The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1890-10-10
DICKENS AS a DINER.
His Pride I'm Making a Certain. Deiicfoa
Gin Punch

/ otH Kuufn.
Dickens. sats John HolIfngshead IN
bis lately published niagara Spray..
was neither a gourmet nor a gour-
mand5 but as man taking an Inn
nneflse amount of walking exercise
daily. he possessed healthy appetite.
aud was not ashamed OF il. He was
born and lived In the DAYS of taverus
and chop-houses. before the town was
filled with restaurants of French or
Italian origin. His taste for good food.
plainly cooked, may have been inf
grained in him In bis youth but 1t was
kept alive by the three or four leading
London taverns. The Garrick cIul,
| probably owed to him the introduction
of monster steak called the s.Garrick
steak, >" adopted from America. witt
out acknowledgement. where IL
known as the PORTER house. . Il s
Albion was his fayorite tavern. 1flE
Old boxes with leather seats gave
seini-prIyacy to a small and select
party IN the public coiTee-ruom. and
the endless procession of Joints gave
a varied and substantial meal at n
moderate price. without the trouble OF
ordering seat dinner from a nienu
like British museum catalogue. In
his own house. or Office. af Household
Words, where he had little dinner ar
supper room, he seirfuIif- exes, c.
show occasions. departed from his
fayorite simplicity The chief ap-
proach to artificiality at these little
banquets was noticeable in leg of
mutton prepared in a manner not gen
orally popular. The bone OF the Joint
was taken out and the place supplied
with veal stuffing and oysters, and the
whole roasted o. baked in the usual
fashion. The result. as it was cooked
IN the little kitchen at Household
Words was always a success: and II If
had not been there was ample compen-
sation afterwards in the masters nm
riyaled gin punch.
| verify believe that Charles Dickens
was more proud of his skill in MANN
featuring this seductive COMPOUND
than being the author of all his great
works. The preparations for ali this
connection (which | named five shil-
iings and cost were simple and ret
elaborate. First of all the ing was
producett-fhe vat or the rece eptacIe of
the brew Then came a plate and
knives. then the lemons. the smear
basin. and then finally large table
napkin. In the meantime tile kettle
on the hob had prepared the boiling
water. and the bottle of distilled LIQUID
An important factor as the phrase
goes-was placed in the hands Of the
master. | shall be guilty of no irrev-
erenee II | SAY that at this point his
eyes twinkled aud generally winked.
The process of blending was ike
eonjuring trick performed by an
accomplished professor The mix
ture being made with care and de-
lieaey and with a eerfa;u arx,a.,,.+ -
demonstrative pride. the jug was plae-
ed upon the table and the napkin
thrust into its mouth. The brew.
timed by the masters watch, had com
menced. and in few minutes the nap
kin was withdrawn, and five shiliinps
and cost Was ready for eonvigiai dis
tribution
Among those who drank fmoder-
ately) and admired (hugelyl this Dick
ems nectar was Wilkie Collins. who
told me that. next to a veil-Inade ap-
pie pudding. he knew of nothing more
agreeable. Wilkes tastes. ike Dick
ems. though he knew the culinary ways
of the cultivated foreigners, were es-
sentially simple. and so were Thaek-
erays Night after night the author
of Vanity Fair" leaving the delights
OF the Garrick club few doors higher
up in King street, Convent garden,
was constant visitor OF Evans sun
per-roonis (the original of his Gave
OF Harmony1. where he was not
afraid TO eat solid mutton chops aud
baked potatoes at midnight aud not
to show his delight in the
part singing of the choir BOYS, who
divided their time between the cellars
and Roman Catholic cathedral.