The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1892-05-20

the stranger within their gates, and
Mrs. Chesterfeld's maids declare that
Mrs. Chesterfield is as polite in the
kitchen as in the parlor. Their habit
ual, spontaneous, lovely courtesy is a
never failing talisman to attract.
When [ consider the social success
of the Chesterfelds-to put the matter
on its lowest ground-I wonder how it
is that more people do not cultivate the
same charm. It can be cultivated as
much as a mustache or the habit of
smoking! My friends, the Chester
fields, may have been born polite, but
l am sure they have also grown polite
ness assiduously. The little amenities,
the small costless courtesies, they are
luxuries; they ought to be the neces-
sites of living!
| | do not know better place to begin
about the cultivation Of these fruitful
graces than our meal times. In how
many American families is the family
meal time for feeding in the first
place and fault finding in the second!
There is nothing morally wrong; but it
is not in itself beautiful act, it needs
to be embellished with good temper and
dainty service and pleasant talk.
The Cavils who belong to the church
and subscribe SO literally to every
charity going, that I have not the heart
to describe them except mile out of
recognition, have cut glass and odd
family silver ravishing to behold, they
have art embroidery that takes the
appetite away from sheer delight of the
eyes; never on their table does one see
hook Or sauterne served in plain glass
or claret served in colored glass.
They eat their oysters with oyster forks
and they have fish knives for their fish
like their English cousins. while their
ice cream sets and their bread and
butter plates are vision. They have
old Sevres and new Royal Worcester,
and they can tell-and do-the blight
ing effect of the double crossed swords
on your Nielsen ware.
But when one dimes at the Cavils
and hears Papa C4vil find the soup too
hot, or the roast overdone, or the en-
trees to cod, or the mayonnaise too
thin, or the sweets not to bis liking;
and Mamma Cayil means over the
servants between courses; or it may be
there is a kind of tournament of
criticism wherein all the family, in
turn, SHES something verbal at the
offending dish, one, to speak frankly,
wishes ones self anywhere else.
Mamma Cavil is a placid soul who
does not seem to feel the weight Of the
family grumbles In the language OF
the market place, she uploads on the
cook, who is to do the Cavils bare
justice, as literally paid as criticised.
Mamma Cavil cannot understand why
"that woman" Tor "that man." since
Papa Cavil's theory that no woman can
rightly comprehend the noble art, has
more than once taken shape 10 cook
OF the gifted sex) will broil snipe too
much, told over and over, as she has
been, to be careful; or she plaintively
wishes that Papa Cavil would talk to
the cook and tell her not to make her
Bavarian cream SO thick. = Bavarian
cream ought to barely be able to stand
alone, says Mamma Cavil, who under
stands, like every Cavil, all the virtues
of the perfect dish.
I cannot recall but one time at the
Cavips truly hospitable board that we
did not talk about what we are eating;
that was the time the house caught fire
just as we sat down.
How different at the Chesterfelds!
They do not always have so good cook
as the lavish Cavils, often Mamma
Chesterfield, who was not born cook,
but has achieved cookery by dlnt otpains.
taking and study, has made the sweets
and the salad herself, and not always
to her own satisfaction; but you would
never dream that they were not to the
content of all the others. If the Ches-
terfelds cannot praise they say nothing
And | have been told by no less
authority than the "second grip of the
Chesterfeds they do not display
butler. like the Cavils) that they never,
as Marie expressed it, "talk about the
victuals.' If anything is good or is
made by Mamma Chesterfield her hus,
band, who is still her lover, praises it,
and generally on the Chesterfelas' table
there ia plenty to praise. The Chester
fields are not celebrated as wits, but
somehow we laugh great deal at their
feasts and the talk never flags. For
one thing, each talker is made to feel
that he interests the others.
Why, indeed, should we not make
our meals seasons of enjoyment to some
thing higher than our palates? Many
families who do not find fault, are con-
tent to eat in silence, having not much
more than the dumb enjoyment of
companionship felt by the beasts when
they feed at the same manager. Break.
fast takes the palm for unsociability.
The family are still little sleepy, and
if they say "Good morning" they feel
that all the demands of courtesy have
been honored. They sink into their
respective chairs and silence; and the
fruit or oatmeal or both will often be
devoured before any word betrays that
thou houo ~ U,ft oF