New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-04-12
HOME AND SOCIETY.
,,rA11rY MARRIED BY LACK OF
FRANKNESS.
AMUSING EXPERIENCES OF DINNER
u,-rsrs-rHE DAINTINEss OF MILADY
OF ro-DAY-wHAT HAPPENED TO
A MODERN CINDERELLA.

,.srs-ryE pAINTINEss OF MILADY
OF ro-pAY-wHAT HAPPENED TO
A MODERN CINDERELLA.
l.. nothing more delightful than the exer-
, ~ hospitality. when everything goes Oh SUI
',,,lv and there is nothing. perhaps snort Oh ac'.
", misfortune that causes such acute osco"1o'
' misery as q distinct failure IN the way VI o..
s 81. What should be done IN case Oh
en'. .u,ng Going wrong?" was a mooted question al
'oman's luncheon the other day. TO act an u
.,,re was amiss in Of any obvious piui'"e''
Ia offer no explanation for enforced wal's' eo'O
a., ard other familiar contretemps. was the o'o
s.sboned idea of correct department Mistress Vi
..rssr though china fall" was the creeu 'na' was
rnt 70 embryo bousekeepers as RUE oi coi"u'''
a'e" .o,ever on the above occasion was pro-
THIS s.n,od and unnatural and really more
comfortable for the guest than II any chance anu
un'o" a honnening was openly commented upon
and made light or ,o,,.os =, ,his
,.,ter theory. 81 dned at house the other even
49,, whore | happened to hear afterward the chet
HE -, ord tho whole Kitchen and therefore
s ,,or was unset OF course. this IL a msfort-
49, that might happen to any one. and II Mr.. ana
a. a., a had just laughed off the whole thing
"a had sent into a caterers for a FEW NOT entrees
81 ore would have minded in the least instead OF
..,s however nothing whatever was sald ana the
was dragged on 10 an lltt-Hii' 'N"oN''
- ,.n a,v number OF execraby cooked dishes which
WV. WV. roauv uneatable. Mr. A. who had taken
IN grew gloomler and gloomier. so that the
-. ors,,on was worse than the food. and all this
.s,h, have been avoided by little matter-of-fact
.,tness which would have inspired the good nat
ure of every one
,,r ubo was present. "If. you say, people would
nrlv hs frank about such matters 1t would be far
s,.or for their guests and !. for one, would have
IN snared an extremely disagreeable experience.
= torgs, what the cause of the trouble was in this
.oss although did hear afterward. Any way the
dinner was the worst mess ever sat down TO- our
host and hostess said nothing. so We were Obliged
% make pretence OF eating. and finally after the
s,,,.r mas over took an early departure But the
worst is to come! number of us happened to leave
a, N, same time and some the doorstep proposed
that We should all adjourn IN body TO the wal
dorf for a good supper. AS we were all really hum
gry we accepted with JOY. and were soon discuss
ing A delicious little menu. when to our consterna-
,on and dismay. In walked our Quondam host ana
hostess They. too. were doubtless hungry. poor
souls and had FASTENED as as their guests had
Aenarted TO console themselves for their unhappy
evening by cosey little hot supper AS they went
10 the furthest end OF the room and pretended not
4. 900 rs we Of course had follow their cue but
1never felt more uncomfortable although the situa-
tion was altogether laughablc. How much better
would have DeSn IN lnlS case dHo IA t"Ss nav
.Imnlv said that their domestic arrangements were
unset and had given us a good hot supper, instead
az feeling obliged by conventionality TO have
certain number of UNBEATABLE entrees
"Nfy dinner story does not point a moral. although
II NAV adorn the tale Of dinner disasters, said an
other convive "for It simply the worst story
Of a series Of catastrophes I ever heard Of Some
friends OF mine who live simply, went abroad year
or two ago with good letters. and among others
they were Hospitality entertained at the palace OF
a certain lord bishop. who year later came out
for a tour through the States with his wife. Ana
as they stopped for few weeks In New-fork my
friend Mrs. x felt bound by the unwritten laws
of hospitality TO have them to dinner. although
as they live quietly and know few people. II was
for her great undertaking. particularly as the peo-
pie she felt bound to invite to meet their. on,
Of their position, were comparatively slight
acquaintance However they all accepted, ana
she had hired excellent cook for the unwonted
occasion. together with the servants to serve the
dinner and all promised we'll, when the most men,
orable cold wave OF the decade seemed to make her
the especial victim OF its attack. OF course the
pipes all froze and this followed by the burst
ing Of the boiler hour before dinner The kitchen
was flooded The dinner was stopped, no plumbers
could be had for love money, their calls that
day were legion. and to complete their msfortunes,
the gaspipes froze also and the lights went out.
1.-THE professional Gordon beu refused TO cook din
ner in a stream from the Croton aqueduct above
her ankles and there nothing for 1t but to send
for some hastily concocted dishes from the neigh
boring restaurant. In The while the house
grew colder and colder. the pipes from the furnace
became chilled and refused to convey the heat al
though they had big enough fire to burn the house
down. AS the KS we're rather oid-fashioned.
light they could muster. In the midst q this dreary
T rived felt as Il could commit suicide said
Mrs x to me aiterward of course everything .i,
fireplace in the dim light while the dinner
Heavens shall ever forget the misery OF that even
oSsr: trust snail never i've '"'0usn sue" an
"what like about women's dress just now is
Its suggestiveness OF the attention that Is paid to
the under side of things" remarked a masculine
critic 81 like the pretty Innings that catches
glimpse Of under the ripple of Jacket or the dis
placed fold OF cloth skirt, and the SILK petticoat
with Its ruffes and lace trimmings, that show
every now and again when milady gets into her
Carriage or runs up the steps Of brownstone
'front.' IKE the faint odor Of vioets that you
notice when you pick up her glove. veil or fan. and
Inc clean look Of her we-kept hair and hands Tor
An AZ up.to-date woman Is dainty creature. despnc
ner tailor mades' and knckerbockers: and man
nsn little Alterations. The gods see inside SAID
tne Eastern artisan as he finished the interior OF
MS vase with the care that he bestowed upon
the exterior; and it is precisely that which ! adj
H mire about the women nowadays-the evident
And 30 Cinderella married the primer This
ana many similar endings OF the old fairy stories.
whereby maidens who ignored and looked
aown upon by their naughty associates are placed
'ar above the latter In social position and prestige
are sa'isiying to the childish Of Justice And
"hen the old tale Is repeated in actual life, the
world which is not unkndly on the whole, is well
pleased and declares that II IS lust as II should be-
The story Of modern Cinderella happened in
this wise: She lived in the world but not of It.
not hi-treated by her acquaintances. but simply
'er quite alone. She not altogether uncon-
scious OF this but she did not resent It In any
way she simply considered herself undressing.
winch was misfortune to be deplored. but not to
De heiped. So she remained somewhat aloof from
the Intimate clique by which she was surrounded.
y ney were elgrQssed In their M md