The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-08-30
Mrs. Sherwood Describes tho Over
whslming Luxury Of the
Ladies' Luncheon.
The Way in Which to Bring May
Into January at the
Table.
A Fashionable Lunch Table IL = Museum
OF Pretty Recipes for
Delicious Dishes.

L NtAV8 the DIaDk uAyltfNl Ntlo 0u0 uhSctV =
A slab Of agate in four eagles talons
Held neatly up, and merely taught to balance
A porcelain dish, Ger which in many sclustcr
Black grapes hung down, dead ripe and withoy
A melon cut in thin. delicious slices,
A cake that seemed mosaic, rich in spices;
Two china cups, with golden Tulips sunny.
And rich inside. with chocolate like honey;
And shs and |, the banquet scene completing !,
With dreamy words, and very pleasant eating.'
If all lunches could be as poetic and a
simple and rs luxurious rs this the hos
tess would have little trouble in giving
lunch.
But alas! from the slice of cold ham. O
chicken. and bread and butter. we hav
now the grand hunt breakfast. the ladies
lunch (most delicious of luxurious tim
killers). The lunch, therefore, has becom'
in the house Of the opulsnt rs elaborate a
the dinner.
Twenty years ago in England I had tn
pleasure of lunching with Lord Houghton
and ! we'll remember the simplicity of tina
meal.
A cup of bouillpn, a joint of mutton,
roasted and carved by the host. a tart. and
some peaches very fine dollhouse fruit,
and 4 glass of sherry was all that WAS served
on a plain table to twenty guests. But
what a company of wits, bellies and beau
ties we had to eat it. l once lunched with
Browning on a much simpler bill of fare.
I have lunched at the beautiful home OF
Sir John Millais on what might have beer
a good family dinner with us. And I have
lunched in Hamton court, in the apart
ments of Mr.. Bresford (now dead), who
was a friend of George Nv. and an old tory
whipper in, on a slice of cold meat, a cut
let, a g%ooseberry tart, and some %strawber-
riss as large as tomatoes from the garden
which was once Anne Boleyn's.
eWhat q great difference between these
lunches and 4 ladies' lunch in New York,
which, laid for twenty-sight people, offers
every kind of wine, every luxury of fish,
flesh and fowl. flowers which exhibit the
most overwhelming luxury OF an e1trsva
CANT period, with fruits and bonbons and
b~onbonnieres, with painted fans to carry
home, with ribbons on which is painted
ones monogram, etc., etc.
1 have seen daisies, buttercups and red
clover, field grasses and dandelions in Jan
uary at a ladies' lunch IS the last concession
of a fancy for what is unusual. Ihs order
having been given in September. the facile
gardener raised these flowers for this es-
pedal lunch.
Far more expensive than roses at a dollar
apiece this bringing of May into January!
1t would be impossible to say where luxury
should stop, and, If people can afford it,
there is no necessity of its stopping. 1t is
only to be regretted that luxury frightens
those who might like to give simple lunches.
The long. narrow dining rooms in fash
ion. in city houses has led to the expulsion
of the pretty ROUND table which is for Il
ladies' lunch the most cheerful. This mas
been tried at Newport for a party of thirty
with great success.
A lunch party of ladies should not be
crowded, as handsome gowns take up q
great deal of room, and therefore a lunch
of ten ladies in a moderate house is better
than a larger number. As ladies always
too hot.
The menu is very much the same as q
dinner, excepting the soup.
In its place cups of bouillon or of clam
juice, boiled with cream, n a bit of sherry
(very nioe) are placed before each plate.
There follows, presumably, a plate of lob
ster croquettes with Il rich sauce, flet de
boeuf, with ~trufles and mushrooms, sweet
bread and green peas, perhaps asparagus or
caulifiower.
Then comes sorbet or Roman punch,
much needed to cool the palate and to in
viRorata the appetite for further delioacies.
The Roman punch is now often served
in very ~fsnciful frozen shapes Of ice, re-
sembling roses, or fruit of various kinds.
If q lady is not near a eonfsctioner she
should learn to make this herself. It ia
very easy, only compromising it at first
with care, maraschino cordial or fine old
Jamaica rum being mixed with water and
sugar as for a punch, and we'll frozen. The
game follows, and the salad. These two
ale often served together.
After that the ices and fruit. Cheese is
rarely offered at a ladies' lunch, excepting
in the form of chee se straws.
Chambeetia = Chateau, Yquam, cham
payne and claret are the ~tavorite wines,
although sherry and Madeira ara offered.
Cordial is offered afterwards, with the
coffee, and a ladies' lunch rarty is supposed
to begin at ono and end at three.
1t is a delightful way of showing off all
ones pretty things. At a luncheon in New
York. / have seen q tabltcloth of linen, in
to which has been inserted duchesse lace,
wolth doubtless several hundred dollars.
the napkins all trimmed with duohesse,
worth at least twenty dollsrs apiece, if not
more. This elegant drapery was thrown
over a WOODEN broadcloth underpiece, of q
Gale lialac or red; the effect enchanting.
In the middle of the table was a grand
9pergne of the time of Louis Seize, the
glass and china superb. At the proper an
gle stood silver and gold cups, ornamental
plate stood q splendid boquet tied with a
long satin ribbon. and various small favors,
as fans and fanciful menu, were given.
AS the lunch went on we were treated to
new surprises of napery and of Sevres
plates.
The napkins became Russian, embroid-
cred with gold thread, as the
spoons and forks were also of Rus
sian silver and gold beautifully enameled.
Then came those embroidered with her
aldo animals-the lion and the two-headed
eagle and erifin-the monogram gracefully
intertwined.
Then came plates, apparently of golid
gold and beautiful workmanship. And the
Roman punch was hidden in the heart of n
water lily, which looked uncommonly limo
cent with it's heart of fire.
The SO vice of this lunch was 30 perfect
that we did not see how We were served; il
all moved rs if to music. Pleasant chat
WAS the only addition which our hostess
left for us to add to her hospitality.
L have lunched at many great houses all
over this world, but | have never seen so
luxurious Il picture at lunch as this was.
1t has been Il question amongst ladies
whether oysters on the half shell should be-
served at Il lady's Iuuch.
For my part | think that they should. al
though many ladies prefer to begin with
the bouiilon.
All sorts of hors d'euvre, like olives, an
cEoyes and other relishes, are in order.
In summer ladies sometimes serve a cold
luncheon, beginning with iced bouillou.
salmon covered with Il green sauce, cold
BIRDS and salads, ices and rawberri or
peaches frozen i'll cream. Cold asnarapus
dressed as a salad is We y good at this meal.
IN English country houses the luncheon
Is n very solid meal, beginning with n stout
roast WITH hot vegetables, while ,cbioken