New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-11-02

occasion TO attend quite number of the latter,
| confess that l have often been somewhat aston
/ ished not to say staggered, by the ground taken
| by Mr.. McAllister in such matters, and by the
extraordinary difference which manifestly existed
! between his experiences of court life and my
own Since the publication of his book, however,
! the mystery is explained and my wonderment at
an end. For, with the exception of his presence
at ball given by the Grand Duke OF tuscany
at Florence away back in the ffties-a ball where
his intercourse with royalty was limited to his
almost upsetting the King of Bavaria during a
waltz-his experience of court entertainments ap-
pears to have been of rather backstairs nature.
Il have seen," he writes with manifest pride.
Her Majcsty's table at Windsor Castle all ready
| for her. l have heard her footh,en in green and
gold re-echo from hall TO kitchen the note that
dinner is served'-and then ! was told to &C"
| L should not forget however 10 add that while
at Baden Baden, ii was with pleasure that Mr.
McAllister made point of bowling most respect
| fully day by day" 10 the late Emperor William
at that time Prince of Prussia-and that while
| walking with one of the Queens pages-not pages
| of honor but ordinary domestics-in the Home
| Park at Windsor he enjoyed the inestimabe priv
| iiege of standing within few yards OF the Prince
| Consort and the Prince OF Wales, who were shoot
| ing Observation-Disclosures which he feels that
/
friend, the Queens cook at the inn where he
was stopping. And permit me TO point out right
here that Mr. McAllister shows but poor I>nowl-
edge of the science DIES gourmetS when he talks
of eating pheasant the very day OF its being
shot. Moreover the Queens liveries are scarlet
! and gOld-not green and gold, as stated by Mr..
| McAilister The latter is equally at sea with
regard to the Court Of the Tuileries for he de-
! cares he landed in France for the first time in
| Sj7, that he was present at the baptism of the
! Prince Imperial, and that he visited the Inter
national Exhibition. The christening of the Ill
lated Prince III question took place, however. on
| March l6, 1856, just eighteen months previous
! TO Mr.. McAllisers first arrival in Paris, while
the International Exhibition 10 which he refers
was held even still earlier, namely in 1855.
! Nor is the pheasant incident above mentioned
| the only demonstration of Mr.. McAllister's i'm
perfect acquaintance with the ethics of the table
ana OF the cuisine; ANA when | picture him TO
myself engaged in what hc describes as his prin-
clpal daily task OF commenting TO his cOOh OH her
| performance OF the previous day, much in the
| same manner as Emperor William is accustomed
! 10 address Ia critlque" to his generals at the
/ close of a sham battle, ! can imagine the silent
| glance of contempt which the cook if she he
worthy of That name, must dart at the man who,
| while claiming supreme authority and pre-em-
inence in such matters is ignorant OF the difference
between the relieve and the piece de resistance of
dinner, who considers that Johannsberg should 20
with cheese. and who fondly imagiles that les
! quatres mendiGIts the most bourgeois and vul-
gar of desserts, only 10 be found in France at tenth
rae table d'hotes-constit1ltes fit conc us to
! dinner-given by himself-which he describes as
| having been absolutely perfect.
With regard TO wineS-a subject 10 the discus
sion of which by the bye Mr. McAlster devotes
| several chapters Of his bo0k-he Goes not appear
to be acquainted with the important operation of
of the old world would ever dream OF putting
his lips 10 claret which had not undergone thi,
processa process so vital TO the taste of the wine
that none but skilled hands are intrusted with
| the task He seems likewise TO be unaware that
! there is absolutely no TOkay in the market, and
that the wine which he digntes with that name
is but merely feeble imitation of that nectar OF
the gods which is served ia thmbe-siZed glasses
at the Imperial tables at Nenna-Ore glass; being
sufficient to perfume an entire room. and which
is so highly priced and so rare that Emperor
Francis Joseph's gift Of four dozen bottles 10
Queen Victoria at the time Of her Jubilee re-
garled in Europe as constituting one of the most
valuable and magnificent of the thousands of
costly presents Which she received on that Occa-
sion
The extraordinary amount of space given up
70 arguments as 10 the relative merits IF wines
perusing it memories of Colonel Burnaby's popular
volume describing how he rode 10 khiva in cen
trail Asia. Not that there is much mental or
physical resemblance between the gigantic and
gallant Lifcguardsnan who was speared to death
at the Battle of Abu klea on the Nile while on his
way to rescue General Gordon from Khartoum.
Hundred. But there happens to be half page
In Burnabys book devoted TO an elaborate eulogy
of patent medicine, Cookies liver plls, which
the Colonel declared 10 have proved invaluable
TO him in preserving his health in the wilds of
Africa and on the steppes OF Central Asia. This
half page proved sufficient TO make the fortune
of the owners OF the patent medicine in question
and, | need scarcely add, of Colonel Burnaby as
well. Western newspaper, in referring few
weeks ago u VII McALhster's projected lecture
tour, mentioned as an instance of his power
that his recommendation was sufficient 10 insure
the success, ard his censure the failure. o. any
wine in America Possibly Mr. McAllister had
this in view when he eXtolled the wines Of the firm
of Messrs. b. N g., on pages 10-7l, surprising
in smoothness. bouquet and ilavor' those Of
every other house known. There have frequently
been comments made-rotably the occasion Of
the Centennial Ral-cOncerning the selection of
wires by Mr.. McAllister fo- the entertainments
in whose organization he took part: and i: was
claimed by his enemies that he was in the habit
Of displaying undue preference for the wines Of
certain firms; Mr.. McAllls'er will only have
himself 10 blame IL these rumors re-
newed with increased intensity and force. and if
his book is finally set down exceedingly
houses with which he is stated TO be connected
IT this SuImise he correct-and there are many
reasons for believing that it is soft would at
least relieve the book from the reproach of being
irredeemably inane and sthpld I would prove
that as in the ease of Oscar Wilde there is
method-aye, and money, too-in the preposterous
vapOrings Of Mr.. McAllister 1t would furnish a
raison detre for the existence of the book the
appearance of which is otherwise inexcusabe
Indeed, the ceverness displayed by him as a tat
for wine houses would 20 far TO make people
overlook the IIibernianism Of the bull which he
perpetratcs when lie talks of outriders following
not preceding the equipages at Newport. II
would blind the eyes of his readers to his re-
semblance to Angelo Cyrus Bantam. Of Pickwickian
memory that appears in the description which he
furnishes Of the eXquistely ridiculous manner in
which he introduced himself 10 Secretary J g.
Blaine. And il would leave us in doubt as to
whether he is not Intentionally joking when he
portrays the President Of the United States seated
in his faxg of fr.,p ~
which he is to honor with his presence al dinner
perhaps Just round the corner of the street-wait-
ing for belated guest TO arrive before ventlr-
ing himself to alight and TO greet his host all of
whose other guests are bound by etiquette to
have reached the drawingroom when the Presi-
dent makes his entry
Nor are the wine merchants. in the advance of
whose trade Mr.. McAllister displays So very pro.
nounced interest, the only who are likely
to derive benefit from the warm recommendations |
contained in his book The Paris drcssmaSer Worth
c eNtensiNc aGNertlscr Ii |