The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1869-05-12
TABLE EXQUISITE
Breakfast.
From Ha1per's Bazar,

may be required at fixed hour, there
| is generally a wide discretion left to
every one else in regard to the time of
his sitting down to breakfast.
At this informal repast each person
| is left free within certain limits to con-
suit exclusively his own convenience.
In the great country houses of Europe,
| where q very ceremonious hospitality
is kept up. the breakfast is deemed so
far an exception to the general law of
strict Observance that It is served to
the guests, as it might be 10 so many
travellers at an inn, at any hour OF the
morning, In the dining hall, or even in
| their own rooms.
II is not expected that there should be
| a gathering in the drawing room or
elsewhere OF the whole party, ana
| movement to the breakfa fast. table. The
we'll marshaled procession usual at
dinner may be and is generally dis
pensed with. The distinctions of rank
and age are not recognized, and the
laughing child may take precedence of
the Rravest dignitary. Each one IN fact
is allowed to drop In when and how he
may. The presence OF even the host
and hostess is not exacted, although
where there is household Of children
requiring the discipline of order and
pnnctuAlity, no parent should fall to
set an example or regular observance
OF the hour of breakfast as OF every
other meal.
The breakfast-table should be, in ac-
| cordance with tho unCeremOniousness
of the repast, very simply dressed. The
| damask table-ciOIh and the service of
| white china, the shining urn or kettle,
the pat of butter with its crystal OF ice.
the crisp loaf, and the glislening YES
sells OF glass symmetriCally arranged,
have in themselves u freshness very en-
ticing to a morning appetite. The oval
table is both more pleasing to the eye
| Il TrR1f frS- IN
should always be adorned with flowers
! if they can be obtained, or by fruit
| when in season. The dame of the house
takes her place at the head or the side
of the table, and before her she has the
tray with the various vessels for pre-
| paring the usual domestic beverages
lea and coffee. These to be good should
be made up stairs just before they are
served. The old-fashioned urn, which
| was II huge, ugly, funeral thing, dark
| ening the whole table with its solemn
| bulk, and eclipsing the blooming face
OF the matron, has given way, tortu-
nately, TO more graceful tea Kettle OF
bronze. This should be placed on the ia
BILE in front or atthe side of the tray, and
NAV be kept boiling during the whole
meal by means OfiIs alcoholic lamp. The
hot water should be freely used. not so
much to temper the tea and coffee as to
rinse out the cups. The slop-bowl Is,
moreover, necessary vessel, which,
however, is too often wanting. Fastid-
ious people don't care to see the LESSONS
and HOtSOnS of their first cups floating
in their second. We need hardly say
that Or. Johnson's mode of helping the
sugar is not recognized by nice people
as the proper one, any more than II
was by Mrs. Thrale, who, as we recol-
lect, ordered the bowl to be taken away
after the learned photographer had
dipped his inky fingers into it. The
nj II ia took this Lesson of
cleanliness very ungratefully, and
threw, with a demonstrative but illogi-
cal spite, one of Mrs. ThTale's best
china cups into the fire, saying that If
the one vessel was unht for use after
his fingers had been in it, the other.
once touched by his lips, was equally
so. In France, where they are not al
ways as reserved in the use of their
hands as they might be, the danes not
seldom thrust them into the sugar
basins. The French fashion we can not
recommend for adoption into this
country.
1t is not customary for fastidious
people to accept of more than two cups
OF tea or coffee; but we do not know
why good-breeding, though modera-
ton and temperance ia all thtngsis one
of it's cardinal principles, should con-
fine itself precisely to th=t number.
DIR. johnson used TO take a score or
more at single sitting. 1t has always
been recognized as asymbol-the origin
of which we do not pretend to know
of having had enough when the drink
er leaves his spoon in the tea or coffee
cup, and of his wanting more when 1t
is left in the saucer. We would advise,
however, our hospitable danes not to
rely too much upon such indications.
1t is a convenience, and Is, however,
the fashion. first set, it Is said. by no
less a parsonage than Queen Victoria,
to a yhOla loaf Ot bread
table with q large knife by its side.
The breakfast to suit Il morning APP
petite, which, though in a healthy per-
son always brisk. is somewhat unso-
phisticated, should be composed of
| light and easily digestible food, No
thing is more suitable, therefore, than
a farinaceous diet. Bread, of course,
in its various forms must constitute the
staple; but, in addition to these, the
usual preparations of hominyand buck
wheat are excellent breakfast articles.
Butter and molasses with such food
the tree use of which it is not uncom-
mon to prohibit to children-fultill, ac-
cording to chemistry, an essential part
| In the ceremony OF digestion and nutri-
ton. Milk should always constitute a
large proportion of the morning meal,
not only of children, but of adults.
Much OF the vigor of muscle and brain
Of the Scotch has been attributed to
their free use OF oatmeal porridge and
pease bross mixed with milk.
We are no great advocates for solid
meat diet at the first meal of the day.
In frosty weather a rasher of bacon, a
sausage or two, conscientiously made,
same white fish, or slice OF cold meat
may be we'll; but the hot steaks and
chops had better be postponed for the
| more deliberate repasts. When cold
meats, game, and meat pies, the rem
nants OF previous feast, form part of
! the break fast, it is considered good taste
to Danish them to the sideboard. The
hacked Joint or the ragged pastry of the
day before would certainly not harmO.
niZe with the delicate freshness and
neatness of we'll set breakfast table.
Eggs and fruit in their seasons are al
ways de ri0ue1tr. In fact, the latter Is
more suitable food in the earlier than
in the later part of the day. The old
proverb says, "Fruit is gold in the
morning, silver at noon, and lead at
night"
1t is always considered good breeding
to get through the breakfast with as
little formality of service as possible.
The we'll bred on such occasions, what
ever force they may have OF nunkles,
dispense as far as possible with their
| presence, and content themselves with
! q neatly attired and unobtruslve maid,
! or retiring valet who knows when to
make a timely exit.
The simplest costume is always re-
Rarded as the most becoming at break
| fast, The matron should make her APP
pearance in white cap and early morn
ing indoor dress, and the master OF the
| I,aY,,o 700, %orosopt hi m sal q most as he