Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1881-06-01
Down-East Dinners.

" l.
Whoever has penetrated far into the
New England country must have OBJ
served that in their habits OF feeding,
and in what they iced upon, the people
there differ widely from those OF New
York and the West. The difference is
noticeable from the moment you cross
the frontier. Upon the tables OF the
hotels of New Haven an Hartford you
find dishes that no New York hotel
cook would consent to prepare, except
on pain Of dismissal. Throughout New
England the o'clock dinner Is account
Ell a solecism,s "high-toned' New York
notion, not to be initiated or encourag
ed. At noon everybody takes the prin-
cipal meal OF the day, and II some feeble
systems break down under the double
strain Of work and digestion carried on
simultaneously through the afternoon,
the failure is attributed TO liver COM
plant. At the hour when New York
ers are enjoying their dinners the dowi-
East folks are at tea or supper. Tie
repast is the same under either name
colo ham, hot biscuit, pickles, preserves,
tea, and, of course, pie. Pie and the
doughnut 90 hand in hand all over New
England. What New York man or wo-
man can think of pie as br, akiast dish
Nithout a shudder? The New Eng
lander doesn't shudder lie hikes it at
any time. ID there are six in a family,
one pie JUS; goes round. Three pies
a dav, 81 week, l,Oa2 year. The
Yankees are hardy race, there Is no
doubt of it. Where and when the
douyhnut took its rise is a question that
has been too much neglected by our
arrEie Ilogists and Gntiquarisns. There
is nothing resembling it in the ideo'
graphic writing Of the Egyptians, nor is
n mentioned in The inscriptions from
the palaces ui the Assyrian kings. No
,iouxhnuts we're i,und at POmpeil among
the fragments of the repssts 81 rudely
interrupted by the volcano. Yet the
orr a, ant guilty II the doughnut appears
from thu TACT that, like the hsh-hook, II
has undergone no substantial change In
form in historical times. What reis-
ton, il any, exists between doughnuts
nj the fail of republics il remains for
the student OF political science to dis
cover.
In the New England hotel dining
room, outside the larger cities at least,
vour waiter is a girl. You miss the
fDreiyn attendan', with his un2rammat-
zeal remarks IN five languages, and the
black mans smiling. "Ies, sab, bnt
YOU notice that the girl is always neatly
dressed and often pretty. At this sea
son Of the year she wears sprlg OF trail
ing aTbutus in her hair; later in the
sumner il will be rose or carnation.
IL is quite the thing t. converse with
her during the meal. As YOU are I'M
folding Your napkin YOU observe that
the local custom of having the yittles
all on the table" is followed, except as
II meats and vegetables The infinite
possibilities vi New England dessert
unfold upon you. A YOU bend over
the thick, brown paste there known as
soup, your eve traces with secret
mathematical pleasure an intricate DE-
sign pricked Nth fork.,ines in the crus,
OF Gn apple pie placed in front OF yOu.
To the left is a mince pie, 10 the right
custard pie, aud Just beyond broad
dish Of apple sauce rises one OF those
strStifed piles which bear the name OF
the Father OF his Country. Be sure that
the doughnut dish Is not lar Oft. Post
beef, rrsst turkey. corned beef, pork,
fresh fish," saws the girl. Up there
anything that swims and has not been
sailed is a "fresh fish," There is in
this vagueness the evidence OF desire
not to seem over,famil'a or with a COM
paratiye stranger. Just as YOU are ale
ways Monsieur" and never Mr. Blank
to Frenchman, so a cod, a halibut or
shad is delicately alluded TO as fish"
in New England.
Mere strength, moral or physical, will
not carry one through one OF these din
ners. Philosophy is the great sustainer.
Let the mind 'expatiste free" over the
cuisine as q developed institution.
Think OF the simple habits of the rae
coon, content to eat his green corn after
merely dipping il in water; think of
Brillat.Ssvarin and the Centennial
Cook. book" think Of peaches a IA
Condo, and then examine the piece of
roast beef on your plate. 1t 10 long and
narrow, brown and dry. 1t soaks ND
the gravy like blotting paper. Out Of
the broad back Of one Of those huge oxen