Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1889-11-16

plain breakfast, !. O., bread and butter
III you arc wise, you will insist upon
French bread. for the home made Is de-
tcstable), tea or coffeeif you order Il, and
two boiled eggs. You may order any
thing you like in addition, on condition
Of paying for II. When the charge q
two shillings, jam will be added TO the
5btll of fare. Jam Is one Of the national
Aishcs. The English breakfast is a thorn
In tho flesh to the American visiting
London. "If | had my way" said dis.
dnguished American, who had suffered
many things because Of Englislsc66kery,
..if I had my way, I would change the
British coat Of arms. Tho lion and the
unicorn should be COW and a sheep,
and Britannia should be represented ms
dirty servant girl holding pot Of JAM"
The critics who objected. to the free
and easy method Of serving breakfast in
ono Of Mrs. Langtrys plays (as though
Mrs. Langtry were not familiar with the
usages OF English society made dire
mistake. The presence of waiter in the
breakfast room is not considered obliga.
tory. The bell Is there, and the man OF
maid comes at call, but It il quito en-
regle for the guests to wait upon them.
selves and to hop up and run TO the side
table for the cold meats set outsthere;
very convenient custom, rs breakfast
goes on for an hour or moro and guests
come down when 1t suits their pleasure.
Luncheon is usually an informal meal,
with cold meat, jam, bread and butter,
cake and tea. This IL served ut about
o'clock.
Five o'clock tea Is ON English institu.
ton. Not only English women but Eng.
ish men feel craving for theif cup OF
tea at that hour, and leading London
actor told the writer that, in America ho
always felt homesick at 0 o'clock In the
afternoons ind had "a ycarpInx for some
eooi Christihn to tall iue In and -. fol
me to the extent OF cup Of tea."'
Any one who drops in at that hour ex.
poets, as n matter OF course, to be offered
cup; and besides. every English lady
has her ''day," when. after . p. M, she
may always be found In her drawing
room, low table, which just reaches
comfortably to her elbow, at her side.
This is daintily spread with an cmbroid.
cred cloth, and holds tea, with the addi.
ton OF chocolate and two or three kinds
Of cake, and bread and butter cut thin
as waters. There is good deal of pride
taken In this fairy like bread and butter,
and Punch has celebrated it more than
once,
Perhaps the best apropos Is of a little
girl, whose mother took her to drink tea
with two very particular old ladies. Ma.
bel behaved beautifully, and the proud
mother was listening delightedly to the
praises bestowed upon her bv the old
ladies', when, horror of horrors! Mabel
was discovered In the act OF pocketing q
slice Of bread and butter. "Oh, Mabelr'
gasped the mortified mamma, show
could your beg you will excuse her,
dear Miss Smvthe; really, never knew
her to be greedy before" III am not
greedy now," responded Mabel with dig.
nifty; ~ don't take things to cpt, but
thought might have just one slice OF
this beautiful bread and butter to take
home rs q pattern for nurse" And,
strange to say, the nice old ladies' did not
seem to be very much shocked after all.
Tho tea is scalding hot, SO hot that you
are apt to wonder whether Il Is not taken
from the fire at tho very instant that the
doorbell rings. 1t Is deliciously fragrant,
such tea as we never have in America.
The English havo theory that a long
sea voyage destroys the flavor OF tea, no
matter how carefully 1t may be packed
for transportation. When you praise
their taa they say: "You should taste
the tea In Russia" Following out this
theory. the choicest teas are brought
overland through Russia from China,
and only cross the English channel on
fast steamer. They say, also. that Amer.
leans have no idea how to make tea. II
am going to Mrs IS, and shall have
to drink her tea, "said an Englishwoman,
plaintively. at Is sure to be lukewarm!
DO you never serve tea really hot in
America? The Americans over here
hardly ever dol" Iced tea they consider
barbarous to degree; indeed, they look
upon ice water Us suicidal beverage.
Dinner Is the great event of the day,
when the cares OF business are dismissed,
and your Englishman resi;,a as himself to
enjoyment in the serious manner in
which he is used to enjoy himself. He
always dimes In his dress suit, and 70.
CARDS the American who wears q dress
ing gown and slippers to dinner with his
wife and children as Goth and outside
barbarian. Mrs. NJ. p. HANDY.