The Opelousas courier., 1884-10-04
AsHKONABLE

ar FASHIONABLE OKNNEEGSs
!. EIalnte Customs which Increase the
~ GuS' Pleasure and the Hosts Ex.
PEN
a. WI the spread Of wealth and re-
inemt greater attention is now di-
recteSo the d~elicacies of the table, and
everyEason in Philadelphia sees some-
9 thingaded to the elegance of dining.
Ifmaers keep on this country moi to
9 ment' England-we viii out
riyaP nptuous repasts the CASTRO
nomiSASavagancieso of the most luxu-
rious ;ge { France. Philip lie Bet
used te hae at his dinners a fountain
OF realchapagne, which flowed from
the mout lof leopards and lions. Not
only els l., but a good many
other NJ rchs, INDUCED in the feature
o It a.eta If mechanism in the ceiling
Of tt d. lueting hall which let down
magIelei fly cooked dishes, and in
doing p altered a shower of sweet
meats ,e roses over the guests. Sim
Harry, hl sXVIII., at his elaborate
banquew( 3 accustomed to have orto-
lans Witkr s8.fies cooked inside of par
tridges, nd. on one occasion had a
dinner Of 100 different dishes. In
novelties and in elaboration of cuisine
the 18Th century is not far behind these
examples, Some of the dinners Mrs.
Mackay ha} been giving in Paris have
been On a scale of magnifcence almost
incredible. The Countess Kessler, in
Paris, gavej a dinner for Miss Mackay,
ct which, ON account of the nationality
OF the LADY, besides the full orchestra,
Which is ne9w a usual accomplishment
at~laage private dinners in Europe,
there was introduced a score of banjo
players, who sang and played some
national American airs, such as
yankee Doodle and '.pixie's Land"
Speech making at dinners, vocal and
instrumental music-sometimes behind
the scenes, as it were, hidden by shrub
bery-surprises. presents and eve so
many more incidental features, have
for a long time been a part of the pro-
gram at elegant repasts in the fashion
able society of this and other cities. To
Philadelphia, which has originated SO
many curious and interesting dinner
customs, as well as novelties in dinner
decorations and in dinner cooking
belongs the credit of originating what
may be described as dinner theatricals.
Beginning last season with a few small
and select repasts and now branching
out into more general fashion, the idea
has been started Of serving parts of
the dinner or banquet by subdued
lights or in total darkness, in order to
make them more effective. The fashion
started with punch, and has now ex-
tended DO ice cream. The first time the
thing was done in Philadelphia the eff
feet was startling. 1t was at az fare
well bachelors dinner, given by a young
man on the v of lTs wedding. The
bachelors, who were solemn anyway,
as BETTING the occasion, were seated
in solemn black around the solemn
board. Suddenly in the midst of the
meal the lights ~mysteriously went out,
and TO slow music a dozen or more
spectral walters entered from different
ends Of the room. Before each guest
was set q small puneh-bowl, in and
around which the spirits were fiaring
and burning in fantastic blue coils of
flame. The effect of this light on such
an assemblage a be imagined. But it
took, and there has not been a bachel-
ors' dinner since at which this episode
has not been repeated. The dinners of
the Glover club, at the Bellevue, have
more than an ordinary share of theat-
rical spice. They have been occasions
on which the recent feature Of culina-
~ theatricals has been extensively in
troduced. The anniversary dinner of
the club excelled in this and similar
features Press.