The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1883-06-28
LONDON DINNERS,
The Fashionable Hours and the Fashions.

The Fashionable Hours and the Fashions.
bio Custom OF Attending Behind Time.
1t is the age Of exaggeration, an our
social gatherings are organized upon the
same 0ver-grown scale as our grand hotels.
In many cases they can scarcely be said to
be organized at all. The ne plus ultra OF
discomfort is assuredly reached in one Of
those Brobdingnagian dinner parties which
are periodically given in the London man.
sions OF tremendous magnaies like the mar
quis of Csrabas There are very few private
lndi siduals, the resources Of whose house.
holds are equal to a banquet served aud ap.
pointed in the manner that guests have a
right to expect when covers are laid'' for
thirty. In these establishments there Is no
excuse for any miscarriage OF the cuisine.
1t is to the credit OF the hosts II the dishes
are perfect, and. in point OF TEN persture. in
tirst.rate condition. II is, however, q slight
upon the guests If there is any failure In
these respects, and deficiencies invariably
abound when the dimensions Of the feast
are so huge. The worst Is that the mis-.
chievous example set by these august
entertainers Is followed by ambitious
Amphitryons Of smaller sort, aud
without the vestige OF excuse.
The queen Is currently supposed to dine Al
Q o'clock. The idea mas been thereto dis.
seminated that 1t is the correct thing 10
ask ones friends at s, and to sit dowf, 10
dinner as near as possible an hour sfte-
the time mentioned In the invitation; The
only excuse for hsbitual unpunctuality a
this time oil year Ia that when the COMPANY
is largely composed OF parliamentary peo.
pie the hosts are more or less Ut the mercv
OF the arrangements OF the house. But
this unpunctuality Is initiated In establish.
ments where not the faintest apology for n
can be pleaded. Things have now come 10
pass at which every invitation should be
accompanied by a little commentary. or
should be read between the lines, or should
have appended to II . glossary. Whether 8
o'clock meane five minutes past, or omar.
ter past, or half past, or a quarter to 8, en-.
tirely depends upon the customs OF the
household, and those who dine under the
hosBitable roof for the first time cannot
their advent. There Is another rsspect
In which the habits oil the period are hirhIv
reprehensible, and here again the eyil
result Is due TO the same idiotic mimicry of
what is supposed to be the correct thing.
The marquis and marcnioness of Carabaa
marshal their guests In to dinner In revn.
lar order, and they fall into their natural
places. Less distinguished mem bers OF the
peerage and humble commoners do not Al
ways entertain persons the degrees Of
precedence possessed by whom are equally
well defined. The consequence Ii that
when the stampede downstairs Is con.
cluded, there reigns In the dining.room
itself scene OF hideous confusion, lady
Gorgius Midas knows that Lady Carabns
does not place the names Of her guests on
that particular area OF table.cloth opposite
to which they are expected 10 ait. She,
therefore, apes the omission, and chaos IL
the result, because the well-dptined vrada.
tons OF rank, which more or less conipen.
safe FOR u IN the other case, are wanting.
We would particularly invite the attention
OF all hosts and hos,esses to this matter. IN
II Is worth while to ask people TO dinner. n
Is worth white to take some little trouble A,
to the method Of their disposition. Not 70
assign TO each guest his or her portion OF
the circular or oblong mahogany 10, with
the inferior order Of entertainers. a p,ece al
silly swagRer. which ought TO be resented.
-tLondon World,