The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-10-24

day The French and Irish have triumphed
over the ebon Sons o. Ham in emplOyments
Of gastronomic panderinR- It is very diff
cult-as those who have made the attempt
can attest-to distinguish the well-bred
waiter from the isle that is emerald from
one VINO was born IN NapOleon's country
Even 70 bis pronunciation OF the edibles
enuneT ated in the French meLu the Irish
man Is undetectable.
There is on record in the memory of many
New York epicures and hon vivants a GER
tain serving man who presided over a table
in one OF the best known gourmand haunts
In town. This man was to the hungry way
farer what light house is to gloom-enveI-
oped seamen. A Partisan, pate and heel,
he came to Gotham when the Juror broke
out In his native city, which lasted until
the elimination Of the Franco-Prussian
disturbance. He was known TO those he
served simply as Alphonse. Curiosity con-
corning him ended there. which, in the life
OF waiter IN a public restaurant, is not
worthy OF much mark de was a man Of
great suavlty, even whe8 abused. He was
anything but youthful, yet had a young
look In his eye DeferentiGl patient and
lmpTeSslng you with his own right to some
consideration for the reason Of his man
MOOD, AIphonse possessed that rare oombi-
nation OF traits which make one masUerful
while submitting to another's mastery.
The figure which Alpnonse displayed to
the habItues OF the dining room where he
held forth was as odd as his character
Bulky IN person, badly rounded in the
shoulders, with ample shirt front, a sad
smile and keen blue eyes, be was the favcrite
OF all the diners, and was constantly held
up as model to his less accomplished fell
lows of the cloth. The table over which
Alphonse presided was a Mecca, to reach
winch an almost bolsterous struggle daily
ensued when several persons arrived in q
group Tor their stomach timber. One dav
Ehe large presence OF Alphonse from the
comfortable room was missing. Inquiry
brought out the fact that Alphonse was
watching at the bedside OF his dying WIFE
here was wife, and she dying! How abb
surd! What right had Alphonse to have a
wife! 1t was altogether paradoxical that
Alphonse, who belonged wholly to the pub
lie, should have home ties. No one sus-
pected that. this big, gentlemanly waiter
ever ebsented himself from the long room
of which he had come to be part. 1t was
more than amusing to watch inquirers re-
celve the news of Alphonse's domestic dis
turbance And none Of these solicitous folk
had suspicion of their own absurditv in
allowing themselves to show ANNOYANCE at
most natural affair. The monster OF su-
preme selfshness stalks everywhere in a
great town like New York, and when it
enters dining room it shows its fangs
One cannot learn to be a proficient or
afternoon. 1t means a fOrtnight's practice
merely to be able to carry a well-laden tray
with grace and without dumping the con-
| tents on the floor. The waiter in a Park
row restaurant who balances a pyramid of
OF plates in one hand aud tall column of
| coffee filed cups in the other and slides
alouR with his burden is in a degree an art
| ist, and if you doubt it try to accomplish
| the feat yourself-only borrow your neigh
boris china to make the experiment with.
The curriculum through which an adept
waiter OF the second degree usually passes
is severe, but serviceable. He begins as a
| second lieutenant to the head dish washer
| and works his way upward through various
stages of utility until be dons the white
| apron and the black alpaca coat He is q
product Of our Misunderstanding civilization
ia the waiter Of to-day, and be is a milestone
| along the path that is leading US on to uni
versal cosmopolItanism and the ever-grow-
ing spirit of nomadism. But whether we
shall ever reach the predicted destination or
not the professional waiter affords an in
teresting study by the wayside, and in his
several species he is more amusing than the
man who is hungry but cannot quite make
up his mind what he wants to eat.