Morning journal and courier., 1884-10-31
A Neapolitan 'Tavern.


 Few people live so sparingly the poorer Neapolitans, and none enjoy feast more. Every now and then the small tradesman feels that he and his family must have 8 'fgood time" for once in way. Almost any thing will serve as an excuse, but if possible he likes to have a religious sanction for the excess, and this is generally easy enough to find. Besides the great festivals of the church, there are the days of the saints after whom he and his wife and his children have been named, which he is, of course, bound to celebrate by partaking of an extra amount of good cheer There is mid Lent, which is always remembered, even if the fast has not been strictly observed, and number of other days in the calendar at once suggest macaro- nj, meat and merriment. Now pleasure for Neapolitan means Q rapid drive in an over laden cab and an immense dinner, both of which may be had by an excursion to one of these little country taverns. To render his happiness complete an illumination and a display of fireworks are also required; but these, of course, can only be witnessed when one of the churches in the vicinity celebrates the annual festival of it's patron. At other times he is obliged to be content with cab and what the tavern supplies. The arrival of such family party at once awakens the whole household. The landlord, who treats his habitual guests with indifference and welcomes the single wayfarer with civility so cold as to be rather dubious, at once blos- soms into high spirits and affability. The landlady springs from the seat in which she has been dozing since midday to fall into raptures over the children, the cook fans the fire, and the walters shakesof their languor and begin to move tables and benches from one end of the yard to the other, for no pur- pose but that of exhibiting their zeal. As soon as the first effervescence of the recep- tion has passed off the yiands are displayed, all of them in an uncooked condition, except the piece of beef that is fshed out of the pot in which it is simmering over the fire and cut in half in order that there may be no doubt as to it's quality. Then the dinner IS ordered, and he newcomers retire to the yard and choose table, which is immediate ly covered with a linen cloth, coarse but scrupulously clean, and supplied with huge lunches of bread and little jugs or bottles of wine. In minute or two more dishes of sausage and raw ham cut in thin slices, of olives, pickles, anehovies, and, it may be, of sardines, appear, and the feast beglns It consists of macaroni, a fry, stewed meat, beefsteaks, and dessert, in which, besides all the fruits of the season, celery and the white hearts of the Italian fennel are always in- cluded if they can be procured. The poorest Neapolitan would think it inconsistent with his dignity to celebrate family festival in tavern with fewer courses, and generally boiled fish is interpolated in the bill of fare, and roasted fowls or game and some sweet dish are added Of each of these viands a quantity is provided which fills the observer with astonishment, and yet very little is left when the waiter changes the plates. It must not be forgotten, however, that as soon as each of the party has been helped once to a dish full plate oft is sent to the cab driver, whom the authorities of the hostelry have been instructed to supply with wine. As nothing but this wine and piece of bread is entered on the bill as having been consumed by him, the master of the feast has the un- alloyed satisfaction of feeling that he has given fellow-creature good dinner with out any expense to himself. This is an es- pecial pleasure to the Neapolitan, as it flat ters two of his strongest passions, his gene rosity and his thrift. An Englishman is inclined to think this practice little unfair, but he may rest assured that the landlord is no loser by the transparent strategem which puts everybody into good humor.