The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-09-20
WIT AT THE TABLE.
Mrs. Sherwood on intellectual
Components of Dinner.
DUTY OF HOST AND HOSTESS.
a Card with Poetical Quotations-Have
More Listeners Than Takers III lou
would Make Your Feast Success. ?
1891. BY ME-. W. SHERWOOD

xbieh the earthly institution of dinner is
arciuded. The idea of dinner has so i'm
teaded itself among his highest and deep
80 characteristics. so illuminated itself
In intellect and softened itself with the
,,n5est emotions of his heart, so linked
:..nlf With church and state and grown so
.r.;essic With long hereditary custom and
ECONOMIES, that by taking it utterly away,
da.tb instead of putting the final touch to
his perfection, would leave him infinitely
Ias. complete than we have already known
him He could not be roundly happy.
Paradise among all his enjoyments would
lark one daily felicity in greater measure
than London in the season."
No dinner would be worth the giving,
that had not one witty man or one witty
roman to lift the conversation out of the
commonplace As many more agreeable
reople as one pleases, but one leader is alb
solutely necessary.
Not alone the funny man whom the "en-
FAINT terrible" silenced by asking: mann
ma would like to know when you are GO
ing to begin to be funny2" but those men
who have the rare art of being leaders
without seeming TO be, who amuse you
without your suspecting that You are be-
ing amused, for there should never be
ANYTHING professional in dinner table wit.
The dinner giver has often to feel that
something has been left out of that group
shout the table-they will not talk. She
has furnished them with food and wine,
hut can she amuse them2 Her witty man
and her witty woman were both engaged
elsewhere (they are apt to be), and her
room is too warm, perhaps.
She determines that at the next dinner
she will have mechanical adjuncts, even
an empirical remedy against dizziness.
She tries dinner card with poetical
quotations, conundrums and so on.
The Shakespeare Club, of Philadelphia,
inaugurated this custom, and some very
witty results followed. Beginning with
"Enter forth. (before champagne) what
is thine age" (Romeo and Juliet, brings
in the MADEIRA. In the lobster stew, "Who
hath created this indigest?''
Pray you bid these unknown friends well
come, for 1t is the way to be better friends
Winters Tale.
Roast Turkey.
See, here he comes, swelling like a turkey
York Hams.
sweet stew from York's great stock.-Henry
tongue.
Silence is only eommendable In q meats
tongue dried.-Merchant of Venice.
Braised Lamb and Beef.
What say you to piece OF lamb and mustard,
idish that 1 love to feed upon.-Taming the
shrew.
sallat was born to do me good.-Henry w.
md so on. The bible affords others well worth
quoting.
Oysters.
Hal rnt raf ffnFr. fnFfF aaTo
And their mouths were opened Immediately
Luke i:e4.
Bean Soup.
Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentils.
Fish, Striped Bass
We remember the fish We did eat freely
Numbers.
These with many ipes.-Deuteronomy.
Steinburger Cabinet
Thou hast kept the good wine till now.-John
Boiled Capon.
Accept IL always, and in all places.-Acts
uiv:3
Pigeon Braise.
Pigeons such as he could get.-Leviticus.
Succotasb.
They brought corn and beans.-II Samuel
xxv:2S.
Quail Larded.
Even quail came.-ExOdus.
Abundantly moistened with fat.-Isaiah
Lettuce Salad
"A pleasant plant green before the SUM-
Vinegar and salt without presenting too much.
-kTa vi:2s
Ice Cream.
Ice Ike mosses.-Psalms.
Cheese.
Garry those two cheeses to the captain
Fruits
All manner of fruits, new ana old Canticies.
Coffee.
Last of alL-Matt xxi:s7.
They made an end of eating finally.-Amos
Wiz
They should make smoke.-Revelation viii:17.
And become like dust and ashes.-John
xxx:l9
And so on. Written conundrums are
pretty good stimulants To conversation,
the dinner cards might be greatly his
iorical, not too learned. \ legend appro-
pirate 10 the day. az Lady day, Michael
mas, New Years and Christmas, Nhitsun-
ude, etc, ali these are not bad promoter
OF talk.
Or one might allude to the calendar of
dead kings and queens, or other celchrl-
aes, or ask your preferences, or quote
something from 4 memoir, to find OFT
That il is a birthday of Rossini or Goethe.
All these might Ice written on q dinner
card. ana will open the flood gates of
fozen conversation.
Let each dinner glver weave net out Of
The gossamer threads Of her own thoughts.
twill hc the web of the Lady of Shalott,
and will bid the shadows of pleasant mem
CRY To remain. not tioat forever adown
The river" not even toward lowered
0amelot" where they may be lost.
Some opulent dinner giver once made
The dinner card the vehicle of a present,
but this became rather burdensome. 1t
VAS trying and embarrassing 10 carry the
gus home, and the poorer entertainer
nesialed afterwards perhaps at the ex-
20 the outlay had better come out of
ols , brain, and the piquing of curiosity
place:
lady gave me a gift. which she had not,
ana received the gift, which took not,
Ahd II she take II back, | grieve not.
nat there is something more required 10
@tm the intellectual components of a
rihher than these instruments To stimulate
cafioslty and give a iilhp to thought. We
must have variety.
Mrs. jameson, the accomplished author
OF the Legends of the Madonna" gives
the following description of an outdoor
elmer which should embolden the young
american hostess 10 "go and do like
Wise;
Yesterday we dincd alfresco in the Famfli
gardens fin Rnmel and, although our party was
ss-.aer too large, II was well assorted and the
sN went OF admirably The queen of our feast
ss IN high good humor and lrres1stibly charm
" trsttino very fascinating, T csustic and
10y, W lively and clever, = mild, IN
saRent and elegant. V, as usual, quiet,
~, cnhsoe ana seli-complacent, l. as absurd
Uu ssslduous as ever
,,s.t body played their part well, each by
a. a.; convention sacrificing 70 the amour pTopre
Aelghbor. Each individual really ocCu-
sEtIy hshls own peculiar role but all Hppar-