Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-12-22

The tnner is one Of the most import
ant fixtures Of Christmas day. Per
haps itmight even be called the most
importnt. For while we could mag
Inc Crlstmas without snow, without
Church without a tree, even without
present or hanging up stockings,-al-
thoughshe last requires powerful ef-
fort ofshe imaglnatIon,-it IS almost
impossible to make a mental picture OF
Christmas without a dinner.
TheIinner was Of a certain sort, too.
No male-shiits will serve to-day. The
best Z everything is hardly good
snougl, and due respect must be OBJ
servet for tradition. There are dishes
which must appear, If all precedent is
not to je violated, and everything con-
nectedWith tho feast must be brilliant
with jibilatiOns aud good cheer.
To begin with, the dinIng-rOom
shoud be decked out with eyergreenS,
holly and mistetoe. The table will
probibly be drawn 70 its full length,
for this is not a day for snail parties.
III tie family is not large enough 20
make an imposing array, the number
should be swelled by the presence OF
guests who have no homes OF their own.
Only the finest damask must be used
to-day. The pure white OF the table
cloth should be Frightened by centre
piece Of flowers or Of holly. aud breast
knot or bOut0uBclrC Of the same should
lie al each plate. Pretty, fancy dishes
Of candies, olives, radishes, celery
pickles, jellies, sailed nuts, etc, are
placed here and there with Judicious
eve 90 the effect. AT each place IS
plate, TO the left Is an array OF forks,
one for each course To the right
should be the knives 20 match, and the
folded napkin With piece OF bread
uDon it. The water glass is between
these and the middle of the table. The
Soup spoon is laid at right angles 20 the
knives and forks. the butter or bread
and butter plate is az the left hand and
the salt cellar is near the glass.
But all this is the mere skeleton OF
the feast What we are TO eat IS OF
more importance than the fashion 10
which Il Is served, but yet the enjoy
ment Of even the best cooked meal Is
heightened n IL is eaten from pretty
china and amid pleasant surroundings.
The dinner begins, Of course, with
soup, and as 20 some people, cere-
mOniOus repast of many courses IS out
fplace on Christmas Day; the hrst and
the second courses may be merged into
one By serving an oyster bisque. This
does away with the necessity for lSh
course, aud we 20 on from that directly
20 the main part of the meal, the turkey
and its adjunct. On such an occasion
half the aroma of the feast Is lostO wit
turkey Is carved on - S1CUurdge the
4 the pantry. Ev--~eSOuiuse him with
a -gauger. me ok, beautifully Drowned
bird is placed in front of the head of
the house aud kept 10 countenanCe at
the other end Of the table by a mighty
Christmas pie. No one will be critical
to-day II the usual custom OF passing
the vegetables from the sidebOard is
omitted and II sweet potatoes, white
potatoes, oyster. plant, boiled rice aud
other vegetables take their place on the
table along with the cranberry and the
celery. The only advantage gained by
their absence is more room for the ar
tlcles already on the table.
After so substantial q course as this,
and ia anticipation of the sweets that
must follow, nothing heavier is desir-
able FOR a.salad course thar lettuce with
French dressing All the other eat
Ebles are cleared from the table, except
abe dishes OF bOn-bons and sailed nuts
and the olives or radishes that are to be
eaten with the salad crackers and
cheese. A further clearance Of dishes
and the brushing of of crumbs precede
the appearance of the mince-pie and
plum-pudding of hOn0red memory. To
some feasters, the dinner would be in-
complete without ice-cream, aud this is
excellent for the children who are BOT
permitted 20 eat the richer dainties with
which their elders tempt Providence
aud torture their digeStions. A great
Christmas cake may also accompany
the ices. When all this is finally eaten,
the Event Of the Day NAV be concluded
by fruit, nuts, raiSins, horizons and the
small cup OF black coffee thai is often
saving clause as a settler" after a
heavy dinner.
The hour for the dinner is to be de.
termined by circumstances II children
are admitted 20 it, 10 is better to have
the meal near the middle Of the day, or
40 least, not later than two or three
o'clock. But where grown people only
are to be considered, their preference is
usually for six, siX-thirty or seven
o'clock, when they can feel thar they
may devote the concluding hours Of the
holiday 10 reDOsa and dfpesrioo