1 they have transformed the hare into an oviparous animal1 and in the pastry cook's windows one sees this species of hen sitting upright in a nest surrounded by eggs4 ,i have often wondered if that inexplicable saying a mare's nest1 might not have been a hare's nest4 ,as a lucus a non lucendo it would have done as well4 ,when a ,german child1 at any season of the year1 sees a hare run across the field1 he says1 ,hare1 good little hare1 lay plenty of eggs for me on ,easter day4 ,it is the custom of ,german families1 on ,easter eve1 to place sugar-eggs and real eggs1 the former filled with sugar plums1 in a nest1 and then to conceal it with dried leaves in the garden that the joyous children may hunt for them on ,easter morning4 ,it is a superstition all over the world that we should wear new clothes on ,easter ,day4 ,bad luck will follow if there is not at least one article which is new4 ,,how ,,to ,,entertain ,,children4 ,from the realms of old-world story ,there beckons a lily hand1 ,that calls up the sweetness1 the glory1 ,the sounds of a magic land4 ,ah1 many a time in my dreaming ,through that blessed region ,i roam6 ,then the morning sun comes with its beaming ,and scatters it all like foam6 ,,heine4 ,in the life of ,madame ,swetchine we read the following account of the amusements of a clever child3-- ,the occupation of a courtier did not prevent ,monsieur ,soymonof from bestowing the most assiduous care on the education of a daughter1 who for six years was his only child4 ,he was struck by the progress of her young intellect4 ,she showed an aptitude for languages1 music1 and drawing1 while she developed firmness of character1--a rare quality in a child4 ,she desired a watch with an ardour which transpired in all her movements1 and her father had promised her one4 ,the watch came and was worn with the keenest enjoyment2 but suddenly a new thought seized upon the little ,sophia4 ,she reflected that there was something better than a watch4 ,to relinquish it of her own accord1 she hurried to her father and restored to him the object of her passionate desires1 acknowledging the motive4 ,her father looked at her1 took the watch1 shut it up in a bureau drawer1 and said no more about it4 ,m4 ,soymonof's rooms were adorned with bronzes1 medals1 and costly marbles4 ,sophia was on terms of intimacy with these personages of fable and history2 but she felt an unconquerable repugnance to a cabinet full of mummies4 ,the poor child blushed for her weakness1 and one day1 when alone1 opened the terrible door1 ran straight to the nearest mummy1 took it up1 and embraced it till her strength and courage gave away1 and she fell down in a swoon4 ,at the noise of her fall1 her father hastened in1 raised her in his arms1 and obtained from her1 not without difficulty1 an avowal of the terrors which she had hitherto concealed from him4 ,but this supreme effort was as good for her as a victory4 ,from that day the mummies were to her only common objects of interest and curiosity4 ,studious as was her education1 ,m4 ,soymonof did not banish dolls4 ,his daughter loved them as friends and preserved this taste beyond her childish years1 but elevated it by the admixture of an intellectual and often dramatic interest4 ,her dolls were generally of the largest size4 ,she gave them each a name and part to act1 established connected relations between the different individuals1 and kept up animated dialogues which occupied her imagination vividly1 and became a means of instruction4 ,playing dolls was for her an introduction to ethics and a knowledge of the world4 ,catherine's court was a succession of continual ftes4 ,the fairy pantomimes performed at the ,hermitage were the first to strike the imagination of the child1 who as yet could not relish the tragedies of ,voltaire4 ,she composed a ballet which she called ',the ,faithful ,shepherdess and the ,fickle ,shepherdess4' ,she writes in her sixtieth year3 ',one of the liveliest pleasures of my childhood was to compose festive decorations which ,i loved to light up and arrange upon the white marble chimney-piece of my schoolroom4 ,the ardour which ,i threw into designing1 cutting out1 and painting transparencies1 and finding emblems and mottoes for them was something incredible4 ,my heart beat high while the preparations were in progress but the moment my illumination began to fade an ineffable devouring melancholy seized me4' ,this extract is invaluable not only for its historic importance1 but for the keynote which it sounds to a child's nature4 ,the noble little ,russian girl at the court of ,catherine of ,russia found only those pleasures lasting which came from herself1 and when she could invest the fairy pantomime with her own personality4 ,a fairy pantomime is possible to the poorest child if some superior intelligence1 an older sister or aunt1 will lend her help4 ,the fairies can all be of pasteboard1 with strings as the motive power4 ,there can be no cheaper corps de ballet1 nor any so amusing4 ,you have done much for your child is an expression we often hear4 ,you have had a nurse1 a nursery governess1 a fine pony for your boy1 you take your children often to the play and give them dancing parties1 and yet they are not happy4 ,it is the sincere regret of many a mamma that she cannot make her children happy4 ,yet in a large town1 in a house shut up from our cold winter blasts1 what can she do8 ,a good dog and a kind-hearted set of servants will solve the problem better than all the intellect in the world4 ,grandmamma brings a doll to the little girl1 who looks it over and says3 ,the dolly cannot be undressed1 ,i do not want it4 ,it is the dressing and the undressing which are the delights of her heart4 ,a boy wants to make a noise1 first of all things4 ,let him have a large upper room1 a drum1 a tambourine1 a ball1 and there he should be allowed to kick out the effervescence of early manhood4 ,do not follow him with all manner of prohibitions4 ,constant nagging and fault-finding is an offence against a child's paradise4 ,put him in a room for certain hours of the day where no one need say1 ,get down6 don't do that6 don't make so much noise6 ,let him roar1 and shout1 and climb over chairs and tables1 and tear his gown1 and work off his exuberance1 and then he will be very glad to have his hands and face washed and listen to a story1 or come down to meet papa with a smiling countenance4 ,children should be allowed to have pet birds1 kittens1 dogs1 and as much live stock as the house will hold2 it develops their sympathies4 ,when a bird dies1 and the floodgates of the poor little heart are opened1 sympathize with it4 ,it is cruel to laugh at childish woe4 ,never refuse a child sympathy in joy or sorrow4 ,this lack of sympathy has made more criminals than anything else4 ,children should never be deceived either in the taking of medicine or the administration of knowledge4 ,one witty writer a few years ago spoke of the bad influence of good books4 ,he declared that reading that ,tommy was a good boy and kept his pinafore clean and rose to affluence1 while ,harry flung stones and told fibs and was carried off by robbers1 developed his sympathies for ,harry2 and that although he was naturally a good boy he went1 for pure hatred of the virtuous ,tommy1 to the river's brink and helped a bad boy to drown his aunt's cat1 and then went home and wrote a prize composition called ,frank the ,friendless1 or ,honesty is ,best4 ,all this was because the boy saw that ,tommy was a prig1 that his virtue was of that kind mentioned in ,jane ,eyre1 in which the charity child was asked whether she would rather learn a hymn or receive a cake2 she said ,learn a hymn1 whereupon she received two cakes as a reward for her infant piety4 ,children cannot be humbugged2 they can be made into hypocrites1 however1 by too many good books4 ,the best entertainment for children is to let them play at being useful4 ,let the little girl get papa's slippers1 brush his hat1 even if the wrong way1 find his walking stick1 hold the yarn for grandma's knitting1 or rock her brother's cradle1 and she will be happy4 ,give the boy a printing-press or some safe tools1 let him make a garden1 feed his chickens1 or clean out the cage of his pet robin1 and he will be happy4 ,try to make them think and decide for themselves4 ,a little girl says1 ,i don't know which dress to put on my dolly1 ,mamma1 which shall ,i8 ,the mamma will be wise if she says1 ,you must decide1 you know dolly best4 ,when a child is ill or nervous1 the great hour of despair comes to the mamma4 ,a person without nerves1 generally a good coloured mammy1 is the best playmate1 and a dog is invaluable4 ,it is touching to see the smile come to the poor bloodless lips in a hospital ward1 as a great1 big1 kindly dog puts his cold nose out to reach a little feverish hand4 ,there is a sympathy in nature which intellect loses4 ,madame ,swetchine's fear of the mummies has another lesson in it4 ,children are born with pet aversions1 as well as with that terrible fear which is so much bigger than they are4 ,the first of their rights to be respected is that they shall not be frightened1 and