Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-08-30

whole engagement treated with the gravity
of dinner engagement.
These lunch parties are very convenient
for ladies who, from illness or indisposition
to society, cannot 90 out in the evening. 1t
is also very convenient if the lady Of the
house has q husband who does not like
society and who finds dinner party bore.
The usual custom is for ladies to dress in
dark street dresses, and their very best.
That with an American lady means very
much, for an American husband ''stops at
no expense" Worth says that American
women are the best customers he has, far
better than queens They ask the price, and
occasionally haggle; American women may
ask the, price, but the order is, "the very
best you can do"
THE HOUR FOR THE LUNCH.
What time did our forefathers lunch?
In the reign of Francis I. the polite French
rose at 5, dined at 9, supped at 5, and went
to bed at 9. Froissart speaks of waiting
upon the Duke of Lancaster at in the af-
ternoon after he had supped." If our ancest-
ors dined at when did they lunch? After
some centuries the dinner hour grew to be
10 in the morning, by which time they had
besieged town and burned up q dozen her
etics probably to give them good appetite,
q sort of an avant gout. Dinner was what
our late breakfasts are The later hours
now in vogue did not prevail until after the
Restoration. But lunch has remained fast
ened at o'clock for number of years at
least.
In England, curiously enough, they give
you NO napkins at this meal, but the nature
of the food certainly requires them. A hunt
breakfast In America is of course hearty
meal, at which the men and women are
asked who have an idea of riding to hounds.
It is usually served at little tables, and the
meal begins with hot bouillon. It is heartier
meal than a lady's lunch and as luxurious
as the hostess pleases But it does not wind
up with ices and fruits, although ii may be-
gin with an orange or grape fruit salad.
Much more wine is drunk than at lady's
lunch, and yet some hunters prefer to begin
the day with tea only. Everything should
be offered, and what is not liked can be
refused.
COSTS A THOUSAND DoLLARa
Luncheon is apt to be lively and exhil-
arating occasion. 1t is the best moment in
the day to some people. A thousand dol
lars is not an unusual sum to expend on a
ladies' lunch in New York for 18 or 25
guests, counting the favors, the flowers, the
wines, and the viands, and even then we
have not entered into cost of the China, tho
glass, porcelain, cloisonne, Dresden, Sevres
and silver, which make the table picture.
The jeweled goblets from Carlsbad, the
knives and forks with crystal handles, set
in silver, from Bohemia, and the endless
succession of beautiful plates-who shall
estimate the cost of all this?
As to the precedence of plates, It Is meet
that China, Oldest of nations, should suffice
ha hou o1r du
been served on shell-like Majolica Eng
land and maritime nations, surrounded by
ocean, must furnish the plates for the fish.
For the roast, too, what plates so good as
Doulton, real English, substantial faienceP
For the "Bouchers Ia Reine," and all the
entrees, we must have Sevres again. But
do not give us ''the beautiful head of Lam
bale, ;" on q plate. I declare I have had
portrait of Marie Antoinette given me to
eat off of which has taken away my appetite.
Japanese will do for the 'tflet aux cham
pigions, the venison, the pieces de resist
ance, as well as. English Japanese plates
are strong. But here weare running into
dinner; indeed, these two feasts do run into
each other.
AFTER-PART or THE EUNoA
One should not have roast at a ladies'
lunch, unless it Is a roast pheasant Dres-
den china plates, painted with fruits and
flowers, should be used for the dessert. On
these choice plates, with perforated edges
marked "a. R. on the back, should lie
the ices frozen as natural fruits. We can
scarcely tell the frozen banana or peach be-
fore US full of lucious fruit, from the
painted banana on our plate.
And as to the candied fruit, We must
again have Sevres. Then gold dish filled
with rose water must be passed. We dip a
bit of the napkin in it (for in this country
we do have napkins with our luncheon) and
wipe our lips and fingers. This is called a
Trempoir.
The cordials at the end Of the dinner must
be served in cups of Russian gold flsgree
supporting glass. There is an analogy be-
tween their rival lucious richness, the cor
dial and the cup. The coffee cups must be
thin as egg shells, of the most delicate
French china. Or even American china
will do. We make most delicate china and
porcelain cups ourselves nowadays at New
ark, Trenton and a dozen other places.
There is q vast deal of waste in offering SO
much wine at a ladies' lunch. American
women cannot drink much wine; the climate
forbids it. We have not been brought up on
beer, or on anything more stimulating Than
ice water. Foreign physicians say that this
is the cause of all our woes, our dyspepsia,
our nervous exhaustion, our rheumatism
and hysteria.
DELIGHTS OF TILE WINE CUP.
But believe that climate and constitu-
tion decide these things for U.S. We are
not prone to over-eat ourselves, to drink
too much wine, and if the absence Of these
grosser tastes is visible in pale cheeks and
thin arms, is not that better than the other
extremes. All entertaining can go on per-
fectly we'll without wine if people so de-
eide. 1t would be impossible, however, to
make many poetical quotations without an
allusion to the ''ruby," as Dick Swiveller |
forgive US Since Cleopatra dissolved the |
pearl, the wine cup has held the gems OF |
Champagne Cup-One pint bottle of soda |
water, one quart dry champagne, one wine |
glass of brandy, a few fresh strawberries, a |
Another recipe: One quart dry champagne, |
one pint bottle of Rhine wine, fruit and ice |
as above, cracked ice, mix in large pitcher. |
Claret Cup: One bottle of claret, one pint |
bottle of soda water, one wineglass brandy, |
half a wineglass of lemon juice, half pound |
Of lump sugar, few slices Of fresh cucum-
Der; mix in cracked ice.
Mint Julep: Fresh mint, a few drops of |
orange bitters and maraschino, a small glass
Of liquor, brandy or whisky, put in q tum-
bier half full of broken ice shake well, and
serve with fruit on top, with straws.
Another recipe for mint julep: Halfa glass
Of port wine, few drops of maraschino,
mint, sugar and thin a slice of lemon, shake |
,he cracked ice from the glass. put straw
berry OF pineapple in with the mint.
REFRESHING AND WHOLESOME
Turkish Sherbets: Extract by pressure or
infusion the rich juice and fine perfume OF
my of the odoriferous flowers, as violet, rose
,r orange flower, CT fruits, mix them in any
lumber or quantity. to taste. When these
.ssences extracts or infusions are prepared,