Morning journal and courier., 1894-05-31
The Modern Dinner.Party.


 There ia Q certain air of unreality and mske-belIeve about the dinner party of to- day. Compare 1t with the dinner-party of half century ago, or, to go further back still, of Queen Anne's reign. One caE get a fair idea of the latter entertain ment from 8 ~if.'s "PoIite Conversation" Lord Smart's dinner hour was at three o'clock in the afternoon-''court hours," as one of his guests remarked-and the hour was none too early for the business that the company got through. Table decorations were unknown, and the at tendance was not 50 perfect that the gusats should refrain from helping each other, with their fingers, from the dishes before them. A company of eight were thus provided for. First course: @ sirloin of beef. a shoulder of veal, a tongue and fsb Second course: Almond puddipgs, black puddings, frittsrs, chickens and soup. Third course: Hot venison pastry, hare, a goose, ham, and sundry rabbits, pigeons and partridges. A simple dinner, but conscientiously attacked by the guests who seem to have partaken of every dish, and not spared the clsret, the Burgundy, and the strong O5tober sle by which it was accompanied. Here was a menu that left the guests little leisure for polite conversa- tion; but 1t was not for the pleasure of converaing, but of eating, that they were met together, and for that purpose the quality and quantity of the food arc the only questions worth consideration.
 A little more than 8 century later din ner-giving was still a simple matter of feeding the invited guests. Just fifty years ago Thackersy wrote paper in Fra eer's Magazine, under the name of George HifZh0O6la tho crhi.ok of giving. Thackersy was no unwilling din- er-out; he pretended to look upon himself as somewhat of 8 gourmet, and he loved the discussion of 'Bsrmecide Banquets. D In this instance he was occupied in criti- ctstpg recent book on cookery, which seemed to have invited his warm commen- dalton. The dinners that he selected for special praise are almost as far removed from the ideas ot to-day as the dinner given by Lord Smart. The following may be taken as specimen: Crimped salmon, Irish stew, mashed potatoes, mince pies, Oxford dumpiings, mince veal, pickles, roast beef and apple pie. All the dishes were to be placed on the table together with the exception of the appls pie, which formed what was called 'remoye" fo, the Irish stew. Pesple who sat down tc A dinner of this kind must have had very serious intentions upon their food. And Thaskeray's ideal dinner was & very ssri ous business Indeed. 'In the firet place as to central ornaments" he wrote, "hsve them as handsome, ss massive as you like, but be hanged to flowers! I ssy. Roses, bouquets, moss and foliage have an utter contempt for as quite foolish ornaments
 that have no right to appear ia atmos pheres composed of the fumes of ham, gravy, soup, game, lobster -sauce, etc. |. Flowers were not made to eat-awsy with themi doubt even whether young unmarried ladies should be allowed to come down to dinner. They are a sort of fowers-pretty little sentimental gewgaws what can they know of eatipgf'
 It Is not fair, of course, to assume that Thsckeray would have upheld all Mr. Fitz. boobies opinions on this subject. but there Is no doubt that they are very largely his own and those of good many men of his day. The food and the drink had really attractions then for the diner out, who cared not a whit what his com pany might be, provided that the dinner was a good one. The times have changed. No longer can he afford to despise the Psrsicos appa. ratus, for those foreign sdjuncts have be. come the chief attraction of the feast. We feast our eyes on the "sentimental gewgaws" that lie on the table before us, and lend our ears to the other "sentimen- tai gewgsws" who sit beside us, and it is the diuner-the fco3 end the drink-thst may Ego hang" for all we care. Witness the article in the Daily News, in the course of which there Is no mention of food. and hardly anything said of drink. nave in the plea that only one wine should be served at dinner psrty-and that wine cham psgue. What people to whom champagne is forbidden are to drink the writer does not suggest. On the other hand he has much to say on the subject of table deco ration, and instances an arrangement of wild flowers that cost & hoste,s some fifty pounds.