Arizona weekly enterprise., 1888-07-07
A DIPLOMATS DINNER.
A Plain and Cheap Banquet Where Every.

A 1ldlu anu C0edp banquet " heFc EVeTye
 body Was Extremely Well Pleased.
 Some years ago ar accomplished diplo- mate at Washington, the representative of power not of the first importance, expressed his regret to friend that he could not give dinners, "because," he said, "ny government is poor, and I cannot afford it. The conversation oc- cured at the profuse and splendid table of a rich and courteous host, whose feasts were of great fame, and whose invita- tions were credentials of admission to the best society. A young diplomatic com rade who sat by heard the remark, and smiled as he said ''Nfy government is poorer than yours, and I am but lately arrived. But what is diplomacy without dinners? and am going to give one. It will not be like this, but the splendor is not an essential part of the feast. I shall give plain and cheap dinner, to which l invite you both"
 His manner was gay, and his in vita ton was gayly and gladly accepted be cause he was one of the delightful men in Washington. His colleague, however, who had spoken first, shrugged his shoulders, and said that, for his part, he NOuANtll NtO IL, ilC | dSh DcODIe tO come to his house and eat a poor dinner. ''Not so fast replied his friend; I didn't say poor dinner. but plain and cheap dinner. I hope it will be good, nevertheless, although there may be TO baked carp or stewed nightingaleS tongues. But come and seen
 The young minister of the small and poor kingdom was one of the most ac- complished men in Washington He was known to have corrected justice of the supreme court in regard to decision of a United States court in a western state, and to have made the correction in Eng lish, which was foreign tongue to him. but in English so exquisitely chosen and urbanely expressed that the justice was probably unconscious of the modification of the correction. The young minister had no foolish, fond reserves. My gov ernnent is poor, 1 am poor, we are all poor in my country'' he said, ''and and my secretary work like day laborers | here i'll Washington to acquire and to re- | port necessary information to my gov ernment." But nobody was more sought; there was nobody whose coming more surely brought pleasure to any circle lIoli ILdo OL lIIt ) 9Ottu9 Ll1ulsGSI.
 The day of the dinner came, and a plainer and pleasanter dinner was never known in Washington. Every guest, from the secretary of state and the Eng fish envoy to all their neighbors at table, gave every week, indeed, repasts much more magnificent. But the simple din her, admirably cooked and served, with out display of table service, without the carp and nightingales' tongues, but with the enlivening and inspiring charm of the host and the welcome variety of plainness, after the luxurious extrava- gance and ostentation of the usual din- ner, was so fresh and delightful that the satisfaction and pleasure were universal, and the skeptical colleague who had thought great cost essential to a success full dinner owned himself converted, and the next month ventlTed upon a similar feast, and with the same success. George William Curtis in Harpers Maga zinc