The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1884-11-21
A NAPLES TAVERN.
Tho Good Things Of Life Which the n
apolitan Enjoys In an Inn.


rho Good Things Of Life which the Nc
apolitan Enjoys In an Inn.
Few people live so sparingly as the
poorer Neapolitans, and none enjoy a
least more. Every now and then the
small tradesman feels that he and his
family must have '.good time" for
once in way. Almost anything will
serve IS an excuse, but if possible he
likes to have 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
amoant of good cheer. There is mid
Lent, which is always remembered,
even if the fast has not been strictly OBJ
served, and number of other days in
the calendar Mt once suggest macaroni,
meat and merriment. Now, pleasure
for Neapolitan means rapid drive
in an overladen 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 COM
plete au illumination and a display of
fireworks are also required; but
these. of course, can only be wit
messed when one of the churches
in the vicinity celebrates the annual
festival of its patron. At other times he
is obliged to be content with cab and
what the tavern supplies. The arrival
of such family party ut 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 blossoms into
high spirits and affability. The land
lady springs from the seat in which she
has been DOING since midday to fall
into raptures over the children, the
cook fans the fire. and the walters shake
off their languor and begin to move
tables and benches from one end of the
yard to the other, for no purpose but
that of exhibiting their zeal. As soon
as the first effervescence of the recep-
ton has passed off the viands are dis
PLAYED, all of them in an uncOoked con-
dition, except the piece of beef that is
fished out of the pot in which it is siS-
mering over the fire and cut in half in
order that there may be no doubt as to
its quality. Then the dinner is ordered.
and the newcomers retire to the yard
and choose a table. which is imme-
diately covered with linen cloth.
coarse but scrupulously clean, and sup
piled with huge lunches of bread and
little jugs or bottles of wine. In min
ute or two more dishes of sausage and
raw ham cut in thin slices, of olives,
pickles, anchovies, and, it may
be, of sardines, appear, and the feast
begins. 1t consists of macaroni, fry,
stewed meat, beefsteaks and dessert, in
which, besides all the fruits of the sea-
son. celery and the white hearts of the
Italian fennel are always included if
they can be procured. The poorest Ne
apolitan would think it inconsistent
with his dignity to celebrate family
festival in tavern with fewer courses,
and generally boiled fish is inter-
polated in the bill of fare, and roasted
fowls or game and some sweet dish are
added. OF each of these viands guam
tity is provided which fills the observer
with establishment, and yet very little is
left when the waiter changes the plates.
1t must not be forgotten, however, that
as soon as each of the party had been
helped once to dish a full plate of it is
sent to the cab driver, whom the author
tiles 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
unalloyed satisfaction of feeling that he
has given a fellow-creature good din
ner without any expense to himself.
This is an especial pleasure to the Ne
apolitan, as it flatters two of his strong
est passions. his generosity and his
thrift. An Englishman is at first in
clined 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 a
good humor.-Sat1rday Reriea0.