, 1873-02-13
Anglo~saxon InCapaCity for Enjoy
mont---Tho Charity Ball as
4 Refrigerator.
The French Cooks Annual Dance---
Admirable Display Of Their
Art
English and American After Dinner
Speeches-..Lulicrous Blunder Of
q Noble Drit0n.


From Our 0ton Correspondent.
NEW YonK, Feb. Q, 1873.
Tho past woek has boon ono Of unusual fes-
tivfty, oven for the Metropolis. We have Ind
balls, parties, and receptionn without end,-tho
excessively disagreeable wenthor outside having
had tho effect Of aug1nenting by contrast tho
gayety within. Passing through tho fashions
able thoEoughfarcs, one would hayo imaginea
from tho covered ways, and the carriages arriy-
ing and departing with e1aboratoly -drossod
guests, that the onttto city Ind been surron-
dorod to social exhilarasion and morry-maling.
stE1ANouo1Y PLEASURE.
I never attend any society gathering Of Amori-
cans without being struck anew by tho SOLEMN
quality Of their enjoyment. PlcaHuro-soekinB
with Us iB something like funeral-fol1owing. It
does not soon possible Of attainment, however
much wo may atriyo. Wc lack tho ohoerfulnesB,
Beniallty, and Bpontancity which give truo zoss
to social occasions.
I waH especially romindod Of this at tho Chnri-
ty Ball at the Academy, evening before last. Tor
public gathering, that ia ono Of the worry bost3
In respect to tho kind and condition Of it's s1ar-
ors, which VIC havo during the entire
season. Tho men and women prosent are,
as d rule. woll-brod, cultivated, and
cosmopolitan. You would look to them for tho
finest and most genuine expression OF our 90
clety. And what do You And7 Perfect polite
moss, solf-poiRc, and solf-oonstraint, Of course;
but extreme listleBBness, frigidity. and not
ghost Of sign Of enjoyment. AL high-breed~
ing has IN outward aspect Of coldneaH md re-
eorve; but 1t proves whnt havo said, TINT
gayety, In any strict aonse, Is not a concomitant
of our society.
Tho air OF the Academy wna positively chilly.
though the ovoning was warm, md tho decotlete
style OF drosse8 might have conveyed tho inpre1-
sion that thoir wearera wero warm also. Tho
men and women waro Unconditional and
undemonstrative as 1t they Ind boon absorbed
in tho abatrusest problems Of mathematics.
How sad wore tho measures Of tho dancol Tho
not i curve nor a throb in them the waltzes
and galops we're mechanical gyrstions; and the
scene, from first to sst, perrneatsa with satur-
nine spirit. The partApators called It pleasure;
that they could do 30, eyinces their inability to
oocasion might justly havo boan advertised Us d
masked ball, III which tho pleasure WAS 80 COM
pletely masked that it's prosence could not bo
discovered.
4 marked antlthosie to the Charity Ball Was
the ball Of tho Societa Culinarc PhiIanthropiQue.
tho samo evening" at Irving Hall, On tho oppo-
site eide Of the street. There the French cooks,
enjoyable time. The women wero not 90 well
educated, SO woll dreBsed, or so well trained as
| at the Academy, but, il their breeding was low
er, their dressos wero higher, and they danced.
French, In oil tho walks OF lifo, aro our antip-
odos They can find qualification IN triaes,
and are eupremely happy whore we should be
burfod in gloom.
seemed ike oroasipg the ocean. In one wero the
indifference and oheor1essneBs Of the anglo
Raxon In tho ot11or, tho vtVaoity and sparkle
Of tho Latin. Had been Ia quest Of pleasure,
Of going back to the 1aahionables of the opera
houae.
Many Of the attendants Of the Academy re-
Trained from tho supper prepared BY pelmoniGo, 6
Fronch cooks DO their utmost at their annual
celebrations to illustrate their art. Their tablez
arc beautiful to witness, their mounted piecoa
boing marvellous examplea, Of what they can
seen anywhere else IN Now York; and the
60 to tho balls Us to o confectionery
spectacle. Among the large cold pieces (grosses
e Bastion Of St. Laurent (Bastion d 4ngs!ii!es d.
81. Lauren), made OF eols, IN excellent itnitat
tion Of tho fort 30 prominent during the sioge o
Paris; Boar's Head (Hltre de Sanglicr au Gas
troon1e which looked really feFoolous WITH II,
(Jamtons dc Aayenoe en- Aosaique), 80 beauti
Fully inlaid with colorod iellios that they trul1
deserved to be considered works Of art; TIL
Surprise Swan loygne en- SURPRISE. very natu aa
Of exquisitely- seasoned turkey salad.
OF the mounted pieces, aomo of the mos
noted wore the Temple Of Poace (7en.ple de Il
Pai1), striking creation in sugar, ornaInentet
with strange arabeBques aud beautiful flowers
oil Of pcar1y white; the Swiss Hermitag
| (LE,n,ilage 5uedois), d cottage, lake in iron
and mountains in the ar,-the landscape dot
tod with goats and peasants, daintiiy wrought i
CONNECTIONS and sweetmoats; and the Cottage .
Doves Ia Ohauniere des Colon,bes), q fair
: structure incloaing live linnets, and surgounae
by water in which goldfish were gracefun
swimming.
such curious fashion as to lift the cooks cunnin
into the region Of tho ideal. The proprietor {
one Of our loading hotels remarked "Thee
| French cooks don't do anything Of this sort II
us and they wouldn't II We paid them hui
I drod dollars IN hour"
, FRENCH COOKERY
Ia appreciated here, oven more II confess it wit
than 9r nte5asr 1sosin,
g.: Nicholas, Astor. and othor hotels, he ga' Z,
cook has from s26oo tt, to 5000 % }dn% per ., .,
rios generally Of culinary Gauls must bo noarl
! twice as large as those Of writers for the pre-
! and magaznoa. Their superior COMPENSATION
: porhaps deserved. It may require more inte ne
= 4eCE, CulLuI63 kuA oAPVaAcASo " r. FA1f4A~ 49,
, than to prepare copy. We could get along be
A tor without mental than We could without ply
r ical food. He who furnishes Us WHOLESOME
i | dainty, and delicious pAbulum preserves US fro
q dyspepsia and q thousand nanleleaB Ills, ind me
2 its tbs rank Of public philanthropist and pl
q vate beuefactor.
o An AMUSING 1us1AKE
9 occurred, Tuesday evening, In Irving Place. 4
q Englishman, recently arrived here, bad purcha
9 ed 4 ticket to tho Charity Ball, and, ordering
oarriago at the Clarendon, was driven to +
J. corner Of fifteenth street, whore the Mtlesi'
= Johu drew up, thinking the gentleman insi
!, wished to dance With tho cooks: Upon tho br
Il on's asking, 'tIs this tho plnce2" he was told
= was lie stopped out accordingly and, passi
4 tllo door-keeper, where quite crowd wero goi