The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1873-09-18
Living in Paris.
MIR. Henry watterson's Opinion

which was the living" in Paris. Let
us return to our mutton, for it is, with
beef, about the best we shall get The
two staples form the basis of every
thing. BY the aid of trulles, mush-
rooms and olives they are tortured into
thousand forms, and, to this extent,
one has no right to complain. He can
not complain of good beef, He cannot
complain of good mutton. He is an
ass if he complains of trutlles, mush
rooms and olives. But, in the long run,
a man grows tired of cen these luxu-
rics, and begins to "hom after some
thing plain and simple, after something
dI HdtltrGi such rs bit of stewed ter
rapin, or crisp soft-shell crab, or a
canvas-back duck, or a pompano, or a
plump, fresh partridge, or a young,
contraband prairie hen, or even Il
brOiled chicken. He can get none of
these in Paris. Their game is nearly
always foul. If you get it pure and
sweet it is by chance In cities OF such
magnitude as this the keeping of game is
a sort of necessity. This being the fact
the Paris caterers long ago got out the
notion that game is better the longer it
is kept-a rank and poisonous lie.
lam indebted to John Churchill for
the practical and conclusive lesson that
the sooner bird or fish is cooked al
ter it is taken, the better it is at table,
and | believe this applies to every
species Of delicate animal food. Nor is
this all. Game is priced for its game
flavor, and whenever it is smothered by
extraneous appliances it is spoiled. y
partridge, fat and tender, is as good as
mushroom. Truilles do not improve
woodcocks. The birds can afford to go
it on their own hook without any as
sistnnce whatever So with such fish as
the pompano, the mountain trout, the
lack salmon and the shad. They are
able to stand alone. Over here they
don't stand mt all. Their best shcll-tish
are the crawfsh and the snail, for the
lobster is indigenous everywhere, and is
not to be counted in the list. They
know nothing of the soft-shell crab, of
the terrapin, or of the oyster as Il cook
able Wand. Their turbOt will not COM
pare with our halibut, nor their sole
with our shad. The English white-bait
is simply u minnow, and only tritle
better than the smelt In soups, which
is a thing of condiments, they do excel
us. As a general rule their service is
neater than ours. But you can give,
on n few hours notice, a better dinner
at the St. Nicholas in Cincinnati, or ut
Rulers in Louisville, wines included,
that you can give in Paris at the cafe
Anglais, or in London at the Buring-
ton. The American prices will range
somewhat higher, certainly. But we
pay high duties on wine, and it is there
that figures will chiefly tell in the bill.
Not very much difference will be found
| as to the dishes.
A word or two about these prices and
/ may as well bring this roundabout
essay to a close. TO be sure there is
considerable art in ordering u dinner,
involving both a knowledge OF the
French language and II knowledge OF
| the particular restaurant where you are
dining. The American who under
stands neither may expect to pay thirty
per cent. more than other people, who
do. Ignorance of every sort, and all ever
| the world, has to be paid for. But at
the best, he who expects to dine like a
swell must also expect to settle like a
swell. have heard of Il good, first
class, cheap dinner in Paris. At the
Diner de Paris, where they charge you
six francs, dollar and half in green
backs, the food is all messed and the
wine is sour. There is no thoroughly
good taJie dhote at fixed price in
Paris When you order a Ia cartc you
will have to take the consequences, and
three or four dollars head will secure
square, well-served meal, not gorgeous
or elaborate, and that is all. 1t is
sheer nonsense to talk about cheapness
in Paris. If one is to live like a dog
let him stay at home. If he is to live
like n nabob he must fetch plenty OF
money with him, and spend it freely.
There is not the least doubt OF this,
and the old, contrary idea, founded on
by-gone prices, ought to be dissipated.
II is n sheer illusion. 1t is gone
Like tenants that quit without warning
Down the back entry Of time.
els YOUR house warm enough IN cold
weathef?" inquired an anxious father OF
newly married son. My mother-in-
law makes it plenty warm enough for
me, but I guess Mary Jane and the
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