shall not be too seriously blamed for their aversions4 ,buffalo ,bill1 who knows more about horses than most people1 says that no horse is born bad2 that he is made a bucking horse1 a skittish horse1 or a stumbling horse by being badly trained1--misunderstood when he was young4 ,how true this is of human nature6 ,how many villains are developed by an unhappy childhood6 ,how many scoundrels does the boys' hall turn out6 ,we must try to find these skeletons in the closet1 this imprisoned spectre which haunts the imaginative child1 and lay the ghost by sympathy and by common-sense4 ,cultivating the imagination1 not over-feeding it or starving it1 would seem to be the right way4 ,perhaps there are no better ways of entertaining children than by a juggler1 the magic lantern1 and simple scientific experiments4 ,we use the term advisedly4 ,jugglery was the oldest of the sciences4 ,aaron and ,moses tried it4 ,one of the most valuable solaces for an invalid child--one with a broken leg1 or some complaint which necessitates bed and quiet--is an experiment in natural magic4 ,one of these simple tricks is called ,the ,balanced ,coin4 ,procure a bottle1 cork it1 and in the cork place a needle4 ,take another cork1 and cut a slit in it1 so that the edge of a dollar will fit into it2 then put two forks into the upper cork4 ,place the edge of the coin1 which holds the upper cork and forks1 on the point of the needle1 and it will revolve without falling4 ,this will amuse an imprisoned boy all the afternoon4 ,the revolving image is a most amusing gentleman4 ,let poor ,harry make this himself4 ,cut a little man out of a thin bit of wood1 making him end in one leg1 like a peg-top1 instead of in two4 ,give him a pair of long arms1 shaped like oars4 ,then place him on the tip of your finger1 and blow2 he will stand there and rotate1 like an undecided politician4 ,the ,spanish dancer is another nice experiment4 ,cut a figure out of pasteboard1 and gum one foot on the inverted side of a watch-glass2 then place the watch-glass on a ,japan waiter or a clean plate4 ,hold the plate slanting1 and they will slide down2 but drop a little water on the waiter or plate1 and instead of the watch-glass sliding1 it will begin to revolve1 and continue to revolve with increased velocity as the experimentalist chooses4 ,this is in consequence of the cohesion of water to the two surfaces1 by which a new force is introduced4 ,these experiments are endless1 and will serve a variety of purposes1 the principal being that of entertaining4 ,to take children to the pantomime at ,christmas is the universal law in ,england4 ,we have seldom the pantomime here4 ,we have the circus1 the menagerie1 and the play4 ,a real play is better for children than a burlesque1 and it is astonishing to see how soon a child can understand even ,hamlet4 ,to allow children to play themselves in a fairy tale1 such as ,cinderella1 is a doubtful practice4 ,the exposure1 the excitement1 the late hours1 the rehearsals1 are all bad for young nerves2 but they can play at home if it is in the daytime4 ,when boys and girls get old enough for dancing-parties1 nothing can be more amusing than the sight of the youthful followers of ,terpsichore4 ,it is a healthy amusement1 and if kept within proper hours1 and followed by a light supper only1 is the most fitting of all children's amusements4 ,do not1 however1 make little men and women of them too soon4 ,that is lamentable4 ,as for ruses and catch-games like ,the ,slave ,despoiled1 ,the ,pigeon ,flies1 ,the ,sorcerer behind the ,screen1 ,the ,knight of the ,whistle1 ,the ,witch1 ,the ,tombola1 one should buy one of the cheap manuals of games found at any bookstore1 and a clever boy should read up1 and put himself in touch with this very easy way of passing an evening4 ,the games requiring wit and intelligence are many2 as ,the ,bouquet1 ,the ,fool's ,discourse1 which has a resemblance to ,cross ,questions1 ,the ,secretary1 ,the ,culprit's ,seat4 ,all these need a good memory and a ready wit4 ,all mistakes are to be redeemed by forfeit4 ,of the games to be played with pencil and paper1 none is funnier than ,the ,narrative1 in which the leader decides on the title1 and gives it out to the company4 ,it may be called ,the ,fortunate and ,unfortunate ,adventures of ,miss ,palmer4 ,the words to be used may be history1 reading1 railway accident1 nourishment1 pleasures1 four-in-hand1 etc4 ,the paper has a line written1 and is folded and handed thus to the next1--each writer giving ,miss ,palmer whatever adventures he pleases1 only bringing in the desired word4 ,the result is incoherent1 but amusing1 and ,miss ,palmer becomes a heroine of romance4 ,there are some children1 as there are some grown people1 who have a natural talent for games4 ,it is a great help in entertaining children to get hold of a born leader4 ,the game called ,the ,language of ,animals is one for philosophers4 ,each player takes his pencil and paper1 and describes the feelings1 emotions1 and passions of an animal as if he were one4 ,as1 for instance1 the dog would say3 ,i feel anger1 like a human being4 ,i am sometimes vindictive1 but generally forgiving4 ,i suffer terribly from jealousy4 ,my envy leads me to eat more than ,i want1 because ,i do not wish ,tray to get it4 ,gluttony is my easily besetting sin1 but ,i never got drunk in my life4 ,i love my master better than any one2 and if he dies1 ,i mourn him till death4 ,my worst sorrow is being lost2 but my delights are never chilled by expectation1 so ,i never lose the edge of my enjoyments by over-raised hopes4 ,i want to run twenty miles a day1 but ,i like to be with my master in the evening4 ,i love children dearly1 and would die for any boy3 ,i would save him from drowning4 ,i cannot wag my tongue1 but ,i can wag my tail to express my emotion4 ,the cat says3 ,i am a natural diplomatist1 and ,i carry on a great secret service so that nobody knows anything about it4 ,i do not care for my master or mistress1 but for the house and the hearth-rug4 ,i am very frugal1 and have very little appetite4 ,i kill mice because ,i dislike them1 not that ,i like them for food4 ,oh1 no6 give me the cream-jug for that4 ,i am always ready to do any mischief on the sly2 and so if any one else does anything1 always say1 ',it was the cat4' ,i have no heart1 by which ,i escape much misery4 ,i have a great advantage over the dog1 as he lives but a few years and has but one life4 ,i have a long life1 and nine of them2 but why the number nine is always connected with me1 ,i do not know4 ,why 'cat-o-nine-tails8' ,why ',a cat has nine lives1' etc48 ,thus1 for children's entertaining we have the same necessities as for grown people4 ,some one must begin2 some one must suggest2 some one must tell how4 ,all society needs a leader4 ,it may be for that reason our own grown-up society is a little chaotic4 ,perhaps the story of ,madame ,swetchine and her watch conveys a needed moral4 ,do not deluge children with costly gifts4 ,do not thus deprive them of the pleasures of hope4 ,anticipation is the dearest part of a child's life1 and an overfed child1 suffering from the pangs of dyspepsia1 is no more to be pitied than the poor little gorged1 overburdened child1 who has more books than he can read and more toys than he can ever play with4 ,remember1 too1 ,dr4 ,blimber's ,young ,gentlemen1 and their longing jealousy of the boy in the gutter4 ,,christmas ,,and ,,children4 ,then ,i stooped for a bunch of holly ,which had fallen on the floor1 ,and there fell to the ground as ,i lifted it ,a berry--or something more2 ,and after it fell my eyes could see ,more clearly than before6 ,but oh6 for the red ,christingle ,that never was missing of yore1 ,and oh6 for the red ,christingle ,that ,i miss forever more6 ,christingles are not much known in this country4 ,they are made by piercing a hole in an orange1 putting a piece of quill three or four inches long1 set upright1 in the hole1 and usually a second piece inside this4 ,each quill is divided into several slips1 each one of which is loaded with a raisin4 ,the weight of the raisins bends down the little boughs1 giving two circles of pendants4 ,a coloured taper is placed in the upper quill and lighted on ,christmas ,eve4 ,the custom is a ,german one4 ,the harbinger of ,christmas1 in ,holland1 is a ,star of ,bethlehem carried along through the cities by the young men who pick up alms for the poor4 ,they gather much money1 for all come to welcome this symbol of peace4 ,they then betake themselves to the head burgomaster of the town1 who is bound to give them a good meal4 ,the little ,russian1 amid the snows1 looks for the red candle and the ,christmas ,tree1 and the ice is all alight with gay illuminations4 ,the little ,roman boy watches with delight the preparation for the ,beffana in the public squares of ,rome4 ,for the ,beffana is the witch who rides on a broomstick2 she is a female ,santa ,claus1 who brings presents to a good child and a bunch of rods to a bad one4 ,her worship is celebrated on ,christmas ,eve to the sound of trumpets and all manner of unearthly noises4 ,then the boy goes to the ,church of the ,augustins1 