Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1877-06-20
ABulgarian Dinner.

TO dinner by rich yeoman in a
Bulgarian village, who had risen to
independence by agriculture, and
was now the owner OF landed
property and large fiocks of sheep,
though he had commenced life with
only pillow and a pair of buHalos.
His account of the feast is not UNI
inviting;
about s o'clock my Bulgarian
host came to announce that dinner
was ready, and we proceeded to
his house, where we were ushered
into the room, for there was only
one besides the family bedroom.
Everything was scrupulously clean
the room was tastefully arranged
with rugs and cushions, and there
was blazing fire on the ground in
the center of the room, and upon
it several copper pots which gave
forth the most savory smells.
The female part of the establish
ment were there to receive me, and
they consisted of the wives of the
host and his son, together with a
daughter, all remarkably plain
But the heat. The month was Jul
ly, and the room was like an oven,
while /, as the honored guest, had
TO take the seat near the fire.
whispered TO the Vice-Consul
that before dinner was half over
there would be nothing left of me
but the wick, and so he consider
ately suggested to our host that as
it was a lovely moonlight night,
we might dine in the veranda.-
Happy thought. Our host at once
consented, but not without ex-
pressions from the female portions
of the company that we should die
of cold, although the thermometer
was at seventy degrees Fahrenheit.
We were soon seated, cross-leg-
ged and Turkish fashion, in a cir
Gle on the ground, in the center
was placed basin of soup, and
we were given ashallow iron spoon,
with which we were supposed to
dip into the common bowl. Ii
there is one thing which / cannot
abide it is sitting cross-legged and
Turkish fashion on the hard ground.
The heels of my boots get into
wrong places, | find that ] have
bones where | always thought all
was soft, and / either sit so far
backward that | am in danger of
rolling over in that direction, or SO
far forward that / have the APP
pearance Of saying my prayers, be-
sides which | get the cramp; so
that altogether ] did not feel ex-
actly at my ease in this sedentary
attitude. Added TO this, the dis
lance from my mouth to the CON-
mon bowl was considerable, and 10
transfer the soup across it in a
shallow spoon was feat which was
only to be accomplished by pa
thence and perseverance. In my
first attempt got the cramp in my
foot when the spoon was half way
to my mouth, and deposited the
soup outside instead of inside my
waistcoat, and learned that it was
decidedly hot, which was so far
satisfactory.
/ then tried the kneeling atti-
tude and got on better. The soup
was a delicious mixture of sweets
and sours, and full of vegetables.
Next came lamb, roasted whole
head and all, which we cut at in
common; but the expression on
the lambs countenance made me
feel like cannibal. The delicious
pastry called "melena" followed,
wine was handed round during the
meal, and even an alderman might
have felt that he had dined.
The son of our host and his wife
then came round with a brass dish,
a piece of soap, and a very pretty
embroidered towel, with which we
cleansed our hands, and relapsed
into coffee, cigarettes, and CONVEX
sation.