Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1859-03-05
WHEE
THE INTELLIGENCE.

VIRGINIA LIvTSo.-Willis, in one ofhis crap
Pahannock Letters" to the Home Journal, thus
describes the drinks and dinners of the hopita-
BILE "old Dominion"
II am indirectly apologizing, by this explana.
tlon OF haste, for the very Inadequate notice
with which am compelled to pass by certain
fIrginin "institution"-the matutnaI mint
jueP, or anti-febrile stomach nudger-serVed
to the male guests on their first rising in the
morning, and previous to their introduction to
the ladies'. This most appetizing potation is
prepared IN family tankard, of size which it
takes two hands to lift; and is most gravely
passed around like solemn and savory good
morning, as we entered the drawine-room be.
lore breakfast, each guest burying his head sue
cessively in the thicket ofthe fragrant herb, and
Substracting his own "tithe of mint" with
measure of breath wholly discretionary AS a
sanitary precaution, Gn a locality where the
morning air is to be dreaded on an empty stom-
ach,) this breakfast courage is doubtless very
expeulenti but one can scarce help rejoicing also
IN secondary effect-the social fusion, or the
dispeing of mornings natural moodinesS, con-
Sequent upon this passing around of a cordial
for all lips In fact, of the full enjoyment of
this Virginia ''institution," as beginning to be
felt by the merry party assembled Immediately
afterwards around the table, the too early
ing of the boat was felt by all to be trying in
terruption.
may well mention here, dppropos fthe
art OF nourishment as perfected in different lnti
tudeS, one or two other asSiStances of Nature,
hich had not met with in previous travels,
and which may help to account for the larger
staure, greater fecundity of language, aud other
generous exuberances characteristic of Virgin
ians. The dinner is commonly Mt one o'clock,
the days hungriest hour; but, at twelve, there
is first summon to the sdeboard, and, at half
past twelve, another, for the sake of confirming
by little something and water" the prepara-
tory condition Of the stomach. The dinner it.
self, is of that proiuson of meats and game for
which the State is famous; butts fl al culmina-
ton was new to me-the passing around Of
tray Of raw oysters, to be eaten from the shell,
and, by the liquescent insinuation and uncloy-
ing succulence of which, any omitted crevice or
forgotten pore or vescle of the careless or mat
tentive stomach might be securely reached
On leaving the table, after this oyster climax,
the stranger would naturally suppose dinner to
be over; but with brief hour of cigars and
conversation in the drawing room, the folding
doors were again thrown open, and 10! in the
centre of the table, vast punch bowl of egg
nogg'-an aPpetizing digestive, by which any
tardineSS or torpOr of the reluctant stomach
might be encOuragingly overtaken. This gnl-
den liquor was dispensed with long silver
lade, by our host, as we stood around with ex-
pectant tumblerS; after which, Of course, we re-
turned more cheerfully to our double labor of
digestion and conversation. Tea supper at nine;
with hot toddies indefinitely thereafter But it
will be seen that, in modern Virginia, they live
we'll"