to see the little ,jesus ,child lying in the lap of his ,holy ,mother4 ,he hears the most charming music1 and singing choristers swing the censer before the ,host4 ,above his head ,saint ,michael fights with the dragon4 ,he sees the splendid procession of the cardinals in their gorgeous red and white robes1 and as he goes down the broad marble steps1 on each side of which beautiful statues stand in niches1 his mother1 poor ,dominica1 peasant of the ,campagna1 kneels and makes the sign of the cross1 and tells her boy that this is ,christmas1 the day on which the ,jesus ,child was born to take his sins away4 ,again he wanders with her through the market-place2 every one gives him playthings1 fruits1 and cakes2 a rich foreigner tosses him a coin4 ,the little ,antonio asks why1 and his mother tells him it is ,christmas1 but not so gay as when she was a little girl1 for then the pifferari1 the shepherds from the mountains1 came1 in their short cloaks with ribbons around their pointed hats1 to play on their bagpipes before every image of the ,virgin4 ,then they go again to the ,church1 the beautiful ,church of ,ara ,coeli1 to hear the angel girls make ,christmas speeches to welcome the little ,christ-child1 and as he looks at the image of the ,madonna1 all hung with jewels1 he wishes it were ,christmas all the year round4 ,the ,christmas tree dates back to the ,druids1 but seems to have disappeared from ,england for several centuries4 ,meantime1 it blossomed in ,germany1 where1 under the tender and soft ,scandinavian influence which has such an admirable and ameliorating effect on homely ,german life1 it has continued to bear its fruit for six hundred years4 ,it came back to ,england in the days of ,queen ,charlotte1 who1 true to her ,german associations1 had a tree dressed at ,kew ,palace in the rooms of her ,german attendant4 ,it was hung1 writes the ,hon4 ,amelia ,murray1 with gifts for the children1 who were invited to see it2 and ,i remember1 she says1 what a pleasure it was to hunt for one's name4 ,the ,mayflower1 which brought much else that was good1 forgot the ,christmas tree4 ,it was not until the beginning of the present century that one could be seen near ,plymouth ,rock4 ,men and women now living can remember when ,washington ,irving's ,sketch-book told to them the first story of an ,english ,christmas1 and some brave women determined to hang a few boughs and red berries around the cold1 barren church4 ,then the tree began to bud and burgeon with gifts1 and the rare glories of colour crept in upon the snows of winter4 ,the red fire on the hearth1 the red berries on the mantel1 brought in the light which grew pale in winter1 the hospitality and the cheer of the turkey and plum-pudding went around1 and ,christmas carols began to be sung by men of ,puritan antecedents4 ,old ,christmas1 frightened away at first by a few fanatics1 came at last to ,america to stay1 and the mistletoe1 prettiest1 most weird1 most artistic of parasites1 was removed from dreary ,druidical associations1 and no longer assists at human sacrifices1--unless some misogynist may so consider the getting of husbands4 ,the ,english ,christmas is the typical one in the art of entertaining4 ,in every country neighbourhood1 public county balls are conducted with great pomp during the twelve days of ,christmas4 ,from all the great houses within ten or fifteen miles come large parties1 dressed in the latest ,london fashions1 among them the most distinguished lights of the ,london world4 ,country residents are also conspicuous1 and for people who live altogether in the country this is the chosen occasion for the first introduction of a daughter into society4 ,the town hall or any other convenient building is beautifully dressed with holly and mistletoe4 ,the band is at the upper end and the different sets form exclusive groups about the room1 seldom mixing even in the ,virginia ,reel and other country dances4 ,the private festivities of ,christmas consist of a dinner to the tenantry and a large one to the family1 all of whose members are expected4 ,the mistletoe is hung conspicuously from the great lantern in the hall1 or over the stag's head at the door4 ,the rooms are wreathed with holly1 each picture is framed in it1 and the ladies put the red berries in their hair and all over their dresses4 ,the customary turkey1 a mighty bird1 enters1 making an event at the dinner1 while later on1 a plum-pudding1 all ablaze1 with a sprig of holly in the midst1 makes another sensation4 ,mince-pies are set on fire with the aid of a little alcohol1 which is poured over them from a small silver ladle4 ,after the dinner1 is passed the loving cup1 a silver cup with two handles1 containing a hot1 spiced1 sweetened ale4 ,it has two mouths1 and as it is lifted its weight requires both hands4 ,in ,england1 ,christmas and ,new ,year's still keep some of the medival village customs4 ,men go about in motley1 imitating quacks and fortune-tellers1 and there is much noise and tooting of horns4 ,these mummers are sent to the servants' hall1 where a plentiful supper and horns of ale await them4 ,the waits1 or carol singers1 are another remnant of old ,christmas4 ,in remote parts of ,england the stables are lighted1 to prove that man has not forgotten the ,child born and laid in a manger4 ,as for the parish festivities1 in which the hall has so prominent a part1 the school feasts1 the blankets for the poor1 the clothing-club meetings at ,martinmas1 all has been told us in novels1 which have also given us many a picture of comfortable and stately ,english life4 ,the modern ,english squire does not1 however1 eat1 drink1 and make merry for twelve days1 as he used4 ,the wassail-bowl is broken at the fountain1 and mince-pies and goose-pies and yule-cakes are thought to be heavy for modern digestion4 ,but the good cheer remains4 ,the noblest as well as the humblest of all ,english houses1 especially in ,yorkshire1 keep up the old superstition of lighting the ,yule log1 the ponderous ashen fagot from the yard1 and great ill-luck is foretold if its flame dies out before ,twelfth ,night4 ,frumenty1 which is a porridge boiled with milk1 sugar1 wine1 spices1 and raisins1 is served4 ,it was in a cup of frumenty1 as every conscientious reader of fairy stories will remember1 that ,tom ,thumb was dropped by his careless nurse4 ,the ,christmas pie of ,yorkshire1 is a brae goose-pie which ,herrick in one of his delightful verses thus defends3 ,come guard this night the ,christmas pie1 ,that the thiefe1 though ne'er so slie1 ,with his fleshhooks1 don't come nie ,to catch it4 ,from him who all alone sits there1 ,having his eyes still in his eare1 ,and a deale of nightly feare ,to watch it4 ,in ,america1 the young people are utilizing ,christmas day as they do in ,england1 if there is no frost1 to go a-hunting4 ,afternoon tea1 under the mistletoe in the hall of a country house1 is generally taken in a riding habit4 ,in most families it is a purely domestic festival2 although1 as the tree has been enjoyed the night before1 when ,santa ,claus1 the great ,german sprite1 has held his revels1 there is no reason why a grand dinner to one's friends should not be given4 ,and let us plead that the turkey1 our great national bird1 may not be cooked by gas4 ,he is so much better roasted before a wood fire4 ,there are some difficulties in giving a ,christmas dinner in a large city1 as nearly all the waiters are sure to be drunk1 and the cook has also1 perhaps1 been at the frumenty4 ,being a religious as well as a social festival1 it is apt to bring about a confusion of ideas4 ,but1 everything else apart1 it is ,children's ,day2 it is the day when1 as ,dickens says1 we should remember the time when its great ,founder was a child ,himself4 ,it is especially the day for the friendless young1 the children in hospitals1 the lame1 the sick1 the weary1 the blind4 ,no child should be left alone on ,christmas ,day1 for loneliness with children means brooding4 ,a child growing up with no child friend is not a child at all1 but a premature man or woman4 ,the best ,christmas present to a boy is a box of tools1 the best to a girl any number of dolls4 ,after dressing and undressing them1 giving them a bath1 taking them through a fit of sickness1 punishing them1 and giving them an airing in the park1--for little maidens begin to imitate mamma at a very early age1--the next best amusement is to manufacture a doll's house4 ,the brother must plane the box1--an old wine box will do1--and fit in it four compartments1 each of which must be elaborately papered4 ,then a real carpet must be nailed down and pictures hung on the wall4 ,these bits1 framed with gold paper1 usually require mamma's help4 ,the kitchen must be fitted up with tins1 which perhaps had better be bought1 but after the batterie de cuisine is finished1 then the chairs and beds should be made at home4 ,cardboard boxes can be cut into excellent doll's beds4 ,pillows1 bolsters1 mattress1 sheets1 pillow-cases1 will keep little fingers busy for many days4 ,when they get older1 and can write letters1 a post-office is a delightful boon4 ,these are to be bought1 but they are