, 1875-10-09
NOME AND SOCIETY.
Luncheon.

The two most common SUBJECTS Oh
oor,nI.iot with wives and mothers OF
I;o,;,oJ income in this and other large
cites are first, that they are debarred
from society by the expense OF the
ordinary methods of hospitality; and,
secondly. that the habits of city iiie
sepzra,e them from the companlonsmp
of their children. The wife Of man
in moderate circumstances tells YOU
that she cannot afford TO give balls,
ko,tIedrums. or even dinners to her
friends; that her boys and girls scurry
off TO school after hurried breakfast,
and dine at noon alone: for, beng
women of sense, she will not allow
them to eat the heaviest meal OF the
dayat 6 orr P. NJ, the hour when their
fa,ber comes home to dinner. The
family dinner at midday, and the even
ing tea of inland towns, at which
parents and children gather about the
table and learn 10 know one another
through the interests and feelings OF
every dav, are almost unknown IN the
same grade of social city life. Now
we suggest that luncheon Is a meal OF
undeyeloped opportunities 10 the
I,,,,,.-, ,,,vr anu inUyner. we 40 not
bv anv means refer 10 the elaborate
state lunches given by leaders of fash
ion during the last two or three years,
where the floral decorations alone cost
= liberal annual income. But there is
no reason why any hoQsekeeper should
not with q little personal trouble, con
vert her chiIdren's dinner into a deli
calely served sayory meal to which
she could invite Informally two or
three Of her lady trends. 1t is EN-
phatically a woman'S meal; and hus-
bands need not hint Cynically that the
chief dish will be gossip. There is no
better talk than tha. Of three or four
cultured Clever women, alone together;
none which would be more civIlizlng
and effective on children. How is a
child to acquire gool breeding if it is
not brought socially into contact with
well bred people? american children
in cities are crammed with all kinds Of
knowledge, but thei are left to the
companiUnShip of servants and Of one
another; who can bame them if they
too often betray the IDEAS and manners
of he kitchen and tie ball ground?
The dishes on the hinch-table Shou d
be .ight-but prettily served y meal
of cold meats, pickles, creams, fruit,
thick chocolate, with dry toast, etc,
can be more easily made attractive,
as every experienced housekeeper
knows, then the heavy course of a
dinner. 1t is advisable, too, for this
MONDAY meal, to color the table
warmly. The majority Of economical
house wives buy the plain white china
for every day Use, but it has, to us, a
chilly and meager air in conjunction
with the ordinary snowy napery.
There are equally cheap seis of both
English and French china of delicate
| and rich colOrs, which, under skilltul
handling, convert An ordinary meal in.
to picture. The most beautiful and
| (where there i any garden room) the
! cheapest table decoration is, of course
flowers. \ little care and trouble will
provide thesewifhout expense. Morn,
ing glory wins, Cobea, wild ivy, and
Learil will grow each in a foot square
of the back Yard, and bestow them.
selves skywarj thereafter, and with a
few boxes of GoIeus in attic window,
will crown yoIr board with splendoT
like jewels, mlil the snow comes.
This daily lunch requires, perhaps
time and care; but our reader viii
| find her rTewart at the end of the year.
/ ic she have established the custom in
her house Of wholesome, unhurried,
dainty meal, Were she can meet her
children ami friends cheerfully and
with little cost.-ScrijRer.