The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1888-01-26
DINNER PARTIES.

All arrangements for every detail OF a
dinner should be well made beforehand;
and this application Of the art which
conceals srt'is the only way in which an
occasion of this kind can be relieved frem
conventionality and stiffness. If any Of
your guests are 80 thoughtless as to post
pone their acceptance of the invitation
until later day, their fault should be
remembered; and if any should be i'm
polite enough to be tardy on the occs-
sion, do not let the other guests and the
dinner suffer for their remissness, and
remember that in such case one is reliev
ed of all embarrassment in not awaiting
their arrival.
With this hint leaving the question of
selection of the company to the dscre-
ton of any one who is to arrange for the
small party, let it's numbers be under a
dozen, or say the fated thirteen, unless
there is more than one girl to wait upon
the table; and her duties may be light
ened and accelerated in promptness. by
due arrangements in setting the table so
that there will be an abundance of forks.
knives and spoons for the successive
courses without requiring her to pass
them around at the refurnishing of the
table.
A dinner party should be as domestic
as the conventionalities OF the occasion
permit. 1t should be free from ali sug.
gestions of hotel life or caterers ser
vices; as Emerson saps of a gift, 1t
should not smell of the shop We have
nothing to say OF the various articles of
food in the arrangement of the medu, but
suggest that the best method of learning
on the subject of more modern compost.
tons Of food, with the result of cooking
it to supply the most delicate phases of
taste, would be obtained by attendance
at courses of lectures on the subject, or
cooking schools, Suppose that our menu
is selected after much consideration as
far as is known of any peculiarities of
taste among those to be present, it is
necessary to have it written in the kitCh
en- with directions for each course, I'M
less your help is exceedingly well
trained, and it is assumed in this paper
that neither servants nor mistress have
had much experience in this matter
As a general thing 1t is not advisable to
introduce game at such a dinner, be-
cause comparatively few persons like
game, and in very few kitchens is there
knowledge of its proper treatment, while
those who are accustomed to game and
like it would probably be extremely crit
ical as to the manner of its presentation.
1t is best not to select for the remove
any meat difficult o carve, unless the
head of the house $50 called)is fully mas
ter of the first of the two rules of cary-
ing, which are to carve quickly and TO
save the best pieces for ones self.
There is no place in life where tact is
more sure to be required than on such
an occasion. For there are mistakes of
servants and guests which can be re-
couped only by the exercise of presence
of mind. On more than one occasion
we have been shocked by the mistress
whispering to the servant girl. By all
odds let her work out her own salvation
if any part of the dinner appears to be
going to perdition. An example of the
tact of hostess who was the wife of a
member OF Congress and also a cornois-
seur of ceramics. was shown when one
of the political friends of her husband
clumsily bit a piece out of one OF her
delicate tea cups; realizing what he had
done he attempted to conceal the blum.
der by trying the swallow the pottery,
craunching it IN his mouth, and already
attracting the attention of the company,
the lady quickly said, This ware is too
thin to be of any use Whatsoever pick
ing up a saucer and breaking it in two,
to illustrate her remarks.-(Good House.
keeping.