far more amusing if made at home4 ,any good-sized card-box will do for this purpose4 ,the lid should be fastened to it so that when it stands up it will open like a door4 ,a slit must be cut out about an inch wide1 and from five to six inches long1 so as to allow the postage of small parcels1 yet not large enough even to admit the smallest hand4 ,children should learn to respect the inviolate character of the post from the earliest age4 ,on the door should be written the times of the post4 ,most children are fond of writing letters to one another1 and this will of course give rise to a grand manufacture of note paper1 envelopes1 and post-cards1 and will call forth ingenuity in designing and colouring monograms and crests1 for their note paper and envelopes4 ,an envelope must be taken carefully to pieces1 to form a flat pattern4 ,then those cut from it have to be folded1 gummed together1 a touch of gum put on the flap and the monogram made to correspond4 ,it is wonderful what occupation this gives for weeks4 ,a paint-box should be also amongst the ,christmas gifts4 ,capital scrap-books can be made by children4 ,old railway guides may be the foundation1 and every illustrated paper the magazine of art4 ,a paste-pot1 next to a paint-box1 is a most serviceable toy4 ,children like to imitate their elders4 ,a little boy of two years enjoys smoking a pipe as he sees grandpapa smoke1 and knocks out imaginary ashes1 as he does1 against the door4 ,hobby horses are profitable steeds1 and can be made to go through any amount of paces4 ,but mechanical toys are more amusing to his elders than to the child1 who wishes to do his own mechanism4 ,a boy can be amused by turning him out of the house1 giving him a ball or a kite1 or letting him dig in the ground for the unhappy mole4 ,little girls1 who must be kept in1 on a rainy day1 or invalid children1 are very hard to amuse and recourse must be had to story-telling1 to the dear delightful thousand and one books now written for children1 of which ,alice in ,wonderland is the flower and perfection4 ,for communities of children1 as in asylums and schools1 there is nothing like music1 songs1 and marches2 anything to keep them in time and tune4 ,it removes for a moment that institutionized look which has so unhappy an effect4 ,happy is the child who has inherited a garret full of old trunks1 old furniture1 old pictures1 any kind of old things4 ,it is a precious inheritance4 ,given the dramatic instinct and a garret1 and a family of quick-witted boys and girls will have amusement long after the ,christmas holidays are passed4 ,it would be a great amusement for weeks before ,christmas1 if children were taught to make the ornaments for the tree1 as is done in economical ,germany4 ,here the ideas of secrecy and mystery are so associated with ,santa ,claus that such an idea would be rejected4 ,but a thing is twice as interesting if we put ourselves into it4 ,at ,christmas time let us invoke the fairies4 ,they1 the gentry1 the wee people1 the good people1 are very dear to the real little wee people1 who see the fun and do not believe too much in them4 ,the fairies who make their homes under old trees and resort to toadstools for shelter1 and who make invisible excursions into farmhouses have afforded the ,irish nurse no end of legends4 ,an old nurse once held a magnificent position in the nursery because she had seen a fairy4 ,the ,christmas green was once the home of the peace-loving wood-sprite4 ,christmas evergreens and red berries make the most effective interior decorations1 their delightful fragrance1 their splendid colour renders the palace more beautiful1 and the humble house attractive4 ,before ,twelfth ,night1 ,january #f1 they must all be taken down4 ,the festivities of this great day were much celebrated in medival times1 and the picture by ,rubens1 ,the ,king ,drinks1 recalls the splendour of these feasts4 ,it is called ,kings' ,day to commemorate the three kings of ,orient1 who paid their visit to the humble manger1 bringing those first ,christmas gifts of which we have any account4 ,the negroes from ,africa1 who were brought as slaves to the ,west ,indian ,islands1 always celebrate this day with queer and fetich rites4 ,it is in honour of the black king ,melchior whom we see in the pictures from ,afric's sunny fountains4 ,the ,twelfth-,night cake1 crowned with candles1 is cut and eaten with many ceremonies on this occasion4 ,the universality of ,christmas is its most remarkable feature4 ,trace it as one will to the ancient ,saturnalia1 this universality is still inexplicable4 ,it long antedates the ,christian era4 ,the distinctly modern customs are the giving of gifts1 and the good eating1 which1 if followed back1 we find to have been gluttony among the ,norsemen4 ,to the older members of the family the day is a sad one4 ,the little verse at the head of the chapter recalls the fact that for every child gone back to heaven1 there is one ,christingle less4 ,but if it will bring the rich to the poor1 if it will not forget a single legend or grace1 if the holly and evergreen will breathe the sweetest and highest significance1 if we can remember that every simple festival at ,christmas which makes the hearth-stone brighter is a tribute to the highest wisdom1 if we connect ,christmas and humanity1 then shall we keep it aright4 ,for the world unlocks its heart on every ,christmas ,day as it has done for eighteen ,christian centuries4 ,the cairn of ,christmas memories rises higher and higher as the dear procession of children1 those constantly arriving1 precious pilgrims from the unknown world1 halts by the majestic mountain to receive gifts1 giving more than they take4 ,for what would ,christmas be without the children8 ,,certain ,,practical ,,suggestions4 ,the rules laid down in books of etiquette may seem preposterously elaborate and absurd to the denizens of cities1 and to those who have had the manual of society at their fingers' ends from childhood1 but they may be like the grammar of an unknown tongue to the youth or maiden whose life has been spent in seclusion or a rustic neighbourhood4 ,as it is the aim of this unpretending volume to assist such young people1 a few hints to young men coming fresh from life on the plains1 or from an ,eastern or ,western college1 from any life which has separated them from the society of ladies1 may not be considered impertinent4 ,a young man on coming into a great city1 or into a new place where he is not known1 should try to bring a few letters of introduction4 ,if he can bring such a letter to any lady of good social position1 he has nothing further to do but deliver it1 and if she takes him up and introduces him1 his social position is made4 ,but this good fortune cannot always be commanded4 ,young men often pass through a lonely life in a great city1 never finding that desired opportunity4 ,to some it comes through a friendship on the tennis ground1 at the clubs1 or through business4 ,if a friend says to some ladies that ,tilden is a good fellow1 ,tilden will be sought out and invited4 ,it is hardly creditable to any young man to live in a great city without knowing the best ladies' society4 ,he should seek to do so1 and perhaps the simplest way would be for him to ask some friend to take him about and to introduce him4 ,once introduced1 ,tilden should be particular not to transcend the delicate outlines of social suffrance4 ,he must not immediately rush into an intimacy4 ,a call should never be too long4 ,a woman of the world says that one hour is all that should be granted to a caller4 ,this rule is a good one for an evening visit4 ,it is much better to have one's hostess wishing for a longer visit than to have her sigh that you should go4 ,in a first visit1 a gentleman should always send in his card4 ,after that he may dispense with that ceremony4 ,a gentleman1 for an evening visit1 should always be in evening dress1 black cloth dress-coat1 waistcoat1 and trousers1 faultless linen and white cravat1 silk stockings1 and polished low shoes4 ,a black cravat is permissible1 but it is not full dress4 ,he should carry a crush hat in his hand1 and a cane if he likes4 ,for a dinner-party a white cravat is indispensable2 a man must wear it then4 ,no jewelry of any kind is fashionable1 excepting rings4 ,men hide their watch chains1 in evening dress4 ,the hands should be especially cared for1 the nails carefully cut and trimmed4 ,no matter how big or how red the hand is1 the more masculine the better4 ,women like men to look manly1 as if they could drive1 row1 play ball1 cricket1 perhaps even handle the gloves4 ,a gentleman's dress should be so quiet and so perfect that it will not excite remark or attention4 ,thackeray used to advise that a watering-pot should be applied to a new hat to take off the gloss4 ,the suspicion of being dressed up defeats an otherwise good toilet4 ,we will suppose that ,tilden becomes sufficiently well acquainted to be asked to join a theatre party4 ,he must be punctual at the rendezvous1 and take as a partner whomever the hostess may assign him1 but in the ,east he must not offer to send a carriage2 that must come from the