The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-04-05
MRS. JOHN SHERWOOD.


they would DO well, but they must
lshine, they must Guido their neighbors"
And that is the first mistake. People
with $4,000 year should not try to
emulate those who have $4,000 year
And Thac!Seray says again: but
There is no harm DONE not rs regards
the dinner givers, though the dinner
eaters may have to suffer 1t only
shows that the former are Hospitality
inclined and wish to do the very best in
their power. If they do badly, how can
They help it? They know no better
The first thing Mt which young
Fhousekeeper must ann is TO live well;
every day her tablecloth must be fresh,
her glass and silver clean, a few flowers
must be on the table to make it dainty,
a few dishes well cooked, such table
as will be healthy for her children and
acceptable to her husband, and then she
has but to add ''little more" and it is
sht for any guest, and any guest will be
sglad to join such n dinner party.
But here l am met by the almost
unanswerable argument that the
Simplest dinner is the most difficult to
produce. Who knows how to cook a
beefsteall, to roast leg of mutton so
that its natural juices are retained, to
roast it so that 1.-The blood shall follow
the knife" to mash potatoes and brown
them, to make a perfect rice pudding;
that cook is said to observe that cor
don blue, which Vatal, Ude and Becha-
mel carved"
The young houseleeper of to-day,
with very modest means, has however
now, to mecU i condition of prosperity
(which even twenty-five years ago was
nnknown. All extremes of luxury and
every clement of iIrOfuSion is now
fashionable and one may say, expected
And remember that rich people, stificd
with luxury at home, like to be asked
ITO these dinners. A lady in England.
very much admired for her witty con
Hersation, said she ''intended to d,vote
herself to the amelioration of the condi-
ton of the upper classes, as she thought
them the most bored and altogether the
least attended to of any people," and
I'VE have heard of the rich man in New
York who complained that he was not
any longer asked to the little dinners"
"There is too much worship and fear of
money in our country. In England and
,on the continent there is no shame in
u. l
have been asked to Il luncheon in Eng
land where cold joint Of mutton, a
pew potatoes and a plate Of peaches
constituted the whole repast, and l
nave heard more delightful convcrsa-
lion and have met more agreeable pco-
Pie than at much more expensive
reasts. Who in America would dare to
give such lunch?
The simple dinner might be character
pzed thus, giving the essentials as n
soup, a fish, roast, one cntrce, a salad.
AN ice and fruit-siInply the fruit-in
season, cup of coffee afterwards. with
a glass OF sherry. claret or champagne.
good enough for anybody; such a din
tner is possible to the person of moder-
ate means.
from this up to the splendid million
nlre dinners, served on gold, and silver
and priceless Sevres, Dresden, japan
ese and Chinese porcelain, with flacons
OF ruby glass, bound in gold, with Ben,
Renuto Cellini vases and silver candel-
hbra, the ascent may be gradual. In
Fhe one, the tablccloth is of spotless
hamask, in the other it may be of duch-
esse lace over red, with velvet mat up-
der the silver epcrgnc. The very mats
are mirrors, the crystal drops of the
epergne fash like diamonds 1t NAV
Ibc served in picture gallery. Each
lady has bouquet, fan, ribbon
painted with her name. basket, or
bonbonnicre to take home with her.
The courses are often sixteen in num-
ibcr, the wines are of fabulous value.
antiquity and age. Each drop is like
THE river Pactobus, whose sands were
of gold. The viands may range from
lAlgiers to st. Petersburg, strawberries
and peaches in January, the roses of
June in February. Fruit from the Pa
Icific, from the gulf, articholkes from
Marseilles, oranges and Strawberries
from Florida, game from Arizona and