The advocate., 1894-11-28
AS TO DINNER GIVING
WHAT A HOSTESS MUST 90 TO WIN
REPUTATION IN THIS LINE.

AGair-China, SilVerware and ViRnds Ga.
lore-Ths Other Dinner Which Ts the
Opposite Of the Gorgeous Spread.
Though dining Is the pleasantest form
Of entertainment which the polite world
offers to its devotees, It Is at the same
time a trying function to the lnexperi.
enced hostess, who readily understands
that, though a dance or tea may not be
successful and her status will yet remain
unimpafred, II her dinner falls fat she
will receive a black mark from all those
who consider dinner giving as an art and
the competent dinner giver an artist
Worldlings Of long standing are never bet.
ter pleased than when they sit down with
q few tried friends or some Congenial
strangers to good dinner, we'll served and
presided over by an agreeable hostess.
The woman who achieves reputation
as a successful giver Of good dinners is the
admiration and envy Of her set and Is as
certain Of popularity among the men as
though she were belle Of untold beauty
and many millions. To become success.
full dinner giver requires the closest study
Of other peoples tastes, an infinite amount
Of tact and world of good nature and vi
vaclty on the part Of the hostess. 1t is not
an enviable position to one who, fresh
from the rural districts, finds herself
placed either in the diplomatic circles Of
Washington or the more Censorlous and
no less formal clique Of society leaders Of
other cities.
In the long ago time our grandmothers
gave q midday meal that was called din
ner, but which was as different from the
meal of today so named as their gowns are
different from the frocks worn by the
guests around the modern dinner table.
At this meal of another generation the So
cial set was small, and every one knew ev-
cry one else. There was no fear Of meet
ing any one regarding whose birth, par
entage and education there could be any
doubt. Now everything Is changed. One
goes to dinner party and does not know
half the time anything about the history
Of those who eat and drink with him, and
even the hostess herself Ia frequently quite
as much In the dark regarding her own
guests. Social lions are not always blue
blooded, and Mrs. Newlyrich seldom has
manners to correspond with her millions.
There are two methods Of giving din
ner. One Is the English fashion Of max
ing the meal and everything connected
with it as elaborate as possible. At such
convention there is generally large CEN
terpiece Of flowers on the table, fanked by
ann nv,A nj onoh VNlaka
five or six glasses, representing water,
sherry, olaret or white wine, champagne
and burgundy. Knives and forks in great
array are at each place likewise, and the
appearance of the table when one enters
the room impresses the casual dinner goer
with the idea that all the china and glass
ware Of the establishment has been brought
forth to grace the occasion, where perhaps
only o dozen guests have been invited.
At q dinner of this sort there should be
at least two men, or man and maid,
to serve. The first course in q well regu-
lated dinner Is always oysters when they
are in season. They should be served in
deep shells and placed on soup plates filed
with cracked ice. Thin cut slices Of brown
bread delicately buttered are nice accom-
paniments for this course. At dinner OF
such magnitude the soup should bea light
one, Julienne being preferable to almost
all others With this course the sherry
should be poured. With the fish, which
course, by the way, many celebrated din
ner givers change to terrapin, there should
be served small potato ballsand ououmbers,
If 1t Is possible to obtain them.
The entree may be whatever taste die
tates, sweetbreads or pate Of some sort
being always appreciated by epicures. At
this course the white wine or the claret is
served. Champagne Is reserved until the
roast appears, whatever it may be, mutt
tom fllet of beef or anV other of the heavier