giver of the party4 ,in this1 ,eastern and ,western etiquette are at variance1 for in certain cities in the ,west and ,south a gentleman is expected to call in a carriage1 and take a young lady to a party4 ,to do this would be social ruin in ,europe1 nor is it allowed in ,boston or ,new ,york4 ,if1 however1 ,tilden wishes to give a theatre party1 he must furnish everything4 ,he first asks a lady to chaperon his party4 ,he must arrange that all meet at his room1 or a friend's house4 ,he must charter an omnibus or send carriages for the whole party2 he must buy the tickets4 ,he is then expected to invite his party to sup with him after the theatre1 making the feast as handsome as his means allow4 ,this is a favourite and proper manner for a young man to return the civilities offered him4 ,it is indispensable that he should have the mother of one of the young ladies present4 ,the custom of having such a party with only a very young chaperon has fallen1 properly1 into disrepute4 ,and it seems almost unnecessary to say so1 except that the offence has been committed4 ,a man should never force himself into any society1 or go anywhere unasked4 ,of course1 if he be taken by a lady1 she assumes the responsibility1 and it is an understood thing that a leader of society can take a young man anywhere4 ,she is his sponsor4 ,in the early morning a young man should wear the heavy1 loosely fitting ,english clothes now so fashionable1 but for an afternoon promenade with a lady1 or for a reception1 a frock coat tightly buttoned1 gray trousers1 a neat tie1 and plain gold pin is very good form4 ,this dress is allowed at a small dinner in the country1 or for a ,sunday tea4 ,if men are in the ,adirondacks1 if flannel is the only wear1 there is no dressing for dinner2 but in a country house1 where there are guests1 it is better to make a full evening toilet1 unless the hostess gives absolution4 ,there should always be some change1 and clean linen1 a fresh coat1 fresh shoes1 etc41 donned even in the quiet retirement of one's own home4 ,neatness1 a cold bath every morning1 and much exercise in the open air are among the admirable customs of young gentlemen of the present day4 ,if every one of them1 no matter how busy1 how hard-worked1 could come home and dress for dinner1 it would be a good habit4 ,indeed1 if all ,american men1 like all ,english men1 would show this attention to their wives1 society would be far more elegant4 ,a man always expects his wife to dress for him2 why should he not dress for her8 ,he is then ready for evening visits1 operas1 parties1 theatres1 wherever he may wish to go4 ,no man should sit down to a seven o'clock dinner unless freshly dressed4 ,if ,tilden can afford to keep a tilbury1 or a dog-cart1 and fine horses1 so much the better for him4 ,he can take a young girl to drive1 if her mamma consents2 but a servant should sit behind2 that is indispensable4 ,the livery and the whole turnout should be elegant1 but not flashy1 if ,tilden would succeed4 ,as true refinement comes from within1 let him read the noble description of ,thackeray3-- ,what is it to be a gentleman8 ,is it to be honest1 to be gentle1 to be generous1 to be true1 to be brave1 to be wise1 and possessing all these qualities to exercise them in the most gentle manner8 ,ought a gentleman to be a loyal son1 a true husband1 and honest father8 ,ought his life to be decent1 his bills to be paid1 his tastes to be high and elegant8 ,yes1 a thousand times yes6 ,young men who come to a great city to live are sometimes led astray by the success of gaudy adventurers who do not fall within the lines of the above description1 men who get on by means of enormous impudence1 self-assurance1 audacity1 and plausible ways4 ,but if they have patience and hold to the right1 the gentleman will succeed1 and the adventurer will fail4 ,no such man lasts long4 ,give him rope enough1 and he will soon hang himself4 ,it is not necessary here to refer to the etiquette of clubs4 ,they are self-protecting4 ,a man soon learns their rules and limitations4 ,a man of honesty and character seldom gets into difficulty at his club4 ,if his club rejects or pronounces against him1 however1 it is a social stigma which it is hard to wipe out4 ,a young man should lose no opportunity of improving himself4 ,works of art are a fine means of instruction4 ,he should read and study in his leisure hours1 and frequent picture galleries and museums4 ,a young man becomes the most agreeable of companions if he brings a keen fresh intelligence1 refined tastes1 and a desire to be agreeable into society4 ,success in society is like electricity1--it makes itself felt1 and yet is unseen and indescribable4 ,it is a nice thing if a man has some accomplishment1 such as music or elocution1 and to be a good dancer is almost indispensable4 ,yet many a man gets on without any of these4 ,it is a work-a-day world that we live in1 and the whole formation of our society betrays it4 ,then dress plainly1 simply1 and without display4 ,a gentleman's servants often dress better than their master1 and yet nothing is so distinctive as the dress of a gentleman4 ,it is as much a costume of nobility as if it were the velvet coat which ,sir ,walter ,raleigh threw down before ,queen ,elizabeth4 ,it may not be inappropriate here to say a word or two on minor points4 ,in addressing a note to a lady1 whom he does not know well1 ,tilden should use the third person1 as follows3-- ,mr4 ,tilden presents his compliments to ,mrs4 ,montgomery and begs to know if she and ,miss ,montgomery will honor him with their company at a theatre party in the evening of ,april #c;d1 at the ,chestnut ,street ,theatre4 ,r4 ,s4 ,v4 ,p4 #aag ,south ,market ,place4 ,this note should be sealed with wax1 impressed with the writer's coat of arms or some favourite device1 and delivered by a private messenger who should wait for an answer4 ,in addressing a letter to a gentleman1 the full title should be used1--,walter ,tilden1 ,esq41 or1 first name not known1 ---- ,tilden1 ,esq41 never1 ,mr4 ,walter ,tilden4 ,if it be an invitation1 it is not etiquette to say ,mister4 ,in writing in the first person1 ,tilden must not be too familiar4 ,he must make no elisions or contractions1 but fill out every word and line1 as if it were a pleasure4 ,it is urged against us by foreigners1 that the manners of men toward women partake of the freedom of the age2 that they are not sufficiently respectful4 ,but1 if careless in manner1 ,american men are the most chivalrous at heart4 ,at a ball a young man can ask a friend to present him to a lady who is chaperoning a young girl1 and through her he can be presented to the young girl4 ,no man should1 however1 introduce another man without permission4 ,if he is presented and asks the girl to dance1 a short walk is permitted before he returns his partner to the side of the chaperon4 ,but it is bad manners for the young couple to disappear for a long time4 ,no man should go into a supper-room alone1 or help himself while ladies remain unhelped4 ,to get on in society involves so much that can never be written down that any manual is of course imperfect2 for no one can predict who will succeed and who will fail4 ,bold and arrogant people--cheeky people--succeed at first1 modest ones in the long run4 ,it is a melancholy fact that the most objectionable persons do get into fashionable society4 ,it is to be feared that the possession of wealth is more desired than the possession of any other attribute2 that much is forgiven in the rich man which would be rank heresy in the poor one4 ,we would not1 however1 advise ,tilden to choose his friends from the worldly point simply1 either of fashion or wealth4 ,he should try to find those who are well bred1 good1 true1 honourable1 and generous4 ,wherever they are1 such people are always good society4 ,in the ranks of society we find sometimes the ideal gentleman4 ,society may not have produced so good a crop as it should have done2 yet its false aims have not yet dazzled all men out of the true1 the ideal breeding4 ,there are many clubs2 but there are some admirable ,crichtons1--men who can think1 read1 study1 work1 and still be fashionable4 ,a man should go through the fierce fires of social competition1 and yet not be scorched4 ,all men have not had that fine1 repressive training1 which makes our navy and army men such gentlemen4 ,the breeding of the young men of fashion is not what their grandfathers would have called good4 ,they sometimes have a severe and bored expression when called on to give up a selfish pleasure4 ,one asks1 ,where are their manners8 ,breeding1 cultivation1 manners1 must start from the heart4 ,the old saying that it takes three generations to make a gentleman makes us ask1 ,how many does it take to unmake one8 ,some young and well-born men seem to be undoing the work of the three generations1 and to have inherited nothing of a great ancestor but his bad manners4 ,an ,american should have the best manners4 ,he has had nothing to crush him2 he is unacquainted with patronage1 which in its way makes snobs1 and no one loves a snob1 least of all the man whom the snob cultivates4 ,the