The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1869-07-17
An English Woman's Expert
ence in America.

ence in America.
"When we first came to this
country" she said, tive settled in
York State, in a small town, where
/ had two married sons living
They brought their wives at once
of course, to call on me, and quite
a number of the, neighbors also
called. Well, L had returned
their calls, and then my daugh
ters-in law limited that it was now
my duty, according to their custom
to invite them to tea. AS l was
afraid / might make some blum
der, | told them to send the invi-
tations and set the day, and I'd
try to be ready for them. They
did so, and sent me word one Mon.
day, that on Wednesday some
half dozen gentlemen and their
wives would come and drink tea
with me. | was very glad to have
them all come, | am sure, but /
didn't know what to have for tea!
|, OF course, had never been out
to tea in this country, and didn't
know whether an English tea,
such as / was accustomed to,
would do here. ] hated to ask
anybody about it, for [ didn't like
to be laughed at for my ignorance,
SO | resolved to get just such a
tea as | would have done in Eng
land, and let it go at that.
'On the appointed day my CON-
pany came and at tea time ] in
vited them to the dining-room.-
I'm afraid there were a few smiles
when they saw my table, but they
were very polite. | had large
mahogany table, polished very
bright, but | had no tahlecloth
on. the plates, etc, being set on
the bare table. / had nice teal
brought q chestofexcellent Young
HysOn with me from England
My table was set with some old
fashioned china and silver that
had been an heirloom in my hus-
bands family for many genera
tions. l had good bread, sliced
very thin, good old English cheese,
brought from the old country
and that was all there was on the
table.
ain England I should have
thought it all quite nice, but i
knew by the faces of my guests
though as | said before, they were
very polite-that I had failed in
something. What that something
was I soon discovered, for not
long after that was invited out
to tea at the house of one of my
guests on that former occasion.
went-and | assure you, I was
surprised, to say the least, when
sat down to the tea-table. The
table was covered with a snow.
white linen cloth; the tea was no
| better than mine-inmy opinion
but the food! There were cold
bread and hot buiscuit, four or
five kinds of preserves and peach
es and cream; cold tongue sliced
and cold sliced ham; lemon pie
custard, apple pie and floating is
lands; tarts, cookies and no less
than six kinds of cake, plain and
frosted and fruit cake, gold and
silver cake.
"Well, there / sat, completely
puzzled. What to eat I didn't
know. In England we never have
pies at tea, and we very seldom
eat preserves at any time. We
put them in puddings sometimes
or have them on the table after
dinner with the dessert, but they
are not considered healthy by the
mass of the people there. It's a
fact, l actually did not know what
to eat, but finally made my mea
\ of bread and butter and a very
small piece of the plain cake
However, | soon got as bad al
the rest, and learned, whenI had
company to tea, to crowd the table
with plenty of rich, indigestiblt
food rather than be thought stin
gy by my neighbors; but my con
science used to trouble me all th,
more, and to this day l like tn,
English way the best, and think j
by far the most sensible and heal
thy Household.