The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-06-20
A STARVING BRIDAL COUPLE.
They We're Not Upto the Customs of a
Modern Hotel.
(From the New York Tribune. ,

|
Dial couple that stayed for q week at the
Hotel Netherlands recently. They came
UP from the South, ana the period of
reconstruction did not seem to have left
mark upon their open and genial char
acters. de was rawboned and athletic
and she was one Of those typical South
ern girls who speak in the dangerous
dialect of Dixie land, when they do
speak, but carry on conversation mainly
by the use Of their Dyes. The couple
were we'll supplied with money, and
manifested desire to have good time,
but showed a woeful lack Of knowledge
OF the details of a great CITY. To the
manager of the house the young bride
groom confided the Information thai his
family had once been wealthy. but like
many others in the South, had been
drained by the war. The girl also came
from an old plantation family that had
been left pennilsss by the war, and all
either could boast of was long line of
line ancestry, health and good looks. By
d1nt of hard work and extreme economy
the bridegroom had saved few hundred
dollars, and he intended to have honey
moon that would be worthy of remem-
brance.
The couple came to the hotel about
noon, and passed most of the afternoon
in looking over the house and admiring
the furnishings. When it.began to grow
dark the young husband seemed to get
uneasy. He wandered about the corri-
doris of the hotel and seemed to be at a
loss for something. Finally his, feelings
mastered him. and he approached the
clerk and asked: "Ah, say, can you tell
me when the supper bell rings? Ah'm
getting sort o. hungry
The clerk was amused, but he ex-
planned to the Southerner the mysteries
of living upon the European plan. When
the bridegroom learned that the 81 @ day
hs was paying for his room did not in
clude meals for himself and wife, he
whistled softly and remarked: "You all
must maxi heap of money oha'ging
liEe that TO- rooms. Well, we'uns are
going to have good time, an suppose
we all might as we'll go in and get some
| ObubF To 6tG.
He walked off and went up to his room
to get his wife. He mani tested a pecu-
liar liking for. the elevator, and insisted
on riding in it at every occasion. He
found his wife as hungry as himself
ami, under the tow of q bell boy, made
his way to the dining room. Previous
to entering this room his honey moon
had been dream of joy. without cloud
to hide the sunshine When ne seated
himself at the table the first "rift in the
lute' came. A whire-aproned, obse-
quinus waiter laid carte dc jour in
hurried off to get glasses plates and so
on. A consultation at once took place.
The card was printed in French, aud
after studying it from every side, and
reading it backward and forward, the
husband gave 1t up and passed it over
ruefu!ly to his wife. She looked in hope
less bewilderment at the card. and 1t was
evident that she was at sea also, SO far
as French was concerned. They gazed
hopelessly into each others eyes and then
at the card, and then back into each 9TH
er's eyes again. He was game to the
last, and suddenly thought struck him.
He called the waiter to him and said
softly: "Waitah, is this all you uns have
for suppahT
The waiter replied that everything that
had been prepared for the meal was on
the card. The husband sighed and the
wife looked glum. Then the young fell
low said quietly: Well, l guess we all
don't want any of what you uns have
got fixed. We uns will get something
or other to eat later Then he arose
and went up to his room, his wife fol
lowing obediently. For two days e
young couple haunted the house. They
did not seem to think that there was any
more of New York than that which lay
Immediately within ths range of vision
from the hotel. They eyed the dining
room longingly, but did not enter. One
day one of the maids came to the mana
ger of the hotel and told him that the
persons in the occupied by this young
couple were littering the place with cook
ing. The manager. who felt that some
thing was wrong with the young fellow.
called him aside and told him kindly
that the management did not allow
cooking in the rooms, as. it interfsred
with the regime of tn house and damaged
the furniture. The young man blurted
out: "Ah don It see what we all is to
do then. All CAN'T get anythin' to eat in
the dining room, aud we uns has got to
eat''
When pressed for an explanation he
explained the trouble about the bill OF
fare, and oonfided to the manager that
he and his wife had finally grown 81
hungry that he slipped over to corner
grocery and got some vegetables and
other eatables and frying pan. The
couple had used the gas jet for a stove
and managed to get along pretty well,
although he admitted that it was rath-
or poor makeshift The manager ex-
planned the intrioaoies of French carte
de jour to him, and also gave him a
broader idea of the oity's resources The