word gentleman although one of the best in the language1 should not be used too much4 ,be a gentleman1 but talk about a man4 ,a man avoids display and cultivates simplicity1 neatness1 and fitness of things1 if he is both a man and a gentleman4 ,,comparative ,,merits ,,of ,,american ,,and ,,foreign ,,modes ,,of ,,entertaining4 ,there is no better old saw in existence than that comparisons are odious2 they are not only odious1 but they are nearly if not quite impossible4 ,for instance1 if we compare a dinner in ,london with a dinner in ,new ,york1 we must say1 ,whose dinner8 ,what dinner8 ,if we compare ,new ,york with ,paris1 we must say1 ,what ,paris8 ,shall we take the old ,catholic aristocracy of the ,faubourg ,st4 ,germain1 or the upstart social spheres of the ,faubourg ,st4 ,honor and the ,chausse d',antin8 ,or shall we take ,tout ,paris1 with its thousand ramifications1 with its literary and artistic salons1 the ,tout ,paris mondain1 the ,tout ,paris artiste1 the ,tout ,paris des ,premires1 and all the rest of that heterogeneous crowd1 any fragment of which could swallow up the four hundred1 and all its works8 ,shall we attempt to compare ,new ,york or ,washington with ,london1 with its four millions1 its ,prince of ,wales set1 its old and sober aristocracy of cultivated people1 whose ideas of refinement1 culture1 and of all the traditions of good society date back a thousand years8 ,would it be fair1 either1 to attempt to say which part of this vast congeries should be taken as the sample end1 and which part of ,america with its new civilization should be compared with any or all of these8 ,therefore any thoughts which follow must be merely apologized for1 as the rapid observations of a traveller1 who1 in seeing many countries1 has loved her own the best1 and who puts down these fleeting impressions1 merely with a hope to benefit her own1 even if sometimes criticising it4 ,twenty years ago1 ,justin ,mc,carthy1 than whom there has been no better international critic1 wrote an immortal paper called1 ,english and ,american ,women ,compared4 ,it was perhaps the most complimentary1 and we are therefore bound to say the fairest1 description of our women ever given to the world4 ,it came at a time when the ,american girl was being served up by ,ouida1 the ,american senator by ,anthony ,trollope1 and the ,american divorce by ,victorien ,sardou1 in ,l',oncle ,sam4 ,there was never a moment when the ,american needed a friend more4 ,in that gentle1 yet pungent paper1 ,mr4 ,mc,carthy refers to our extravagance1 our love of display1 our superficial criticisms of the merits of ,english literary women1 judged from the standpoint of dress1 and of a singular underlying snobbery which he observed in a few1 who wished that the days of titles and of aristocratic customs could come back to the land where ,thomas ,jefferson tied his horse to the ,capitol palings1 when he went up to take the ,presidential oath4 ,since that paper was written what a flood of prosperity has deluged the land2 what a stride has been made in all the arts of entertaining6 ,what houses we possess2 what dinners we give6 ,what would ,horace ,walpole say1 could he see the collections of some of our really poor people1 not to mention those of our billionnaires8 ,should he go out to dinner in ,new ,york1 the master of ,strawberry ,hill and the first great collector could see more curious old furniture1 more hawthorn vases1 more antique teapots1 more rare silver1 and more chiffons than he had ever dreamed of2 he could see the power which a young1 vigorous nation possesses when it takes a kangaroo trick of leaping backward into antiquity1 or forward into strange countries1 and what it can bring home from its constant globe-trotting1 in exchange for some of its own silver and gold4 ,he would also see the power which art has possessed over a nation so suddenly rich that one reads with alarm the axiom of ,taine1 ,when a nation has reached its highest point of prosperity1 and begins to decay1 then blossoms the consummate flower of art4 ,we need not go so far back as ,horace ,walpole2 it even astonishes the collector of last year to find that he must come to ,new ,york to buy back his ,japanese bronzes1 and his ,capo di ,monte1 his ,majolica and peach-blow vase4 ,we may say that we have the oldest of arts1 that of entertaining1 wrested from the hands of the oldest of nations1 and placed almost recklessly in the hands of the youngest1--as one would take a delicate musical instrument from the hands of a master and put it in the hands of a child4 ,what wonder if in the first essay some chords are missed1 some discords struck8 ,then we must remember that modern life is passing1 slowly but decidedly1 through a great revolution1 now nearly achieved4 ,the relation of equality is gradually eclipsing every other1--that of inequality1 where it does survive1 taking on its least noble form1 as most things do in their decay4 ,in ,europe there is still deference to title1 although the real power of feudalism was broken by ,louis ,,xi4 ,its shadow remains even in republican ,france1 where if a man has not a title he is apt to buy or to steal one4 ,on this side of the ,atlantic there is a deference paid to wealth1 however obtained4 ,this is a much greater strain upon character1 a more vulgar form of snobbery than the reverence for title2 for a title means that sometime1 no matter how long ago1 some one lived nobly and won his spurs4 ,we may therefore assume that the great necromancer ,prosperity1 with his wand1 luxury1 has suddenly placed our new nation1 if not on a footing with the old1 certainly as a new knight in the field1 whose prowess deserves that he should be mentioned4 ,or1 to change the metaphor1 we can imagine some spread-eagle orator comparing us to a ,david who with his smooth stones from the brook1 dug up in ,california and ,nevada1 is giving all modern ,goliaths a crack in the forehead4 ,when we come to make a comparison1 however1 let us narrow this down to the giving of a dinner in ,london1 in distinction to giving a dinner in any city in ,america1 and see what our giant can do4 ,london possesses a regular system of society1 a social citadel1 around which rally those whose birth1 title1 and character are all well-known4 ,it is conscious of an identity of interest1 which compacts its members1 with the force of cement1 into a single corporation4 ,the queen and her drawing-room1 the ,prince of ,wales and his set1 the royal family1 the nobility and gentry1 what is called the aristocracy form a core to this apple1 and this central idea goes through all its juices4 ,think what it must mean to a man to read that he is descended from ,harry ,hotspur1 ,bolingbroke1 ,clarendon1 ,sidney1 ,spenser1 ,cecil4 ,imagine what it must have been to have known the men who daily gathered around the tables of the famous dinner-givers4 ,imagine what the dinners at ,holland ,house were1 and then compare such a dinner with one which any ,american could give4 ,and yet1 improbable as it may seem1 the ,american dinner might be the more amusing4 ,the ,american dinner would have far more flowers2 it would be in a brighter room2 it would be more talky1 perhaps1--but it could not be so well worth going to4 ,in ,england1 in the greater as well as in the simpler houses1 there is a respect for intellect1 for intelligence1 that we have not4 ,it is the fashion to invite the man or the woman who has done something to meet the most worshipful company1 and the young countess just beginning to entertain would receive from her grandmother1 who entertained ,lord ,byron1 this advice1 ,my dear1 always have a literary man1 or an artist in your set4 ,the humblest literary man who has done anything well is immediately sought out and is asked to dinner2 and the artist of merit1 in music1 painting1 architecture1 literature1 is sure of recognition in ,london4 ,one is almost always sure to see1 at a grand dinner in ,london1 some quiet elderly woman1 who receives the attention of the most distinguished guests1 and one learns that she is ,mrs4 ,so-and-,so1 who has written a story1 or a few hymns4 ,in this respect for the best part of us1 our brains1 the ,london dinner-giver has shown his thousand years of civilization2 he is playing the harp like a master4 ,to return for a moment to the criticism of ,justin ,mc,carthy4 ,he says in it1 that while he admired the ,american taste in dress1 he could not admire a certain confusion of mind1 by which an otherwise kindly and well-informed ,american woman misjudged a person who preferred to go plain1 or shabby1 if you will4 ,in fact1 he stood up for the right which every ,english woman will claim as her own1 to be dowdy1 if she will4 ,the ,queen has taught her this4 ,while the ,princess of ,wales1 the younger daughters of the ,queen1 and much of the fashion of ,london dresses itself in ,paris1 and is consequently very smart1 there is still a class who look down on clothes and consider them a small matter4 ,perhaps that is the reason why such stringent regulations are laid down for the court dress4 ,magnificent1 stately1 and well-ordered1 are the dinners of ,london1--a countess at the