Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1879-12-13
THE HOLMES BREAKFAST.
The "Autocrat" Greeted with Thoughts
that Breathe and words
that Burn.
The Poem which lac rcnd-i.eifers
from President Hayes, MIR.
Bancroft and Lydia
Maria Child.

BOSTON, December 0.-lncre SAT
down to-day at breakfast-iI the term
may be applied to Il meal which is
served two hours after the sun has
crossed the meridiam-at the Hotel
Brunswick in this city an exceeding
ly distinguished party of ladies and
gentlemen. Meaning no otIense. Oh
the contrary desiring to do simple
Justice to them, it may truthfully be
stated that the casual unknown and
insignificant guests, of whom per-
haps there were a dozen present,
could not, as they gazed around the
break fast-room, wholly rid them
selves of the feeling that they were
in rare museum depository of
selected Jewels. Turn as the casual
guest would, the originals of forms
long familiar to him through the
shadowy photography of print, met
his eyes-Oliver Wendell Holmes,
Ralph Waldo Emerson, John G.
Whittier, w. ID. Howells. Miss Phelps,
Lucy Larcom Trowbridge. Mark
Twain, Mrs. Stowe, Joseph Cook,
Mr.. Aldrich, Miss Preston, julia
Ward howe and score of other
equally well-Enown gifted beings all
set in flesh and blood and yet de-
vouring flesh and blood before his
very eyes. Then the casual guest nm
derstOOd that he was at feast III
honor of the seventeen birthday of
the "Poet of Tears and Smiles," DR..
Oliver Wendell Holmes, and which
was given, accordin. to their pleasant
custom of houoring the threescore
years aud ten of their distinguished
contributors, by the publisheis of the
Atlantic Monthly. aud under the fol-
lowing invitation:
The invitation read as follows:
The publishers OF the Atlantic Monthly
to the contributors.
i'll honor of the 10th anniversary Of the
Oliver Wendell Holmes
The Brun wick Boston.
December 3, 1879.
To be exactly accurate, to-day does
not co,hp!ete that ripe old age for
DR.. Holmes. He reached his seven
,ieth birthday on the twcnty-ninth
day Of August last, the feast being
then deferred on account of the iu-
harmonious condition of the weather.
The breakfast was appointed for one
O'clock, but it was nearly All hour
later before the doors of the break
fast-room were thrown open. Even
with this extension of time the little,
sprightly old gentleman, whose eyes
are soft and childlike and whose hair
| seems suddenly TO have paused in its
process of whitening-as if i'll doubt
whether the wearer proposes to grow
older or youngrr-found it impussi-
BILE to listen aud reply to half of the
pleasant and manifestly sincere things
/ hi Sfsh n n hnf
he was called upon to give his arm to
Mrs. Houghton and lead the way to
the tardy repast.
| To say that the break fast was given
in tlower-garden would be perhaps
a simple way Of describing the Bruins
wick ''banquet ha|l"-Boston hotels
have no breakfast or dining-rooms,
they are all ''banquet halls" The
apartment may be photographed as
follows: Six long tables occupied
the centre of the floor. Four of these
were arranged lengthwise with tho
ROOM, while the other two were
placed at right angles to them, one u,
each end OF the room. The'space be.
tween the tables and the windows
looking out upon the street was ti.leC
with palm trees of huge size. placed
in tubs of earth. which were in turn
placed upon blocks or pedestals. The
decorations, exclusively floral, were
very elaborate. The four large mirrors
on the side walls of the hall were
tastefully hung with festoons o
smilaX intermingled with flowers o
various kinds. The mantels were als'
profusely filed with rare flowers all;
plants, while the tables themselve
were SO covered with roses, carn;l
lions. camellias and other flower
that 1t seemed doubtful at first hov
the courses could be served. Tw,
large baskets of flowers We're set a
the end of each table, and at the cor
ners of each wtre strewn, i'll appar
emily loose piles, a lot of flowers. |
looked as if careless elbow Nigh
disarrange and upset these fragran
heaps, but a closer inspection shove,
that their stems were neatly tied to
yether. This is said to be the lates
Boston wrinkle III the arrangement
of flowers. In the centre of the to
S and bottom tables were immense OF
long baskets of flowers, from whic
+, delicate trails of smilax. with her
and there bright colored flower
ran gracefully in and out among tn
: silver dishes.
4 The guests enjoyed the followin
MENU.
Filet of Sole, tartar sauce.
Stuffed Saddle-R0ck oysters. roasted.
Omrlctte, with chicken livers.
q Outlets of chicken. French peas.
Filet OF beef larded, with mushrooms.
Potato croquettes. tomatoes.
Brolied wOJdcock, on toast.
Roast quail, stuffed, with trulllcs.
"a Dressed celery.
Creams and ices. Cakes. Fruits.
Coffee.
Mr.. lloughton, the publisher. el
: tereL the breahsast room with Mr.
Stowe; President Eliot, of Harvar
College, with Mrs. Wester; NJ
d Whittier with Mrs. jackson; III
Rev. Phillips Brooks with Mrs Field
, Mr.. Emerson with Mrs Cooke al
Governor Rice with Miss Sprague.
IL a,