The Big Stone post. (Big Stone Gap, Va.) 1890-1892, 1890-11-07
DINNERS AND COOKS.
of the Dinner-The
Cost of Chef-The Clearly Swedcs-
The Chefs "EcOnOmie."
WHAT WARD M'ALLlsTE. SAYS.

The Boston fashion, adopted here for
house in which he was to dine Il small en-
vclope on Il silver salvcr in which was
incloscd Il card bearing on ii the name of
the lady assigned to him to take in to din
ncr, though still in use. is, however, going
out of fashion. We are returning to the
old habit Of assigning the guests in the
drawng-room.
In going in to dinner there is but one
rule to be observed. The lady of the
house in almost every case goes in last, all
her guests preceding her, with this excep-
ton, that if the president OF the United
States dimes with YOU. or royalty, lie takes
in the lady of the house, preceding all of
the guests. When no ladies are present
the host should ask the most distinguished
guest, or the person to whom the dinner is
given, to lead the way i'll to dinner. The
cards on the plates Indicate his place to
each one. BY gesture alone the host d.
reefs his guests to the dining room, say
ing aloud to the most distinguished guest:
"Will YOU kindly take the seat on my
right?"
The placing of your guests at table re-
qures an intimate knowledge of society.
1t is only by constant association that YOU
can know who are congcnial. II YOU arc
assigned to one you arc Indifferent to. your
only hope lies in your next neighbor. and
with this hope and fear YOU enter the
dining ROOM not knowing who that will
be At the table conversation should be
crisp; il is in bad taste TO absorb it all.
Macaulav, at dinner, would so monopo-
| lie it that the great viii Sidney Smith
said that he did not distinguish between
monologuc and dialogue.
When the president of the United States
goes to a dinner all the guests must he as
scmblcd; they stand in Il horse shoe circle
around the sutton; the president enters;
when the lady OF the house approaches
him he gives his arm, and they lead the
way to the dining-room, the president
sitting in the hosts place, with his hostess
on his right. On arriving at The house
where he is TO dine. if the guests are not
all assembled. he remains in his carriage
until he is notified that they are all pres
cnt No one can rise to leave the table
until the president himself rises. If he
! happens to be deeply Interested in some
fair ncighhor, and takes no note of time.
the patience Of the company is sadly tried.
On entering SdioR and finding YOUR
self surrounded by noted or fashionable
people. YOU are naturally battered at being
included; if the people are unnoted YOU
are annoyed. The surprise TO me is that
in this city our cleycreSt men and politi
clans do moi oftcncr seek society and he
come its brilliant ornaments. AZ in England
and on the Continent OF Europe. pisraeli
Mr.. Gladstone. Lord Palmcrston, all we're
in society and were great dincrs-Out In
fact. all the distinguished men OF Europe
make part and parcel OF society: whilst
here they shirk it, as it it were beneath
their dignity They should know that
there is no power like the social power; it
makes and unmakcs. The provcrb is that
the way to Il mans heart is through the
stomach
Now, rs to the length of u good dinner
Napoleon the Third insisted on being
served in three quarters of an hour. As
usual, We run from one extreme to another.
One of our most Iashiona 'e women boosted
to me that she had G' out the day be-
fore, and the tine .isumcd from the
hour she left her h. euntiI she returned
home was but one hour and forty minutes.
This is absurd. y lover of ;hc ileshpots
of Egypt grumbled to me that his plate was
snatched away from him by the servant
before he could half get through the appe-
tizing morscl on it. This state OF things
has been brought about by stately, hand
some dinners, spun out to too great length
One hour and half at the table is long
enough.