head of the table1 a footman behind each chair1 in great houses a very fine dinner1 and splendid pieces of plate1 some old china1 pictures on the wall from the pencils of ,rembrandt1 ,rubens1 ,van ,dyck1 ,gainsborough1 and ,sir ,joshua4 ,sweet1 low-voiced1 and well-bred are the women1 with beautiful necks1 and shoulders1 and fine heads4 ,the men are they who are doing the work of the world in the ,house of ,lords1 the ,house of ,commons1 in ,india1 in ,egypt1 in the ,soudan2 there is a multiplicity of topics of conversation4 ,no ,english stiffness exists at the dinner1 and there is always present some literary man or woman1 some famous artist as the pice de resistance2 such are the dinners of ,london4 ,the luncheons are simpler1 and here one is sure to meet men advanced in thought1 and women of ideas1 and there is no question as to the rent-roll4 ,wealth has absolutely nothing to do with society success in ,london4 ,we might mention many a literary and artistic salon1 over which charming and fascinating1 young and fashionable women preside with the mingled grace1 which adds a beauty and a meaning to ,emerson's famous mot that fashion is funded politeness4 ,we might mention many a literary or artistic man or woman of ,london1 who is the favoured friend of these great ladies1 who would1 if an ,american1 never be asked to a luncheon at ,newport1 or admitted to a ball at ,delmonico's1 because he was not fashionable4 ,it would not occur to the gay entertainers to think that such a person would be desirable4 ,paris1 as the land of the mot and the epigram1 has always had a great attraction for literary people4 ,carlyle said of ,england that it was composed of sixty millions of people1 mostly fools4 ,his own experience as a favoured guest at ,lady ,ashburton's1 and other great houses1 ought to have modified his decision4 ,in ,america1 the ,carlyles would have been called queer1 and probably left out4 ,in ,england1 it is a recommendation to be queer1 original1 thoughtful4 ,in that bubble which rises to the top1 to which ,mr4 ,mc,allister has given the name the four hundred1 it is not a recommendation to be queer1 original1 or thoughtful4 ,that some men and women of genius have commanded success in society only proves the rule2 that some people of fashion have become writers1 and painters1 and poets1 and have still kept their foothold1 is only the exception4 ,charles ,astor ,bristed1 born to fortune and fashion1 declared that what he gained in prestige in ,england by becoming an author1 he lost in ,america4 ,what woman of fashion goes out of her way to find the man of letters who writes the striking editorials in a morning paper in ,new ,york8 ,in ,london1 a dozen coroneted notes await such a lucky fellow4 ,perhaps the most curious instance of the awkward handling of that rare and valuable instrument1 which we call the art of entertaining in ,america1 is the deliberate ignoring of the best element of a dinner party1--the hitherto unknown1 or the well-known man of brains4 ,this distinguishes our entertaining from that of foreigners4 ,the best society we have in ,america is that at ,washington2 the ,president's house is the palace4 ,he and his ministers1 and the judges of the ,supreme ,court1 the officers of the army and navy1 are our aristocracy1--a simple1 unpretending one1 but as real in its social laws and organization as any in the world4 ,and there intellect reigns4 ,the dinners at ,washington1 having a kind of precedence1 reinforced by intelligence1 independent of wealth1 and regardless of the arbitrary rules of a self-elected leadership1 are the most agreeable in this country1 if not in the world4 ,we have said there are many sorts of ,paris1 and so there are many sorts of ,america4 ,it must not be supposed that clever people do not get together1 and that there are not dinners of the brightest and the best4 ,outside the four hundred there is a group of fifty thousand or more1 who have travelled1 thought1 and read1 experienced1 and learned how to give a good dinner1--a witty dinner4 ,i use the term four hundred as a convenient alias for that for which ,americans have no other name2 that is1 the particular reigning set in every city1 every small village4 ,in ,paris1 republic as it is1 there is still a very decided aristocracy4 ,there is the ,duchesse ,rochefaucauld ,bisaccia1 and the eccentric ,duchesse d',uzes1 and so on1 who are decidedly the four hundred4 ,there are the very wealthy ,jews1 like the ,rothschilds1 who are much to be commended for their recognition of the supremacy of art and letters4 ,they have become the protectors of these classes commercially1 and their intelligent wives have made their salons delightful1 by bringing in men of culture and talent4 ,on ,sundays the ,comtesse ,potocka1 who wears the best pearls in ,paris1 tries to revive the traditions of the ,hotel ,rambouillet1 in her beautiful htel in the ,avenue ,friedland4 ,her guests are ,de ,maupassant1 ,ratisbonne1 ,coquelin1 the painter ,brand1 and other men of wit4 ,the ,baroness de ,poilly has a tendency to refine ,bohemianism and is an indefatigable pleasure seeker4 ,the only people she will not receive are the financiers and the heavy-witted4 ,the ,comtesse de ,beaumont says that the key to her house is wit and intellect without regard to party1 caste1 or school4 ,carolus ,duran1 ,alphonse ,daudet1 the painters1 whoever is at the head of music1 literature1 or the dramatic art1 is welcomed there4 ,the princes of the ,house of ,orlans1 are most prominent in their attentions to people of talent4 ,the ,princesse ,mathilde has a house in the ,rue de ,berri full of exquisite pictures by the old masters1 and a few of the modern school4 ,her salon is a model of comfort and refined elegance1 and at her ,sunday receptions1 where one meets the world1 are men distinguished in diplomacy1 art1 and letters4 ,but what simple dinners1 as to meat and drink1 do any of these great people give1 compared to the dinners which are given constantly in ,new ,york1--dinners which are banquets1 but to which the young littrateur or painter would not be invited6 ,that is to say1 in ,london and in ,paris the fashionable woman who would make her party more fashionable1 courts the literary and artistic guild2 as a guild1 the fashionable woman in ,america does not court them4 ,it may be said that this is an unfair presentation of the case1 because in ,london there may be patronage on one side1 while in ,america there is perfect equality1 and the literary man is a greater aristocrat than the fashionable woman who gives the party4 ,this is in one sense true1 for the professions have all the honour here4 ,the journalists are often the men who give the party4 ,the witty lawyer is the most honoured guest everywhere2 so are certain littrateurs4 ,people who have become rich suddenly1 who wish to be leaders1 to have gay1 young1 well-dressed guests at their dinners1 do not desire the company of any but their own kind4 ,yet they try to emulate the dinners of ,london1 and are surprised when some ,english critic finds their entertainments dull1 flat1 and unprofitable1 overloaded and vulgar4 ,the same young1 gay1 rich dancing set in ,london would have asked ,robert ,browning to the dinner1 merely as a matter of fashion4 ,and it is this fashion which is commendable4 ,it improves society4 ,the social recognition of the dramatic profession is not here what it is in ,england or ,france4 ,there is no ,lady ,burdett ,coutts to take ,mr4 ,irving off on her yacht4 ,no actor here has the social position which ,mr4 ,irving has in ,london4 ,who ever heard of society running after ,mr4 ,john ,gilbert1 one of the most respectable men of his profession1 as well as a consummate actor8 ,in ,london1 duchesses and countesses run after ,mr4 ,toole2 he is a darling of society4 ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,bancroft have done much to help their profession and themselves by taking the initiative1 and giving delightful little evenings4 ,but it is vastly more common1 to see many of the leading actors and actresses in society in ,london than in ,new ,york4 ,indeed1 it is the custom abroad to ask1 what has he done1 what can he do8 rather than1 how much is he worth8 ,the actor is valued for what he is doing4 ,perhaps our system of equality is somewhat to blame for this1 and the woman of fashion may wait for the dramatic artist to take the initiative and call on her4 ,but we know that any one who should urge this would be talking nonsense4 ,in our system of entertaining in a gay city1 it is the richest who reigns1 and although there are some people who can still boast a grandfather1 it is the new-comer who is the arbiter of fashion4 ,such a person could1 in ,london or ,paris or ,rome1 merely as a fashionable fad1 invite the artist or the writer to make her party complete4 ,in ,america she would not do it1 unless the man of genius were a lion1 a foreigner1 a novelty4 ,then she would do so1 and perhaps run after him too much4 ,and now1 as we have been treating of a very small1 unimportant1 and to the great ,american world1 unknown quantity1 the reigning set in any city1 let us look at the matter