The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-01-06

amusing conversation, sne Wae WON "
say, can never begin 10 q place 10
ally placed. This tends to throw
the ladies together In one part
of the room, and to prevent the
men from sitting with them from fear OF
spoiing the line OF chairs. The men,
| therefore, stand apart. and though they
| may discuss they never converse; peo-
| pie talk only when they are sitting
down. But this tasteful disor-
der ought not to be left to chance. it
must be determined in advance by the
| mistress Of the house, and it requires
infinite art, for 1t must be a result OF the
happiest combinations. Go into SYM
metrically furnished drawing. room and
from the first you are overcome by q
mortal ennui. Every one Ia gaping on
the quiet the talk Is languishing, 10y.
What must the hostess do whose ig-
norance or inadvertence has made her
responsible for all this suffering? The
|, moment her guests are gone
STUDY THE NATURAL DISORDER
: in which they have left her room and
take 1t as a hint for future com binations
in the same style. AS to the knick-
knacks, good takers have simply hor-
ror of perfect inaction, and they cannot
get on without something to touch
some pretense OF having an occupation
for idle fingers. A pair OF scissors, an
album, q crayon. q paper knife, any
thing will do; but, on peril Of dull
evening, do not leave them empty
handed The more nj diseries there are
among your furniture, the less will there
he In your conversation said Nine. de
Girardin. There is another rule. Ii
you want the talk Of your guests to be
pleasant don't attempt to direct 1t.
Let 1t take it's own course. Nine.
dc Stael, one of the finest takers
| in the universe, made that mistake,
and her drawing room, in conse..
ouence, was always deserted
| by the women. She talked necessarily.
| talked about everything, and always
| talked well; but those who knew her
| best found her tiresome. 'Ah,' she cried
| once. If T were Queen Of France only
I would say' Nine. Recamier, on the
contrary, was content with the humber
role of good listener, and her success
endured to the day Of her death. 1t
was regarded as one. of the highest
privileges to be admitted to her salon
| Of l'Abbaye- aux. Bois, although she
lived without luxury and almost in a
humble fashion. Persons who knew
her have told me that her gifts were as
modest as her fortune; all her merit
consisted in her being o perfect
| listener.
| A LIVELY CONFIRMATION
may begin with the weather. but 1t will
soon take more interesting turn.
Nine. asks q pleasantly malicious
question, NJ. - makes sharp reply !;
an enthusiast begins an animated story,
cynic receives 1t with keen criticism !;
| ~ - ty,ta tc ~ hn to11 ~
epigram restores 1t to it's old footing; q
passionate eulogy gives it flame and
warmth, mild pleasantly puts an end
| to it and leaves everything in good
humor. How quickly the time has
| passed. This Is true conversation /;
these persons will be glad to meet
| again. 1t has sprung up OF itself. LII
| the mistress OF the house had tried to
force it, in hot house fashion, 1t would
never have taken that natural and
agreeable form. Another class Of host
esses, doubly officious, give themselves
the trouble to prepare in the morning
mind. Nine. Campan was one OF these
women OF system. If there are twelve
| at table, she used to say, talk voyages
or literature; II eight. the fine arts,
science, new inventions; IL six, politics
or philosophy; II four, sentiment, TO-
mantle adventure, the dream OF the
heart; IL two, talk OF yourselves; ego
tism belongs to the tete-a.tete.' All
this explains good deal In the charac-
ter of Nine. Campan, who was about
the most wearisome and pretentious
creature ever seem"
| Now for
| DINING-ROOM.
There ale two styles of furnishing
| n l. It'd ~
| XVI, or quite modern, mahogany Dor
day. The buffet must have plenty Of
shelves for the display Of plate or por-
celain, or the porcelain, tastefully ar
ranged, may be by itself In small cup
board with glass doors. The curtain
and other hangiDgs may be in linen
rep or in velvet (gros perD. The paper
must be of sombre hue and velvety tex
ture. If you use old oak furniture youl
wall-covering must be OF the Cordova
leather pattern. II you go further back
in the style than Louis XIV take care
not to show your porcelain, as that
ware only came into use in Europe al
to the mode Of serving, 1t Is still
la la Russe-more 80 than ever
for we have imported the very
latest innovation from st. Petersburg
by Offering the hors-d 'Guvre in the
salon before the meal. These things
oysters, anchovies, ETC., with bread anc
butter-are put on the drawing room
tea table, and the guests pick bit al
they enter, while waiting for the rest
the gentlemen washing down the appe
thing morsels with kummel, the ladies
with sauterne. Many people, however
keep to the old custom, and serve every
thing in the dining room. The dishes
are still carved by the servants, bu
they are first placed whole in front o
the hostess, so that every one may SCI
what Is coming next. This renders th'
bill Of fare unnecessary, and makes thu
dinner look less like meal at a restau
rant. There must always be a han
among the entrees, served hot with Ma
laga or Madeira sauce. The mistress
of the house should serve at least ont
dish herself, as
MARK OF DELICATE ATTENTION
| 70 her p1pStS. anV one will do a vega