Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1896-12-01
THEIR HONEYMOON.
CAME PRETTY NEAR STARVING DUR
ING ITS FIRST WEEK.

A Difadent Bridal Couples Experience In
New York Hotel-The Carte de Jour
Was Too Much For Them, and Hunger
} Drove Them to Light Housekeeping"
| Starving amid plenty is hard fate,
yet such was the case OF diffident
bridal couple that staid for n week ut
the Hotel Netherland recently. They
camo up from the south, and the period
of reconstruction did not seem to have
left a mark upon their open and genial
characters He was rawboned and ath.
letic, and she was one of those typical
southern girls who speak in the Ian
guorOus dialect If Dixie Land when she
does speak. but carries on conversation
mainly by the use of her eyes. The cou-
pie were we'll supplied with money and
manifested desire TO have a good time,
but showed woeful lack Of knowledge
Of the details of a great city. To the
manager of the house the young bride
groom confided the information that his
family had once been wealthy, but, like
many others in the south, had been
drained by the war. The girl also came
Of al old plantation family that had
been left penniless by the war, and all
either could boast Of was long line Of
fine ancestry, health and good looks. BY
dlnt Of hard work and extreme economy
the bridegroom had saved Il few hun
dred dollars, and he intended 10 have IA
honeymoon that would be worthy If re-
membrance.
The couple came TO the hotel about
noon and passed most II the afternoon
in looking over the house and admiring
the furnishings. When il began 10 grow
dark the young husband seemed Ia get
uneasy. He wandered around the cor
ridors If the hotel and seemed 20 be at a
loss for something Finally his feelings
mastered him, and he approached the
clerl, and asked: "Ah, say. can yOu tell
me when the supper bell rings? Am get
ting sort o. hungry" "
Tho clerk was amused, but he ex-
planned To the suutherner the mysteries
Of living upon the European plan. When
the bridegroom learned that the : a
day hc was paying for his room did not
include meals for himself and his wife,
he whistled softly and remarked: You
all must max heap Of money cha 'glng
like that fo' rooms. Well, We Uns are
going to havo "a good time, and | sup 'osc
we al might as well 60 in and get
something or other 10 eat. "
He walked OFT and went up 10 his
room TO get his wife. He manifested u
peculiar liking for the elevator and in
sisted ON riding in it ut every occas IN.
He found his wife as hungry as him. If,
and under the tow Of bellbOy made his
way to the dining room. Previous 20 en-
tering this room his honeymoon had l'en
dream Of JOY, without cloud 10 ide
the sunshine. When he seated him elf
at the table the first rift IN the Ice
came. A white aproned, obsequ.ous
waiter laid carte de jour III froE Of
the southern visitors and then hurried
off to get glasses, plates and SO on.
consultation at once took place. The
card was printed in French, and after
studying il from every side and reading
il backward and forward the husband
gave it up and passed it over ruefully tn
his wife She looked in hopeless bewil-
derment at the card, and it was evident
that she was at sea also, 50 far aS French
was concerned. They gazed hopelessly
into each others eyes and then at the
card, and then back into each others
eyes again. He was game to the last
and suddenly thought struck him. lie
called the waiter 70 him and said softly,
"Waitah, is this all you uns have for
suppah:'
The waiter replied that everything
that had been prepared for the meal was
on the card The husband sighed ard
the wife looked glum. Then the young
fellow said quietly: We'll, guess We
all don't want any of what you uns have
got fixed. We uns will get something or
OIutT 10 tat ldt'I = ii' IA $500
went up TO his room. ife following
obediently. For two da. the young cou-
pie haunted the house. They did not
seem To think that there was any more
Of New York than that which lay i'm
mediately within the range of VISION
from the hotel They eyed the dining
room longingly, but did not enter II.
One day one of the maids came 10 tn.
manager IF the hotel and told him that
the persons in the room occupied by tins
young couple were littering the place
with cooking The manager, who fell
that something was wrong with the
young fellow, called him aside and told
him kindly that the management did
not allow cooking in the rooms, As 1t in
terfered with the regime OF the house
and damaged the furniture. The young
man blurted out: ''Ah don't see what
we all is to do, then. All can't get any
thing to eat in the dining room, and we
uns has got TO eat.
When pressed for an explanation, he
explained the trouble about the bill Of
fare, and confided TO the manager that
he and his wife had finally grown so
hungry that he slipped over TO corner
store and got some vegetables and other
eatables and frying pan. The couple
had used the gas jet for stove, and
managed to get along pretty well, al
though he admitted that twas a rather
poor makeshift. The manager explained
the intricacies of French carte de jour
to him, and also gave him broader
idea Of the city's resources. The young
fellow was deeply grateful. and for the
remaining few days that the couple
were in the city they entered the dining
room with the air Of persons who knew
all about it, and ordered the waiter to
get them something to eat. They
branched out over the city also, and paid
visits to various points Of interest. As
he was leaving the hotel, the husband
grasped the manager by the hand an'
said feelingly: "Ah'm 'blged TO yor
sab. A person who don't ask questie
should starve, and we uns came prer!.
near it. New York Tribune.
Woman.
en- yor pot think IL ia time " said