Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1889-04-03
WHERE PRIESTS DINE.
4 Waiter Says That They Do Not Talk
But Know How to Eat.

Du6 nuoW HOW Co EAT
/ was at my dinner in a queer res
taurant in an odd corner of upper New
York the other day, and my attention
was distracted from my food by the
. frequent passage through the room OF
walters laden with plates and viands.
Each kicked the swinging door to let
himself through, but when the door
was aiar / could see nothing beyond
1t except screen. Over the door was
the word ''private." Now and then
sound as of one person speaking to
another escaped from the room.
How is it possible" I asked myself,
''that two men can keep all those wait
ers flying to and fro, or that two men
can eat all that is going in therep"
Dinner party in thereP" l ventured,
to my waiter.
Yes, big one; feefty persons, said
the waiter.
Fifty" l exclaimed. Fifty whatp
Fifty deaf-mutes, or is it dinner OF
some queer club whose members have
rule not to speak? / have heard Of
such oddities among the rules of the
clubs of town.
mo, sare; feefty priests are eating
in there. The priest he never talk
when he eats the big dinner"
"No?n
'tNo, sare; the priest he never talk
while-a he eat Oh, sare, but the
priest he is the one man in the world
which know how to eat First the
oysters, and there sit the feefty or the
seventy or the hundred priest. and he
speak not word. Then the soup and
his 81 o On go fast, but not-a the priests
tongue. Then the fish and still not
any talk. Then the roast and then
the this and the that, and all the time
the different kind of wine and the
spoons and the knife and the fork they
go like sixty, but from the priest not a
word. / have wait on one hundred
priests, and all the time not word,
except perhaps one says: Good, ehP'
and his neighbor say: 'Fine! All,
that is what call knowing how to eat.
I'm your country" he went on, for
had started the waiter upon topic
dear to his Italian soul, sin your
country the people all talk-a entirely
too much. Who can taste the soup in
the middle of the fine joker Who can
tell-a the difference between the veni-
son and the partridge if he must
scratch-a his head to make up the
comical story? How can you drink
the good wine as you should if you
think what you shall say to your
neighbor and make-a the grand laugh?
All, not SO the priest! There is feefty
of him in that-a room, and you do not
hear them crack-a the joke or tell-a
the comic story, or fence with the
smart word. No, they are eating and
drinking and 'ioying themselves Ikea
/ men of common sense which know
what good dinner is and how it
shall be eaten. But wait, my friend.
1t is now seven o'clock. Wait till it
has been nine o clock. Then you
shall not ask is it two men in therep
| You shall think-a the whole town is
| there, such laughter and good fun will
come from that room. That will be
| over the cordial and coffee with-a the
| good cigar. Then the stomach is full
and the dinner is out the way and it is
time to make-a the laugh. Wait till
you hear If the priest he does not
know how to eat-a the good dinner. !"
l heard from this garrulous waiter
! that there are priests restaurants in
1 town that ia aatinp-plapas that tho
priests favor. One of them is fa-
NOUS Spanish place far downtown. l
| judged that their custom is not partic-
ularly profitable, since they mainly
eat at their parsonages Or whatever
their homes are called, and only ap-
pear elsewhere on peculiar occasions
when they descend in great bodies
upon their favorite restaurants and
demand that every thing shall be de-
liciously cooked and of the best.-N.
7. Cor. Providence Journal.