The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1892-04-13
TEMPERANCE NOTES.
VINE AT woMEN's LUNcHEoNs
An Institution of High Life That IL .
Menace to Respectability.

An Institution of High Life That ID .
Menace to Responsibility.
Without undertaking to handle the
moral aspect of the point under discus
sion, shall limit myself to question
of good taste in the matter of serving
a variety of wines at the luncheons for
women which now play so prominent
part in the entertainment of our
friends throughout the country.
Look, for example, at the large
parties to which. at half-after one
o'clock in the afternoon, are convened
ladies in visiting costume, bonneted
and yelled, to be shut in darkened
dining-room, where gas and candles
suppiant the wholesome light of day.
There, during two mortal hours, the
guests are fed with delicacies of which
each one seems to the taxed digestion
| to be-yet never is-the very last they
will venture to accept Cucumbers,
! caviare, truffies, foie gras, almonds,
mayonnaise dressing are but a portion
of the addenda of the feast. To relieve
| the thirst thus engendered the banquet
err has recourse to what? Beside her
plate stands exactly the same array of
glasses-glasses of English cut, Of
Venice or of gilded Carlsbad ware,
lending glitter or color to the board
glasses for sherry, for Rhine wine, for
claret, for champagne, all that would
be demanded for the service of the
most formal dinner.
| Beside this scintillating group Of
| glassware is to be found tumb bier or
goblet of water filed to the brim-
there are so few houses where the
servants are instructed on this point
with fragmentary ice! What woman
having ordinary regard for the ele-
ments Of hygiene presumes at such a
crisis to insult her already disturbed
digestion with douche of iced water?
Ten to one she does not care for wine,
never thinks of touching it at home;
as matter of course lets the sherry,
the Chablis, the Burgundy go by un-
touched; but unless it occurs to her to
quietly demand glass of water with
out ice, and, if need be, to tinge its
clear substance with dash of claret,
she is compelled to drink champagne.
Latterly, as a natural solution of this
recurrent difficulty, Clysmic, Apolli-
naris and the Hygcia waters are con-
tinually served.
Champagne. curiously enough, con-
tinues to hold its own. "How very ex-
traordinary that you Americans should
eet champagne before your guests at
midday" said travelling Englishman,
from whom, naturally, he having re-
ceived the best Inequalities of the best
American society along his line OF
march, frank comment was to be ex'
pected. with us, you know, excep,
at races and picnics, it is a wine that is
like an evening coat-never seen out
until after dark" However little we
may relish the condescending manner
of this and kindred national rebukes
there is no disputing that the right i.
on their side. The whole matter Of
serving champagne in season and ou
is overdone in America. But especially
does it seem inappropriate for an as
semblage Of ladies, who, If they wer'
]
yond glass of claret, and who, for tn,
most part, are content with the bottle'
waters of their favorite spring.
Tea drinking at luncheon, once 81
, popular, has been elbowed out of plac,
| by the universal cup of tea at fiv
, o'clock. Women, unlike their prede
cessors of the Brick Lane association
who could partake of the cheering bev
erage till detected in the act of swell
ing wisibly before the very eye,
have now founo out that the philosoph.
of drinking tea consists in limiting one
self to one cup per diem. Chocolate a
an accompaniment to food is found t.
be too heavy. Water, the beverage o
Eden, and during SO many years sine
respectfully in vogue with large por
ton of the civilized creation, has re
Gently been pronounced fattening whel
absorbed with meals What, in tn
eyes of many of our sisterhood, coul
be more condemnatory of any drink?
In connection with this questioi
may be cited the experience of youni
American girl on her first visit to al
English castle, who, at luncheon, feel
ing thirsty, looked about her for some
thing she could drink. Her host, mex
to whom she had the honor to b
placed, demanded her need, and wa
r informed that she would be glad of
glass of water. With a puZzed face h
, re .erred the matter to his wife, tn
servants being absent from the dining
room. "Water?" said the surprise
< lady, won't she have beer or claret?
Tie American girl, rather depressed a
Y tn s public notice, yet stoutly persiste
D in her demand. A bell was rung. tn
4 majestic butler entered, asd on hear
ing what was required paused for
moment to collect his scattered facu
ties, bowed and retired. Some tim
: later a footman, carrying upon silve
4. tray a small glass of a fluid that locke
a as if it had been dipped from the castl
t moat, appeared at the lady's elbow
/ After this she made prompt resolve
I renounce her national beverage unit
. again on her native heath.
q What then poor dear women are I
q DIR nix at luncheon must, it appears, b
81 decided by climate, custom. health an
u inc ividual bias. AS it is becomin
! Gle " that on these occasions littl
4 wi5e is actually used, perhaps hos
- ess IS will some day wake up to tn
: wi. dom of suppressing the show {
!, glasses which lends to the ladie
d luncheon its chief reproach from GU
M,-S RurtopS Harrison