from within4 ,have we individually considered the merits of the festive plenty which crowns our table1 relatively to the selection of the company which is gathered around it8 ,have we in any of our cities those djeuners d'esprit1 as in ,paris1 where certain witty women invite other witty women to come and talk of the last new novel8 ,have we counted on that possible ,utopia where men and women meet and talk1 to contribute of their best thought to the entertaining8 ,have we many houses to which we are asked to a banquet of wit8 ,are there many opulent people who can say1 ,the key to my house is wit and intellect1 and character1 without regard to party1 caste or school8 ,if such a house can be found1 its owner has1 all other things being equal1 conquered the art of entertaining4 ,now1 all people of talent are not personages of society4 ,to be that1 one must have good manners1 know how to dress one's self and respect the usages of society4 ,we should not like to meet ,dr4 ,johnson at a ball1 but it is very rare to find people nowadays1 however learned1 however retired1 however gifted1 who have discarded as he did1 the decencies of deportment4 ,the far greater evil of depriving society of its backbone should be balanced against this lesser danger4 ,there are literary and artistic and academic salons in ,paris1 which are the most interesting places to the foreigner1 which might be copied in every university town of ,america1 to the infinite advantage of society4 ,a fashionable young woman of ,paris never misses these1 or the lectures1 or her ,thursday at the ,comdie ,franaise where she hears the classic plays of ,molire and even ,shakspeare4 ,it makes her a very agreeable talker1 although her culture may not be very deep4 ,she is not a bit less particular as to the number of buttons on her gloves1 or the becomingness of her dress1 because she has given a few hours to her mental development4 ,in ,america1 we have thoughtful women1 gifted women1 brilliant women1 but we rarely have the combination which we see in ,france1 of all this with fashion4 ,when this young and fashionable hostess gives a dinner1 or an evening1 she invites ,coquelin and some of his witty compeers1 and she talks over ,molire with the men who understand him best4 ,it is possible that ,french littrateurs care more for society than their ,american brothers4 ,they go into it more1 and at splendid dinners in ,paris ,i remember the writers for the ,figaro1 as most desirable guests4 ,the presence of members of the ,french ,academy1 for instance1 is much courted1 and as feminine influence plays a considerable rle in the ,academy elections1 it is advisable for playwrights1 novelists1 and aspiring writers generally to cultivate influential relations with a view to the future4 ,however this may be1 literature and art are more highly honoured socially in ,paris than in ,america1 and men of letters lead a very joyous existence1 dining and being dined1 and making a dinner delightfully brilliant4 ,the artists of ,paris have become such magnates1 living in sumptuous houses and giving splendid ftes1 that it is hardly possible to speak of their being left out2 they are mostly agreeable men1--,carolus ,duran and ,bonnat especially4 ,but painters1 especially portrait painters1 are always favourites in all fashionable society4 ,the ,french women talk much about being in the movement which to the ,american ear may be translated the swim4 ,they follow every picture exhibition1 can quote from the ,figaro what is going on1 they criticise the last play1 the last new novel1 they do much hard work1 but they seek out and honour the man of brains1 known or unknown1 who has made a fine play or novel4 ,every woman in ,america may take a lesson in entertaining from the old world1 and strive to combine this respect for both conditions1 the luxury which feeds1 and the brain which illuminates4 ,a house should be at once a pleasure and a force1--a force to sustain the struggling1 as well as a pleasure to the prosperous4 ,a merely sumptuous buffet1 a check sent to ,delmonico for a heavy feed does not master that great art1 which has illuminated the noblest chapters in the history of our race1 and led to the most complete improvement in the continuous development of mankind4 ,without each other we become savages1 with the conquering of the art of entertaining we reach the highest triumphs of civilization4 ,it is a progressive art1 while those that we have worshipped stand still4 ,no architect of our day1 even when revealing the inner conceit which cynics say possesses all minds1 would hope to surpass the builders of the ,parthenon1 no carver of marble hopes to reach ,phidias1 no painter dares to measure his brush with ,raphael1 ,titian1 or ,velasquez4 ,in ,asia art has been declining for ages2 the ,moor of ,fez would hardly recognize what his race did in ,granada2 the ,indian ,mussulman gazes at the ,pearl ,mosque as if the genii had built it2 the ,persians buy their own old carpets2 and the ,japanese confess1 with a sigh1 that their own old ceramic work cannot be equalled now4 ,in all art there is despair of advance1 except in the art of entertaining4 ,that is always new and always progressive2 there is no end to the originality which may be brought to bear upon it4 ,this rule should be constantly enforced4 ,a hostess must take pains and trouble to give her house a colour1 an originality1 and a type of its own4 ,she must put brains into her entertaining4 ,we have begun this little book1 somewhat bumptiously perhaps1 with an account of our physical resources4 ,let us pursue the same strain as to our mental wealth4 ,we have not only witty after-dinner speakers--in that1 let no country hope to rival us--amongst our lawyers1 journalists1 and literary men1 but we have our clergy4 ,it would be difficult to find any hamlet in the ,united ,states where there is not one agreeable clergyman1 more often three or four4 ,the best addition to a company is an accomplished divine1 who knows that his mission is for two worlds4 ,he need not be any the less the ambassador to the next1 of which we know so little1 because he is a pleasant resident and improver of this world1 of which many of us feel that we know quite enough4 ,the position of a popular clergyman is a peculiar and a dangerous one1 for he is expected to be merry with one1 and sad with another1 at all hours of the day4 ,next to the doctor1 we confide in him1 and the call on his sympathies might well make a man doubtful whether any of his emotions are his own4 ,but the scholarship1 the communing with high ideas1 the relationship to his flock1 all tend to the formation of that type of man which we call the agreeable1 and ,america is extremely rich in this eminent aid to the art of entertaining4 ,as a ,roman ,catholic bishop once observed1 ,as a part of my duty1 ,i must make myself agreeable in society2 and so must every clergyman4 ,and to say truth1 we have few examples of a disagreeable clergyman4 ,while his cloth surrounds him with reverence and respect1 his fertile brain1 ready wit1 and cheerful co-operation in the pleasure of the moment1 will be like a finer education and a purifying atmosphere4 ,from the days of ,chrysostom to ,sydney ,smith the clergy should be known as the golden-mouthed4 ,the ,american mind1 brilliant1 rapid1 and clear1 the ,american speech1 voluble1 ready1 and replete1 the talent for repartee1 rapier-like with so many of our orators1 and the quick wit which seems to be born of our oxygen1 all this1 added to the remarkable beauty and tact of our women1 of which all the world is talking1 and which the young aristocrats of the old world seem to be quite willing to appropriate1 makes splendid provision for a dinner1 a reception1 an afternoon tea1 or a ball4 ,we sometimes hear complaints of the insufficiency of society1 and that our best men will not go into it4 ,if there is such an insufficiency1 it is because we have too much sufficiency1 we are struggling with the overplus1 often as great an embarrassment as the too little4 ,it is somebody's fault if we have not learned to play on this harp of a thousand strings4 ,we need not heed the criticism of the world1 snobbishly2 we are a great nation1 and can afford to make our own laws4 ,but we should ask of ourselves the question1 whether or not we are too lavish1 too fond of display1 too much given to overfeeding1 too fond of dress1 too much concerned with the outside of things2 we should take the best ideas of all nations in regard to the progressive art1 the art of entertaining4 99 99 99 99 99 ,transcriber's note3 ,inconsistent hyphenation1 diacritical marks and spelling in the original document have been preserved4 ,obvious typographical errors have been corrected4 ,the quote starting on page #ac1 ,viticulture in ,algeria1 does not have an ending quote mark4 ,on page #aag1 spatch-cooked should possibly be spatch-cocked4 ,on page #afj1 gormandize should possibly be gourmandize4 ,the chapter starting on page #agf is called ,receipts in the ,contents and ,recipes in the text4 ,on page #aic1 gargonzala should possibly be gorgonzola4 ,on page #caj1 boaston should possibly be boston4