The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-04-19
HOW TO ENTERTAIN.
The American Idea Is That
Everybody Is Hungry.
FOREIGN IDEA JUST OPPOSITE.
A Happy Medium Between the Two
feod for Mind and Body-Ccstons
sfEurspean Society.

ence. The American idea Is that every
body Is hungry. The foreign idea IS that
nobody is. The happy medium would
seem 10 be exactly between the two, lie.
me give my friend. not too much, yet jus.
enough
The principal thing, which French
people do. Is 70 give their guests music ii
any entertainment Some one is asked "a
sing OF play. and the guests are expected
TO be very quiet. and TO be enrapsured- Ii
Is often very stupid. and the guests would
rather talk But the inevitable woman.
or male singer. ssrieks In high French
soprano, or an equally sharp tenor. most
metallic, most dissgrrezble, or some one
inficfs a pianoforTe solo, greatest Of trials
A French hostess sesfs her guests IN 3
row n chairs, which she designafes, and Is
very much offended If they move She is
unlike an American hostess who Is pleased
If her guests move about If the rooms are
full Of beautiful bT1e-a-brzc she 1.-THE
French hostess) j. offended If the guest
leave her seat to GO and look AT the pretty
things. but II the cues. says. Would you
allow me 10 60 and examine your pretty
china7" the French hostess seems 70 be
propisaied, and allows her 80 do so. There
fore. : reception. tea. call On French
hostess Is apt 70 be very stiff.
In Russia tea is always served The
immortal Samovsr Is In requisitaon. and it
is very grateful in that cold climate AT
the parties champagne frappe" flows
freely, and delicious hot and cold dishes,
fruits. ices and bonbons are serTed all the
evening The Russians are very hospita-
bic. and their dinners are nox yscrhsps the
best in Europe
Continental people never eaf an Ameri-
can breakfast at O'Clock. therefore no one
in visiting AZ country place in Europe. or
indeed. IN snybody's house. need appear
before II O'Clock People take IN their
rooms cup Of coffee and roll, which
they call cafe oeapEes, or they may prefer
tea and oatmeal They have ali the morn
ing for reading. literary work, shopping
and sightseeing. At II comes the d<faaoe
Ia .fsarcAeffe. which Is . hearty meal,
served IN courses with red wine, instead q
tea This meal begins with eggs in a
variety of forms, q stew Of meat with
vegetables, cold meat, steved pipens,
spinach, mutton outlets, fred potatoes, or
trout from the lake. broiled chicken,
cheese, honey, salads, etc, all winding up
with cup of coffee
After this meal one has the whole day
for rest, recreation or work. As they please.
Dinner Is rarely later than $50 or IN
summer on the continent. Is there is de-
sire 10 go TO the Casino in the evening or
10 hear music ia the park The dinner in
France Is always good one. A frss-rafe
soup, 4 fish, fresh as = daisy, with .
worthy ssEce, flet of beef, one entree,
possibly bouchers Ia refine. asparagus,
green peas. always the inevitable, chicken
with salad, of which the traveller gets
oh, 30 tired, then ices, fruits, cheese. cakes
and coffee, and the wine of the country,
for unless on special occasions, French en-
sertainers do not offer champagne, which
is quite as expensive In France as il Is In
America
Americans would do vel to copy French
frugalisy. II Is not ineiegsnf, it Is not in
hospitahle. 1t Is simply good common
sense.
English entertaining is superb ard fanlt-
less at great house AT an English din
ner, from the plainest to the highest. there
Is etiquette. manner. fine service and
everything which there should BE- The
Wit. the courfier. and the beauty. and the
poet, aim ST appearing well at dinner.
THE pleasures Of the table. says Sayarin,
..hring neither enchantment. ecstasy or
transports. but they gain in duration what
they lose in intensity. They incline as IA
vorably TO ali other pleasures. or console
as for the loss OF them" They console rs
for our lost illusion
Atvery few houses. however. even IN
England srnongst the arisfocracy. does one
see so elegant taste, and never anywhere
the prcfnsion of flowers In which Amer
cans delight Indeed, . French gentleman
who was dining next 10 me ~ an Amer
cans table in Paris, told me that il pained
him 10 see money thrown away on flow
ers In England one sees very fine linen
and beautiful old silver. china and glass,
the table lighted With wax candies Coffee
is served immediately after dinner IN the
drawing-rcoms
At plain country dinner. plum pud-
ding. 4 sweet orneies or rich plum tart Is
served before the game / imagine this Is
the remnant Of some old fashion, bzs Il
prevails IN Yorkshire. The dinner, except
in few houses. Is rarely as good SIS The
ordinary American dinner except In the
matter Of fish which Is uniformly very
fine. The vegetables are few, ..an4 the
sweets are very fine, generally consist
ing OF sour tart made OF gooseheTrles-
Fine Strawberries ard pes are. however.
very com mon
All the men are in evening dress and
the ladies deoc1i<fs< 81 a1 English dinner.
even in the country places. ike Melton
Mowhray. and as the exposure TO cold Is
getting 10 be more noticed than formerly.
very elegant tea gowns are nov allowed
A white or pink satin tea gown trimmed
with sable and made high n the meek Is
now ossen seen 81 dinner Servants make
the round Of the table N pairs. opening the
various courses People do not talk loud,
nor do they gessirulate - Americans do
They est quietly and speak IN low tones
No ue-sansl subjects are sver diseased
before the servants. of whom there are
ALWAYS great number People o. very
moderate means keep many servants No
hostess ever apologies or notices any &C.
ciders Or failures If the cnaelssfe sos,fie
Is burned CT drops she does not observe II
The servant appears and wifhcrass II,
nor IS anyone disturbed thereby
AT luncheon. and IN some houses Il IS
still considered proper for the man Of the
house 10 carve, ~ very quiet dinners the
LADY, helps the soup herself This Is often
done on the continent
Afternoon tea Is an institution IN Eng.
land. and Is one Of the most agreeable ways
Of entertaining. Tea Is always on tap IN
England. and whether one joins the table
Of famous hostess after the aunt. IN .
COUNTRY house, or goes 70 the more stately
sflernsssr, tea Of 8 duchess. Z ~ always
;he sane rCsca tea, with hos :ozst and mzf-
FMS ue-har<. In Scotland they give one
hot Srozes and butter. which are very rice
at afternoon tea
The London crashes, the cGecass balls.
the receptions III the foreign cfice, are ali
most enjoyable in these great, sraeacsd
hos,ses. = nich we hare not vet copied A
weIR-h-rd. xsii-2n-roiEced American isdy
has the highest position IN the English So
w;ss sale II she knows how 20 take Il. and