Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1872-12-28
DINING.
How They Do It IN England-An In.
tOierable Deal Of Mack

t0feraDlo Deal Of sack.
A writer in the Cincinnati Commercial, de-
scribing Mark Twain's visit in England, il
moved to discourse of dinners. The true Lon
don dinner, he remarks, consists of from twelve
TO twenty courses, the half OF which are sub
staBtial meats, fish. fowls and game braced no
and interpolatsd with patties, soups AMI EN-
trees. Then follows vista OF sullen puddings
and sodden sweets, cakes, custards, and mixed
ices, swhose consumption points toward death
and the hours OF midnight. And still the pOn-
derous feast Is not over. There remain piles OF
green nuts and over nourished fruits, insidous
entrees of late dessert with foreign a4vor and
lastly that inevitable, fatal cOmestibIe, crowa-
ng the goal of every British dinner, and whose
very look and odor suggestions OF the graye-a
Stiiton cheesel But the London dinner is not
mostly thing OF eating. After all has been
aid, it is an affair to be drank rather than m a.
icated, its succeeding courses appearing to be
Introduced mainly for the object OF clearing the
palate for fresh flavor of wine. A dellcate
hook Is placed beside the plate OF microscopic
but finely favored English oysters, that beg n
be meal Sauserne or Moseile succeed to tue
hook, with the fish that follows the oysters. No
selle and Ssuferne give way to the substanti NJ
sherry and hungarian in the third course. The
berry is carried forward with red Burgundy
o accompany tue "piece de resistance" or this
heavy roast of English sirloin tn at breaks the
first shock OF appetite in the process of dning.
Chateau Yquem or white rokay attends th g ID =
that replaces the roast. Game is Introduces,
with claret and champagne. A succeeding dtsh
is supported by glass OF Madeira. The Maist.
ra, In turn, rs contrasted with a Greek wine:
anu a pOttlo OF MinZan1lla Is defciy inserted [
brace the tagging slim llant of the reneIos.
With the dessert appear the massive southern
wines-pOrt and Spanish, while the heavy Eng
lish fayorite, sherry, has not once disappears
from the cloth. The black wines are carried
through the dessert, and fruits. Bordeaaxis
slipped with the cheese, after which the guest J
drink all round liqueurs Ghatreuse or Marasch-
inc, for better digestion, and the ladies retiring
after the English fashion, the cloth is drawn,
cognac and whisky is introduced, and the rsgu-
lar drinking of an English dinner party begins.
To support this enormous and massive eatin 2
and drinking, one would suppose that the Eng
lsh would find 1t convenient, If not absolutely
necessary, to reclne, like the old Romsns, at
their meals. The inference is as absurd a the
fancy of an Anglo Saxon in classic position.
An Eng,ishman is sneyer steadier than when he
rises from hye hours OF dining. He rppears @
carry Il his tons OF food and gallons OF wine as
lightly as If they were biscuit and cup of ts A.
And as for the marvellous population that fol-
lows the ordinary English dinner, tins arIstocrS-
nc Londoner appears simply a porous mem
brane, through which liquids disappear with IN }
simplicity of the endosemOse process in natnT
or rather cosnac and whisky sink into his or
ganizatoR as gracefully il the British sto n
ach We're the proper receptacle and destiny oi
the alcohols.
The upper-class English are undoubtedly the
best dined and best wined race in the worii.
and there appears to be a dispens alton in tn d,
moist, unsteady atmOs pheTe Of the English cli-
mate that atones for its disagree ableness by gl-
lowing an impunity of appetite to the inhtbit.
ants which exist nowhere else. The climate i
soaking one literally. An American arrivin >
in England finds that he can add one-third ID
his ration OF the spirtuous beverages withOat
apprehension. But the stomach of CrssSIs
would not suffice Mark Twain to enjoy even a
moiety Of the substantial good will which he i
hnding among his doughty English friends
British hospitality has always had somethin .
deadly about it. Whether in barrack room,
country house or city club, it polrs out it, l.
minlstrat,ons to the flesh with meaning iu-
eHt to kill.