The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-12-24
THE HOUSEHOLD.

g AT Christmas play, and make good cheer,
For Christmas comes but once year."
u Dwell with us now awhile, oh, spirit OF Epi-
Iurus! for Christmas cheer is the theme that is
toSengage our pen. The task we are about to
essSy ID too solemn and momentous to be begun
Witlatut piuus invocation, after the manner OF
thosx with which the ''grand old masters" were
wont tol commend themselves to the ''heavenly
muse when they tuned their immortal harps
ana burst forth in lofty song.
As none oG the "tuneful nine" were noted ~
housewives. and as our theme il philosophical
rather than poeticsl. We prefer to invoke the
spirit Of the Sld sage, whose creed was compre-
hended In the Injunction" eat, drink and be
merry, for tomorrow we die." For the nonce let
rs oil say to souls. ss Luke the Evangelist said
And will say to ny soul, Soul, thou hast much
goods laid up for many years take thine ease,
eat, drink and be merry"
In order to aid our readers in carrying out this
commendable purpose, We have put ourselves 20
considerable trouble-s most plessurable trouble
Il WAS though--to get up arious menus, adapted
10 sll sorts of tastes and purses. While engaged
lid this pleasant task we confess to
MANY DELIGHTFUL ooMMUNINds
with the truest-hearted and most genial Of the
old lovers Of good cheer, and even The spirit Of
yls, % Was his custom with the old Sybarites be-
meath the Leucanian palms. There was Charles
Lamb with his roast pig. his leg OF mutton and
turnips, and brace OF game. We took glass OF
Of the James, with genial hearty Thackeray.
With Hazlitt and Mounsey we have lingerd late,
while tour glasses frightened with the pearls Of
ar9can story" or we listened TO their recitas OF
.Ahorous biography"
WITH THE AUTHOR OF ZION 4"
avonipc 9oipino him in
m elegant repast, the menu OF which we cannot
resist giving in his own enthusiastic language.
Sayalhee%s We arrived ut the -- coffee-house
abolt Bix on bright afternoon in the middle of
Sep&mber and found everything ready and ex-
ceileHt; the turtle magnificent and finely relieved
by lime punch, effectualy iced; griled salmon
crisply prepared for its appropriate lemon and
mustard; . leg of Welch mutton just tasted as q
sweet remembrancer' Of its healthy and hungry
hills woodcocks with thighs Of exquisite delicacy
and essence deeply interfused' in thick, soft
toast; and mushrooms, which Nero justly called
sthe flesh Of the gods, simply broiled and
family sprinkled with cayenne"
We cannot forget the enthusiasm OF our genia
companion over this last dish. "This trail" said
he, "suficienty accounts for the flowers which
were seen scattered on the sepuchre Of Nero
when the popular indignation ragged highest
against his memory-tbe grateful Roman had
eaten his mushrooms under imperial auspices.
Then, with hearty old
ssoHRIsTorHER In HIS SPORTING JACKET"
we spent morning in search Of an appetite, be
with the slang gun" and We with "Muckle mou'd
Meg" following his "ebonspotted Fro," az she
dashed with 'breast- brushing brattle down the
brae,n 70 recover the game we brought down.
Among our game was one Of those exquisite
little ducks, the Teal. Yes" said old Christie
pher, when he saw it, ".poetical in ts delicately
pencilled spots 90 an Indian shell, and when KEEP
to an hour, roasted to q minute, gravied in iti
own wild richness, with some few other meani
and appliances to boot, carved fnely-most fnel.
by razor-lke knife In hand skillful to dissec
and cunning to divide--tasted by tongue ant
palate both healthily pure as the dewy petal of
morning rose-swallowed by gullet felt grad
ually to be extending itself in Its intense deligh
---and received into stomach yearning with gree
and gratitude-Ohl surely the thrice blessed @
all web-footed birds; the apex Of Apieisn luxury
and able, we're anything on the face Of this feebl
earth able, to detain soul on the very brink {
fate. short quarter of an hour from an inferio
Eysium."
But we are neglecting our task in the too en
trsncing company OF these cheice spirits, but "
grace after communing with them, though W
question IL we shall give better bill Of fare tina
that we enjoyed with the gentle Talfourd. Her
however, 10 breakfast, to begin with, which "
comfort ourselves with the belief Is simply eli
giant:
Raw oysters.
BroiIed Eheephead, with Green Sauce.
Chablrs.
omelstse . rEspsgnole, sauterne.
Mutton Chops p.ns = soGe'ss ssm.as o.0'n0wer Salad
Roausfort Cheese. Fruits, Burgundy.
OAfs nuafs CoRnAe.
The grssn ssase svs<y good houssksspsF q
cspsrs. ssms sia plassss and ssakaisss sss ap