Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1883-05-30
WHOLE NO. 2l21.
A CHINESE DINNER.
The Picturesque Banquet In n Manda
rims Household.

The Picturesque banquet In n Mnndn
rims Household.
Our party of five English guests,
met in ca 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 Il writer in the Pail Mall
Gazette descibing II Chinese dinner.
We stopped in narrow lane on the
outskirts of the town, entered a shah
by-looking doorway and mounted q
ladder-like staircase. This led into a
suite of rooms, where | found myself
wishing for Argus eyes to take in the
hundred new aspe'ts. They were not
large or gorgeous, like Sidonia's apart
ments in Holywell street, but quaint
and curiously furnished. A long Ia
BILE of black lacquer, and square-cut
chairs with marble blocks down eth
er side, at the end a smoking divan
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 colored
glass, below which were rich hang
lngS, with groteSque dragons in gold
thread spraWling over a crimson silk
ground Over the doorway was open
arabesque work of ebony, AID beyond
the dining-rOom was veranda with
orange trees and creeperj. While
we were being introduced, tea was
served in Chinese faShion-an invert-
ed saucer is dropped into the emp to
keep down the tea leaves (teapots are
unknown in China, and you sip, or, if
you are novice like myself, you spill,
the fluid that finds its way between
the two. Then we went to dinner, a
party of twelve. On my light was an old
merchant, sagacious and humorous, to
judge by his looks and what | could
make out of his broken English. On
my left was young half-caste, edu-
Gated in the government school here
fluent, sallow and conceited, Chairs,
knives and forks had been provided
for the English guests, but we soon
discarded the chairs for the comlorta-
bic lounges on which our hosts were
seated, and also took to chopstcks,
with the occasional assistance of a
spoon. Those chopsticks were a per-
feet godsend, and | never should have
survived without their help. But |
must explain. The dinner which con
sisted of some thirty courses, was all
served in tcacups. Cup followed cup,
each filled with some kind of mince.
some in broth and some dry, but all
satisfying as raspberry vinegar Now
the chopsticks allowed lis 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
ty ones and leave them without giving
otfense. The birds nest soup with
which we began was negative-a sort
of stringy arrowrOot ; but the sharks
fin and fishes nav stcwed with ham
were as rank as conger 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
stewed seaweed and sinews of the
deer? Had it not been for the excellent
dry champagne, ImuSt have succumb,
ed. The last course was exquisite,
and brought back memories of the
Arabian Nights'-honey cakes, earth
nuts and stewed lotus seeds in syrup,
Dinner over, we lit cigars, and strain,
of music were heard from the next
room. Two young girls, one of them
dressed as boy, sang alternately, ac,
companying themselves on sort of
either, played, however, not with the
thumb, but a mallet or rather a min.
ute halberd. My 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 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 a big bubble. 1t was
then put all hot into the bowl, and |
gave as instructed succession of short,
quick pulls. In minute it was out,
leaving sweet, sickly taste in my
mouth, but producing no effect, pleas
ant or otherwise, on my nerves. Reg
ular smokers swallow the smoke, and
no doubt that makes difference.
The Most Wonderful Thing.
A correspondent asked a Zuni chief