The Lake Charles echo., 1893-10-13
DELIGHTS OF DINING.
HOW EASILY THE SPELL OF SOLEMN
+ ENJOYMENT MAY be BROKEN.

tie and Lonely Character Demand At
tentiOn, Reverence and silsnOs---An Epi-
cure's Serious Addiction.
For my thorough appreciation Of o
large and good dinner ! am, ! believe,
indebted to my father. He was great
diner. and it is well known that the fin
est qualities of the English race are her
editary My father suffered from gout,
and the doctors, who are mass Of pref
udices, tell me that / also have got it.
However, l am thankful to say that /
know my own constitution, What Is
really the matter with ME Is o sort Of
cold accompanied by Inflammation in
one toe. 1t arises, / should say, from
overwork. Old port is good for 1t. ..
A fine appreciation of dinner should
be accompanied by a large income.
When my father died Of apoplexy
drought on by quarrel with his cook,
who was fair instance OF talent as dis.
tinct from genius), succeeded to his
position in the firm, and to an income
which even in the city Ia considered to
be fairly large. love larganess, love
large incomes, large houses, large appe-
tites, large waistcoats, large dinners. !
can never be too thankful that can well
afford large dinners. 1t was always my
ambition to be, like my father, a great
diner, and it would be but false humility
to say that 1 shall die without having
earned the reputation,
distinguish between the diner and
the diner out. do not want to be un-
charitable, but have no high opinion Of
the diner out. He does not, as n rule,
take the dinner itself quite seriously. He
Is liable to show an interest in the
women whom he takes in or in the con-
versation. Now, life Is too short for
that division Of interests; we only have
time to do one thing well, Let dinner
be that one thing say, dine-merely
dine. That is enough, Do that well,
and you have the best delight that this
world can give you. As for converse
ton, despise It,
Now, there was the case of Charles
Nutcomb, He was with us at one time
and mightfoE family reasons have come
into q small partnership. It would not
have been mueh--some $4,000 year
but ample for young and unmarried
man who is willing to exercise ordinary
care. Charles was diner out, and for
family reasons once asked him to dine
with me, although In q general way /
will not have young men at my table.
At the very moment when we were eat
ing yol-au-yent that from it's peculiar
ly subtle and lovely character demanded
the eaters attention, reverence and si-
lence--at that very moment. Charles
Nutcomb was tactlsss enough 10 tell
a story. 1t caused noisy laughter, 1t,
IL | may use the phrase, completely
broke the spell. It was like Whistling in
church, However, 1t was not in oonse-
quence Of this indiscrstion alone that
finally decided to get rid Of Nutcomb,
He refused port. A man who refuses
port--my port-is O fool and Gonse-
! auently unfit to be a partner In GoTg-
bury q Pigge, A fortnight afteTward /
managed to make some excuse for get
ting him out Of office, ! feel positively
certain that he would have embezzled
money If he had remained. His after
career only confirmed my low opinion
| VI lllAAs AAS WgklR ASAAR RAst9Ay w NAAS A1b9
became an author, in fact, .fa
But am not unduly devoted to wine.
Indeed | sometimes wonder whether |
am more fond Of that or Of the solid part
Of the dinner, Both are good, Both
bring ont all that Is best In man. The
feeling Of gratitude, for instance, Ia COM
mendable. 1t il impossible to think
much about the commonest viands--as-
paragus, the simple oyster, or even cut
from perfect saddle OF mutton-with-
out feeling grateful, Then, too, dinner
promotes the kindly spirit. When lie
! back in my chair after dinner, breathing
stertorously, my temper becomes kindly
! TO the verge Of fatuousness. ... .......
When In the morning clerk arrives
an hour late and makes some paltTy e1-
cuse--that his wife il dead. or some nom
: sense of that sort=-I OF course dismiss
him at once. But IL were to defer my
decision until the evening / should very
likely confne myself TO fining him q
weeks salary, II IL were his first 0ffense,
aud my dinner had been particularly
I good, might even let him off with q
reprimand, That Is the reason why I do
no business under any pretext after din
ner, II is all very we'll to feel kindh'
: ness, bnt one has To be careful that tho
feeling shall not influence ones actions
Z How inseparable from our dearest do.
lights are our deepest sorrowsl ! have
7 but one serious affiietion, the great SOUP
the soup of the city--las not real at
traction for me. 1t is richly expensive
it is hall0Wed by q thousand historical
: Z associations; 1t has brought ecstasy TO tho
hearts Of men with larger incomes than
I shall ever possess, but TO me IL 10 al
I most closed book. Sometimes when
4 am eating 1T at d city banquet feel "a
I ii / eonld see afar off it's perfect mean,
ing and catch dim glimpsas of ita sr'
4 perb generosity. But that is all lean
not love 1t as know that II ought 70 bt
Loved.
Heretofore I have kept my afaiction !
secret, but last night, when Thomas
I Piggs and ! were dining with the Fen
deFnakers Zone Of the ~ principal com
s panies), noticed that be was watching
me. He saw that did not really under
stand that solp However, / am po
afraid that Thomas Pigge win ever darl
d To reproach mo for this. He also has hil
u weak point and, az hg Is RwaFe, know
it. III d quite uporthodox On tho cub
iect Of sauce hollandaise. He has the
8. oxy IS 10 tie correct preparation Of I
j which can only be chegaeterized a. dan
2 gerous and revolutionary,
But must pause I hear the gong
g waking gently and eleepiHg a. gentl.
+ again. Blessed sound Blessed, bleasei
il dinpsrl ! write no more cot honEl
Pain ~ Lsood9R Illustrated News