Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1883-07-19
A CHINESE DINNER.
The Picturesque Hanquet In "a Manda.
rims Household

our party Of five English guests.
met in G.'s Office, and proceeded in In
dian file, each in his sedan chair
threading our way through narrow
streets dimly Lit with Chinese Ian
terms, says writer in the Pail Mall
Gazette dcscibing Chinese dinner.
We stopped in narrow lane on the
outskirts Of the town, entered shab-
by-looking doorway and mounted a
ladder-like staircase. This led into a
suite Of rooms, where / found myself
wishing for Argus eyes TO take in the
hundred new aspects. They were not
large or gorgeous, like SidOnia's apart
ments in Iolywell street, but quaint
and curiOusly furnished A long Ia
bic Of black lacquer, and square-cut
chairs with marble blocks down eth
er side, at the end a smoking diyan
with embroidered silk hangings This
was the ante-room. Two doorways
led from it into the dining room, and
| in the space between them was a sort
Of kaleidoscope pattern of a colored
| glass, below which were rich hang
ings, with grotesque dragons in gold
thread sprawlng over crimson silk
ground. Over the doorway was open
arabesquc work of ebony, and beyond
the dining-room was a veranda with
orange trees and crcepers While
we were being introduced. tea was
served in Chinese fashion an invert-
ed saucer is dropped into the cup TO
keep down the tea leaves (teapots are
unknown in China, and you sip, or, If
you are novice like myself, you spin,
the huid that finds its way between
the two. Then we went 10 dinner, a
party Of twelve Onmy right was an old
| merchant, sagaciOus and humorous, 10
Judge by his looks and what could
make out Of his broken English On
my left was a young hali-caste, edu-
Gated in the government school here
iluent, sallow and conccitcd, Chairs,
knives and forks had been provided
FOR the English guests but we soon
discarded the chairs for the comforta-
BE lounges on which our hosts were
seated, and also took TO chopsticks.
with the occasional assistance Of a
spoon. Those chopsticks were a per
feet godscnd. and never should have
survived without their help. But
must explain. The dinner which con-
sisted II some thirty courses, was all
served in teacups. Cup followed cup,
each filed with some kind Of mince
some In broth and some dry. but all
satisfying as raspberry vinegar Now
the chopsticks allowed us to taste
each one in succession, and though we
were not skilled enough TO consume
all we might have liked Of the few
good. we could toy with the many mas
~ ones and leave them without giving
ofcnse. The birds nest soup with
which we began was negatiye-a sort
Of stringy arTowroot but the sharks
Tin and fishes nav stcwci with ham
were as rank as congcr eel. Quail
partridge and lobster are good all the
world over, and the bamboo shoots
and wood fungus with which they were
served were no bad substitute for as
paragus and mushrooms. But the
stcwed seawced and sinews n the
deer Had it not been for the excellent
dry champagne, ! must have succumh-
| ed. The last course was exquisite.
and brought back memories OF the
Arabian Nights" honey cakes. earth
nuts and stcwed lotus seeds in syrup.
Dinner over. we lit cigars. and strains
of music were heard from the next
room. Two young girls, one Of them
dressed AS a boy, sang alternately, ac.
companying themselves on a sort of
zither. played. however, not with the
thumb. but a mallct or rather a min.
ute halberd. Ny young Chinaman
apologized for what he called our ma.
tional caterwauling; but, though the
notes were thin and shrill, yet instru-
ment and voice went so well together
and the air was SO natively plaintive,
that listened with pleasure There
was an opium pipe in the divan. and
our host, though not a smoker himself,
offered to have pipe prepared for me.
The servant brought small pellet OF
opium. which he held over a flame till
it boiled up TO big bubble. II was
then put all hot into the bowl, and /
gave as instructed succession of short, |
quick pulls In minute it was out,
leaving a sweet, sicLly taste in my