The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-08-30
MRS. soMERyILIE
REQUESTS the Pleasure of
mrs. MoNT6oMEgY's
Company at Lunch on Thursday, 5th,
at O'Clock

ton to society. cannot go out in the even
ing. Ii is also very convenient If the lady
OF the house has a husband who does not
like society and who hnds dinner party a
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.
Luncheons are very fashionable in Eng
land. especially on Sunday.
These lunches, although luxurious, are
by no means the costly spreads which
American women indulge in.
They are frequented by gentlemen as
we'll as ladies, for in land where a man
does not go TO the house of commons until
5 III the afternoon he may well lunch with
his family. What time did our forefath-
ers lunch? In the reign of Francis the
First the polite French rose at 5, dined at
8, supped at 5 and went 10 bed at 8. Frois-
sart speaks of waiting upon the Duke of
Lancaster at in the afternoon after he
had supped."
If our ancestors dined at 9 when did they
lunch?
attcI SOilie centuries Tie ul0Uef HOuT
grew to be 10 in the morning, by which
time they had besieged a town and burned
up dozen heretics, probably, to give them
a good appetite, sort OF an drdnt govt.
Dinner as what our late breakfasts are.
The later hours now in vogue did not pre-
vail until after the restoration.
But lunch has renamed fastened at l
O'Clock for number of wears at least. In
England, curiously enough, they give you
papEins atf r hr1f he 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 rid
ing to hounds.
1t is usually served at little tables, and
the meal begins with hot bouillon. 1t is a
-heartier meal than lady's lunch and as
luxurious as the hostess pleases.
But it does not wind up with ices and
fruits, although it may begin with an
orange or grape fruit salad.
Much more wine is drunk than at a
lady's lunch, and yet some hunters prefer
to begin the day with tea only. Every
thing should be offered, and what is not
liked can be refused.
There are famous breakfasts in London
which are not the early morning meal.
neither are they called luncheons. II is
the constant habit of the literary world of
London to have reunions of scientific and
agreeable people early in the day, and
what would be called party in the even
ing is called breakfast. We would call it
reception, excepting that one is asked at
IL O'Clock. But the greatest misnomer of
all is the habit in London of giving din
ner, ball and supper out of doors at
O'Clock and calling that breakfast
Excepting that the gentlemen are in
morning dress and the ladies in bonnets,
this has no resemblance to what we call
breakfast.
Breakfast at O'Clock, or earlier, is SOL
emn process. 1t has no great meaning for
US, who have our children to send to
school. our husbands to prepare for bust
ness, ourselves for busy day or a long
journey.
For the very luxurious it no longer
exists.
Luncheon, on the contrary. is apt to be
a lively and exhilarating occasion. 1t is
the best moment in the day to some peo-
pie A thousand dollars is not an unusual
sum TO expend on a ladies' lunch in New
York for eighteen or twenty-five guests.
counting the favors, the flowers, the wines
and the viands. and even then we have
not entered into cost of the china. the
glass, porcelain, cloisonne, Dresden.
Sevres and silver, which make the table a
picture The jeweled goblets from CarIs-
bad, the knives and forks with crystal
handles, set in silver, from Bohemia, and
the little 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 for the soup. The oysters have
already been served on sheil-like Majolica.
England and maritime nations, sur
rounded by ocean, must furnish the plates
for the fish.
For the roast, too, what plates so good
as Doulton, real English, substantial
fdiencef
For the ''Bouchers Ia Refine" and all
the entrees, we must have Sevres again.
But do not give US "the beautiful head
of Damballe' on plate. | declare have
had a portrait of Marie Antoinette given
me to eat off of which has taken away nv
appetite.
pigions," the venison. the pieces de resist
ance, as well as English. Japanese plates
are strong. But here we are running into
dinner; indeed, these two feasts do run
into each other.
One should not have roast at ladies'
lunch, unless it is roast pheasant.
Dresden 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. shouId
can scarcely tell the frozen banana or
peach before US full OF luscious fruit, from
the painted banana on our plate.
And as to the candIed fruit, we must
again have Sevres.
Then a gold dish filed with rose water
must be passed. We dip bit of the nap
kin IN it (for in this country We do have
napkins with our luncheon) and wipe our
lips and fingers.
This i -
The cordials at the end OF the dinner
must he served in tin cups OF Russian gold
ilagree supporting glass. There Is an anal
ogy between their rival luscious richness
the cordial and the cup.
The coffee cups must be thin as eggs bells.
Of the most delicate French china.
There Is a vast deal OF waste IN offering
so much wine at q ladies lunch. American
women cannot drink much wine; the eli
mate forhids IL.
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 ali our woes, our dyspepsia,
our nervous exhaustion, our rheumatism
and hvsteria.
But / beliese that climate and constitu-
ton decide these things for Us We are
not prone TO overeat ourselves, 10 drink
too much wine ana If the absence OF these
grosser tastes i visible in pale cheeks and
thin arms, IS not that better than the other
extreme?
All entertaining can 90 on perfectly well
without wine If people 50 decide. 1t
would ne impossible. however, 10 make
many poeilcai quotations without an allu-
sion to the ruby" as Dick Swivelier
called il May the temperance movement
forgive Us.
Since Cleopatra dissolved the pearl, the
wine cup has held the gems OF human
Il. F. ". SHERWOOD.