The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1890-05-25
Il PARTISAN DINNER rARrr.

Il PaHISIdN DINNER P4RTT
The HoHtess ns the Guiding spIrit-Devo.
tiOn 10 Her FunctIonH-VnrIety OF Cos
tumes-Entcring the Dining Room.
From, the Table
Dining Mt n Partisan table strikes tho OBJ
server, or rather the diner, as very different
affair TO "a similar event ut an English board.
! 1t IL quite an error to suppose that FrenchmCn
dnG DO 3 the nsSl
parties Mt home arc quite rs frequent an event
in Partisan ciios as elsewhere. Society In gem
| eral may not he rs gay there as 1t was once
upon tilno, but, IL thNrc IL less dancing. there
ls more eating and drinking than ever. lNen
part than formerly. ,Ahustess can no longer
bid her guests partaEe of q cup of tea and
dcnur Of old are not now deemed sufficient to
sustain the strength of cancers through n long
that II you invite, people to your house you
must entertain them Hospitality aud dance
TSHd snf o f aSd d yin eG
A French woman is unrivulled In the matter
Of little dinners. She docs not leave every
each item Of the menu. On the day preceding
/ tho event she will be met driving hither and
general directions like an aide de-cHmn at u
review. She will even study the, particular
| tastes OF each OF her guests. She knows that
this one likes prawns. that another iancies his
champagne dry, that others are blessed with q
sho dsst the oSs S
! guests with her table decorations. but Il shall
/ not be Mt tho expense OF THEN palates. Flowers
! OF strong scent are not PLACED on the table TO
| spoil tho flavor OF the viands and the tempera-
ture Of the room is regulated SO that 1t is not at
| one time too cool and later on too warm.
French women are as ready to put them
solves out and spend their money for ten
| guests as for twenty. 1t Is u well-known axiom
| with them that to enjoy a meal you must sit
! down ut least two and ut most twelve Ton Is
could not be heard Of. Two servants can serve
/ ten people with ease and celebrity: twelve has
too much the appearance Of having been in
al N u n
When the dinner does appear. 1t is served
In husSe-thnt is to say. everything Is handed
! the table. The old-iashioned method has quite
gone out in Paris, as elsewhere. though fire.
cipal pats will DO placed. one after another in
due order before the hostess, and each left
the ew mt hf tsn an away ana
little dinners. at the loss conventional re-
pasts Of the season. and especially Il the
or one of those cGrt dn7HrtS OF French
cookery, such as take the prize At culinary
| ceilence. but for their beauty of design. 1t Is
not considered Dr. riUL1H' for the guest to ig-
self called ppon to do at some Of the ultracon
yenti9nal English tables The dinner. with
re he
will admire most in woman is a discrimna-
ting taste Next to enioying his own dinner he
the menu with Keen relish for what Is COM
Ing, he is delighted, and his appetite is whetted.
dress affair: the men come in frock coats and
the ades d in high dresses o. course there
every night OF thoir lives, but they are
= r. small minority, even Of tie famous
] Mn"' ab eS Sr evsryt nGr s 6S
COSY little dinner TO which they can 20
Il, their frock coats, and black cravat.
The hostess who permits this is sure to be q
favorlte The chances are that she does not OF
lect to smoke, and docs not cut the men off from
The hirh-neckpd dress is very we'll in its way
but truly 1t is pre'tier sight to see the ladies
dresses, or Just a %o"pcon Of gossamer over tho
enchanting shoulders. Yet somehow, with
IS m 10 the e een
general A man, when he finds himself seated
by the side OF woman who mas thus laid her
him and the other guests Of the opposite sex. |
is always under the impression that he must
himself personally agreeable TO her. and
so does not converse with the rest.
as s ens p as he sr he NH sSea
complain that he cannot enjoy his dinner so
when NOT only distract his attention from The
rest Of The company. but also prevent his TAX !
G the gsqa Flea n In his Ss" Will Inc Eng
neighbor ut your side is the worst ssible con-
dition Tor dining proGerly: that tho viands lose
So despises what tho true lover looks upon rs a
piece Of luck namely to be seated next to the
number OF guests aud IL fair amount Of gay |
conversation. couple may enjoy many
and feel almost as isolated as ii they were
there By themselves. 4 woman is invariably |,
more agreeable from conversational stand |
point, wien she is dressed in a simple gown:
and she Will also nay more attention to her
plate than her sister in full dress: il she hap
pens to he specially smart she will be thinking
a good deal of her apparel and devote herself
to comparing i with that of other ladies.
AT French elmer parties 1t frequently hap
pens that tho gentlemen are IN excess OF the |
laties; The ends OF the table are generally oc;
cupied by young mon, and you seldom find
them grumblinG as they would in ENGLAND. at
having no lady assigned to them. The host
middle OF the table. Tho plnces are arranged
beiorehand and the name OF each guest
marked the same As here: but. contrary to the
man who oAerS his arm 10 4 lady to take her
in TO dinner will be seated b., her side during
the me4l-becHuse, in tho first place, when
ladies they may have been conversing
with and a,grwarI sort r themselves as
az S s@ aIss 'F Dy Gf aRe ha
arrival OF the gentlemen. Something's it is
amusing, to SEQ how the hostess will have
others blank dismay VII! be painted only too
clearly on the faces OF those who hoped 10 ba
placed in near proximity, and find themselves
relocated to noStlonS on" tho OF sight OF eGch
the lead with the Irucinal lady guest on his
arm; sometimes the hostess leads OIL she will
often rise and take the arm OF tho man she de-
sires most to honor. not waiting until ne offers
il. here is no particular rule about the matter:
etiquette is much less strict in France than
elsewhere: only in the Noble Faubourg IL pre-
cedence arranged according to actual rank:
here every triing detail, even the age OF tho
lady is taken 'to consideration;
When the guests reach the dining room thev
usually find the soup already in the plates, and
thus tho least commences.
Three Stories of Private Allen.