The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-06-25
NEGLECTS OLD CUSTOMERS,
DOES MADAME OF THE FRENCH RES
TdURJNT, IN FAVOR OF THE NEW

lie french restaurant In South Wasnlngto
SQUARE. ono was stranger. The other hn
not visited It for some time. but had been
regular patron formerly Tho latter lookc
about him with curious eyes. Tho front room
was crowded. IIe looked at Madame. whom
hc remembered well. Thoy had boon YER
friendly. He smiled and bowed politely ms h
whispered his bon soir. Madame Sho wa
busy and hcr face was flushed. No m
Bwoting smiIo liz 1t up. and her bon
soir. monsieur" was curt and short
She paid no further heed to him
and had evidently forgotten his existence al
most before tho greeting had loft hcr lirs He
looked panied. paused as IL In doubt shrugged
his shoulders. and paDsod on into the pcx'
ROOM That too was crowded. and 80 thoy
went out into tho garden In tho rear. whore
tables had been placed close together. utilizing
every bit OF available space. Tho former
babitud noticed somo Of his old-time friends
sitting at largo table and ho and his COM
psnion Joined them. Aftor the greetings were
over Indy in tho party said to the former:
mot boon here in long time, Mr.. Smith,"
mo" said Mr.. Smith, half musingly. :. not in
q year. havo been como long enough. It ap-
pears, for Madame to forget me-"
A smile passed over the faces OF those who
had been sitting at the table. but no ono spoke
Mr. Smith was thinking Of tho time whom no
bad eaten ut this restaurant every day with q
number of COOL friends Tho patrons then
vere artists. literary men. Journalists and
some OF the French agents OF largo French eH-
porting concerns Everybody knew everybody
elso. wit aud humor flashed necessarily. and
good will was never absent. 1t was tho crown
ipE joy OF every day 10 sit there md become
perm eated with the influence OF such Jolly
crowd. Melancholy could not live there for an
instant Mr.. Smith looked at tho diners. They
were OF different sort. They looked solemn
and Dyed each other coldly. No one spoke
much above whisper Many wero evil
IDENTIFY business mon. Tho others might hnvo
been anything. lie fe!t n sinking Of the heart
that homesick feeling that comes to the wan
derer when he returns to Ind the old Preside
abandoned and nothing but ashes to remind
him Of past times.
Dahl" ho said. with n shiver. How this
place has changed! Who're are oil the old
fellows7 Dead2 It's dismal enough hero to
imagine that their ghosts are in possession.
Why aren't any OF you eating or drinking?
Here waiter, bring me some wine. or III have
blues enough to last month"
Tho waiter. who was rushing by with m
armful OF dishes. didn't oven look around
Smith and his companion looked Of each other
amazed, but the others only smiled and e1-
changed significant clances.
Thon one Of MIR. Smiths cid friends, II dis
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS man Wltu u Dluck nous
tacls end eyeglasses. sIoke up.
Old Ihn,p" said h. -. You should never have
but oEr time nf Is fast approaShns We viii Ie
dSmmes WIZ We e no br nSlF hers
hall IN hour. anu were among the first to come.
because we know it is useless
has all S Smith this
size Your friend WAS NOT there. e. wIll DO:
. place on Wooster street, There wore three
email tables Ht one sidS and one large one IN
ss "s sss
their powers OF hearing sometimes to under
,ss %s SH s:usr. r s. az sS.S H.
t q sh was made e ss q
was All SMILES and politcn"s-. Tho cooking
day. and 4 ono was absent everyhndy WINS sur.
$ Sply The Americans casd (. ancheYn iho
;e,l., a ia Nu,;ctctt. Tho Frenchneh came
little earlier than tho Americans. Tut stayed
5uss as at tio The The meal and the talk usually
n nsss ~as prnes tfs e Until toSt 9 as
ladies there onre In the evening. but Madame
n "a. IS 50 did not rercat tie expsriment;.
query. About the time you went to Europe.
old man. ancw man was introduced to tina ros-
Ioysa The. place 40 mnch that he thought i he
would inform tho world Of II. He wrote u long
s sssSsd Which ss sns Hrne! Il 5 T KS eitT
pni the ,jpllity: Immediately strangers began
ier The oLitilnors They s" stood np wien ali
tho ssa.s were taken. and Watched greodly
us dozen ways We coSld ne longer YIN i'm
ger Oyer meal; our talks wore cut short. We
ba fbtians., The latter waited to cone IN tho tho
ss M sad nothing Msd.R
taking larger rsstaSPan 01 Wo' shsn sSs
oysd oysF heTs vas 70 Longer ecs.y ard
Imoke: and tho kalsomne was like we'll.
cred with cheap pspsr Of assorted huas. We
gould no longer touch elbows. Madame no
's9s F eF sss but s t. u I'll s
bu .l s,i!i We eontinued.to come;
,eW Visitors were not 81 ous sort. They IooteS
spSn the place as sort Of nuseuln where (
r h%s: ~ %s sss asS s s
ND expensive wines, You remember, Ia the
I'D days. man would order a soup for ten |
'ents. one meat for twenty or thirty cents. O |
for ton cents. q salad for ten cents.
choose for Ave or ten cents. o pint OF. rlaret
tUss sPR Wona so
nnts TO- dollar. and madame was mover {
ipped. On days when We. were hard up we
you'd DO content with kidney saut5 at TWEEN I
y cents. some potatoes for ten cents. a cheese
orslve cents. a bottle Of WIN ordinalre for NJ
cen cents. and denai-tasse; total. hfty-nye
enta. Now you will observe that most Of the
liners order course dinners and drink the aner. ]
s na Even sinmnaGnS RE noS1
q r. aSnnS and the new crowd eats " luncheon
crowded and seats are sometimes 9
nobtainable; Madame. belng Inspired not
ay,sIrsity: but By de.ire to MAKE money
uickly, 10 no longer polite 70 u.s. She would
Y. We occupy 9nr seats 100 ions and order {!
pc n, igneInenS sh GisEss, PIE has no reeard
ys Gents sn or collars worth; she smiles
Z two on wine alone. That ia why we
9Ye to walt while others arc served. and l. (.