Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1895-09-21
An Expensive Luxury.

More than ever before has II been
fashionable tins winter and spring TO
give dinner parties, writes Clara Belle,
and more than ever have table and
room decorations in honorof the event
been popular. dinner party in New
1ork's fashionable quarter means
something more than merely putting
food before guests and letting them
cat and run oil somewhere else II
involves. If the dinner be 40 To the
standard. proiuse decoration OF the
rooms with flowers aud confection
pieces. the distribution Of bouquets
and iayors 10 each guest, and the gen
eral entertainment of the party until
such time as II breaks up. So much
Of preparation does il involve that
many prefer TO take guests TO Del
mOnicu's or the Brunswick. or TO some
OF the other places whore they are in
the business. Or il may be that the
Fifth avenue resilient may decide to
give his entertainment az his own
home, and may pat the entire charge
Of il in the hands Of Delmouico, who
will furnish everything that is 20 be
used and will cart il an away the next
dat He limits the expense To So
many hundred dollars, and belmont
cos assistants do the rest, Ofiener.
however, the Fifth avenue man has
chief 70 whom he gives large salary.
and OF whom he is very proud, and lie
takes AN especial pride in the dinner
and in its surroundings. He loads the
table with flowers, and he puts them
on the walls IN the greatest profusion.
There Is 4 trick in setting q wide dim
ing-table by laying a strip of mirror
lcLglhwise down the center aud iring-
ing il heavily with flowers. Ii has
then the appearance Of being minia-
turc lake, aud the gaslight dancing ON
IL gives OF most beautiful effects.
Then there are half dozen confection
pieces. worth $40 either on the table
or looking down upon IL from brack-
cts on the wall They. too, are dec.
Grated with flowers; indeed, in mod.
crn dining the flowers form the
chief item OF expense so lavishly are
they used. Nine times out OF ten
when the guests march into the ban
quet hall they do so TO the soft strains
OF an orchestra stationed in an ante
room or hidden behind shrubbery in
the back hall or parlor extension,
Then come the two or three hours re
uuired to do Justice TO the twelve
courses aud the ten kinds Of wines.
The party gets very merry and conf
dental ut the end Of the first hour,
and quite hilarious and noisy at the
end Of the second, aud almost para.
lived aud incohereut at the close of
tho third. All hands, from the host
down, are convinced that it is the
finest dinner of the season, aud
fresh supply Of champagne is ordered
TO clinch the conviction. At mid
night the orchestra is yet at work.
Half dozen persons arc trying to
waltz IN the parlor, and the host is
urging the gentlemen 10 slip back to
the table for just one more taste of
or brandy. The flowers
are torn down to he taken away rs IA
rors, and the CONNECTIONS have been
to pelt one another with the
pieces. BY o'clock they have all
zone. The host surveys the wreck
md goes TO bed. Next day he gets
iis bill. IL looks something like this;
Florist, for flowers aud services in dec
Grating. ss...s.,...sss ..s.s.sss..ss.. WV |
Orchestra, ten pieces ~
joniections. .s..,ss,s.s ss.' .ssssss..sss M |
Dinner for fifteen, with wine at S2O a
plate. .......s.'s.ts.s,s... bM |
sNtra walters. .'.s.s..s'.sts 10 /
Extra WINE OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES, n 4
Miscellaneous expenses 20 |
Total .s...s.sss-'ss.. ssssssssssss''s'sSotu /
And TO the furnisher OF everything |
ave the music the profit is more than
90 per cent. But the host cares not |
10 mas given n successful dinner, and |
lis guests will talk about him for a
ay ut least
-a------. -
In poetry. as elsewhere, those who forget