The Indianapolis leader. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1879-1890, 1881-11-12
The Fork of Death, the Great American
Soup Eater, and the Host Whose six
Guests Were Always Late.

Guests Were Always Late.
In NJ. Eugene Chavette's witty and
curious little volume, published In 1867,
.Restaurateurs ct Restaures, Some entertain
ing portraits are given of eccentric guests
celebrated a. Partisan cafes. One OF the
me st celebrated of these was Courier. COM
monty called 'The Fork of Death" q
habitue OF the Restaurant Bonvalet, who in
viied victim to dine with him by the year
and slew him with high feeding The first
died OF appopIexy after six months COM
bat; the second held his own for two years
and then succumbed to u silver complaint
an indigestion brought on by over indul-
gence in the liver of the Strasbourg goose,
'.ihree DAYS after" a. Courier sadly said
when gazing on the funeral from the win
dow of the restaurant IL had treated hi.n
u new hat for ms birthday A third
champion then descended into the Arena, a
long, lean man named Ameline, who said
as his invariable grace when sitting down
to table with bis host: "You o rascal. II
going to bury you,' while the host gently
replied by way of ''Amen, "Nonsense. The
other two said the same thing The crafty
Ameline, however. took occasion to pick
quarrel monthly with his amphitryon, and
retiring sulkily to his tent dieted
himself on tea, toast and SIENNA, returning
to the encounter Modified and re-
freshed after an absence of two or three
davs. during which Courier lost still more
ground by eating rapidly and injuring bis
long digestion by solitary and gloomy re-
Elections. One day, after the duel had last
ed three years, Courier, who had just
helped himself to a fourteenth slice of four
wear. old Welsh mutton, threw his head
IN
about to sneeZe, muttered the customary
benediction, but Courier fell forward into
the eurrant jelly, dead as the mutton he SO
dearly loved He who had taken the fork
persisted by the fork. He should have imi-
tated the prudent diner of the Cafe Richie,
who al ways had two d, zen saucers piled at
his lett when he sat down to table and wore
one between his collar and the nspe of his
neck throughout the repast, changing it as
it became warm, as preventive against
apoplexy.
There was good deal of lnonotony and
variety about the bi-monthly repast of the
eccentric who used to dine at the Maison
Philippe, going conscientiously through the
thirty five or forty soups on the bill of fare
and topping off with cream meringue. An
other much pointed-out diner frequented
the Restaurant Velour, distinguishing him
self by his devotion to sweets "a plump and
ROSY little old gentleman, who carried the
Princess Lambert's head round Paris OIL q
PIKE in his salad days. Handel, who
ordered the dinner for four, and, arriving
alone, babe it be brought In "brestissimo-I
am de company" was outdone by the man
of an unbounded stomach who used to visit
Vachette's every fortnight and call for the
proprietor, Brebant, and give the following
order: '.My Gear Brebant, l shall
have six friends to dinner to-mor-
row mentioning their names). All
experienced diners, you seel Get
us a nice little dinner--70 francs ahead
without wine. Have it served at 6 o'clock,
post-otfice time. l have told them TO be
punctual." At AS the host arrives. inspects
the table, writes out the names of the diners
and places their cards at their plates, ar
ranges the relis hes according to the taste OF
each. then takes out his watch. "Ah, 6
O'clock and no one here" Brebrant: s.Per-
hsps YOU are fast?' mo, l always keep post
Office time, and told them 6 to the minute
| I'll give them a lesson. Have dinner serv-
edr' Brebant: "But they may have been
unsccountably delayed "Wel I'll give
them five minutes grace" After watching
COR them In vain-"Put on the dinner; they
cam overtake ,ue.'' Then he fell to and de-
voured the dinner for seven, indulging in 9
monologue for the benefit of the waiter
"Why on earth did all those scoundrels fai
to keep their appointments? All, by Jove
always dimes to-day with his wife's
nlother-I never thought of that. But b
] suppose he has had an attack af his old
enemy, the govt. And Cob, the rascal ha.
met pretty woman on the way. L could
bet on it; he will never learn wisdom if hs
lives to be as old as Mathussleh. Having
found excuses for ALL But, hang it, gen
tleman would send three lines tie say h
couldn't come" Coffee being served, h
sends for Brebant and says with triumph
ant smile: "You see if l had taken you
advice I'd be waiting for them still. II
invite them again two weeks from now ant
see If they will be more punctual.' Ant
two weeks laler, the same comedy havinl
been performed with due sclemnity, tn
diner reiterates his determination with in
dignant vehemence: "D-n them, I'll as
!, them again l want to see how far they vii
carry their brutal lack of politenessp