The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1872-05-18
GhsGatelIigtneer:
OUR DINNER.
How 10 Make the Table Attractive as
NV" Well as Odd.

How 10 Make the Table Attractive as
" Well as Odd.
Mn. May Waweis writes in IN English
magazine concerning the art OF dinner
giving ....,,,. =, ,noh M,
fine beaten track. Let US not fear OcCa'
,onally when laying on our table a dish
. lille awry, Just TO take of that sense Of
,mnSculatenesS, untouchableness, that the
,~caSured formality Of q dinnertable al
wSys give one. Let US even sometimes
.,sert our independence by having, an
uneven number Of dishes, or dishes OF r.
regular height placed along the snow
white cloth. And why Is the cloth 70 De
slways white? Why should not . coloreo
border. fringe, or stripe, DO introduced 70
break The blank spotlessness Of that inev'
table cloths Again the extreme tine'
ness OF tho table cloth, Is a point OF pride
rj,h ihe modern housewife. Let the de.
sjan be what 1t will, the cloth must be
d1e. Now, a very coarse cloth, provided
The pattern upon it be handsome, has not
n had effect; on the contrary, It Is far more
pleasant 10 the eye than too fine one.
fhe napkins (which are theoretically
supposed to be TO wipe the fingers or lips
uyon, but which, through their weight
and Stiffness, never answer the purpose-
ought to be fine; the table cloth should be
rather the reverse. A handsome diaper
IA nrobably the most appropriate pattern
for q damask cloth, and 1t Is suro TO tell II
The cloth IL not TOO llne-bOrders or stripes
oleyery variety might with advantage be
introduced into them.
Letme also pray such hostness as wish
their
N dispense with the modern white wine.
Slssses, which, however perfect Of their
Find. arc quite uninteresting to an arts.
Nc eve. The antique Venetian glass, 80
exquisite In color, so delicate and pictur.
esque in form, so light, yet so fragile as
The modern best glass, as the latter from
h, weight as opposed to It's thinness, must
smash Il Il falls, and the former may not
the antique Venetian can hardly be
procured now in sufficient quantities to
cover table, or at least by ordinary
purses. But the modern limitations OF 1t,
by Salvlati, though usually not equal to
tie old, are quite near enough to be very
beautiful on the table, and within the
means Of most dinner.giving people.
Again, why are the designs Of modern
dinner and desert services so bad? Why
are the soup.tureens so blOated and
equity? Why are the paintings on the
plates so tame and silly-the colors so
staring ond yet not brilliant? Why are
The handles Of all covered dishes
MERE sHAPELEss LUMPs,
vulgarly streaded with useless and IN.
meaning dashes oil gold? People do not |
seem 10 notice these things when they Sc
leCt their china or other things rs they do |
when they select picture.
Again, let us not pile our flower baskets |
and lruit trays, yard high. not even, D |
impatient housewife
THE CENTRE PIECE.
Let your guests be able 10 see each other
across the hospitable board. Let the table
be low, and covered sufficiently, but not
loo much, with flat and pretty dishes,
never overfull, never too formally ar.
ranged, and decked with fresh flowers or
even Autumn leaves. You can never have
100 many real flowers upon the table; they
refresh the senses, and often modify the
TOO OverpOwering odors Of the dishes. In
IrOdlCe without fear such tasteful articles
as may brighten and adorn the table
rare china, statuettcs, Indian jars, queer
old ladies. These will
SATISFY THE HUNGER OF THE MIND,
while your fine old fruity or dry wines
aud various courses are tortiIying the
bOdy-lt is so pleasant 10 have something
interesting TO look at, and it Is SO seldom
there IS anything but the food. The
decoration Of the dining.room is frequent.
y neglected. There are often no pictures
on the walls, no flowers on the table,
nothing to satisfy any other Of our facul..
ties except the gastronomOnic. one; and III
We chance to sit by q wearisome or un.
sympathetic companion, we feel the want
4Il the more painfully Pefhaps some day
Temay hope to sec armchairs and plenty
Of elbow room substituted for the uncom.
'OEtabIe crowd Of llRrrow seAls. but this
At present seems so FAT OF that We had
better say no more about 1t, At present we
DO NOT seem to be alive TO Considerations
Of either comfort or beauty.