The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-11-28
DISPLAY, DIN, AND SUPPER.
A MIG HrLY SCENE IN THE MID
MIG HIT WORLD UPTOWN.

~ shaS Sha S'S
His companion shook his head doubttuiy' ho
was a foreigner. "Or Parish
"The Empire decorations go q stop turthor
than anything Of tho kind i over saw th.re.
That part Of II is very much like Paris-ohiy
more So
The music Of tho bind, placed In q balcony
near the centre of q great room. was deatnhlnSiy
loud. Tho predoininating tones OF tho pl"ho
were audible over the violin and the corhet-
The pianist pounded with tho steady regularity
of a stono.brcakcr. Evidently both OF the loud
pedals were down. over the noise OF inc
music there could be heard an uproar that
continued as inces antly as the hum OF the
cable in the street outside. But 1t varied more.
Once in n while a crash OF china brought to Ill.
Ito climax the steady uproar. At times tho taiio U
q glass sounded sharply above the constantly roar.
The noise rcscmbled more than anything elso
the sounds of n great city heard from a height.
Men and women wcro talking at long rows OF
tables that stretched through the rooms. talking
constantly and laughing, talking with one
another or with walters. in anger or calmly.
About tho room men hurried, and they talked
to one another when. by accident. they collided.
or when. in the press OF tho evenings crowd.
they had favors to ask. There was the noiso OF
dishes placed on tho tables, the noise OF corks
drawn. the noise of closing and opening doors,
and the noiso OF orders called from a distance.
Through it all came the music OF the orchestra,
loud for tho size OF the hall. and dominated by
the insistent throb OF The strong pianist.
Every table had its occupants. The theatres
sent a certain number that came from the audi.
ences. Later thero came more from tho stage
doors. Contrasting with the noise and
tho thick haze OF smoke. the mirrors
nlong tho walls shono brightly. and the gold
decorations in the woodwork had not been
dimmcd ny the nightly clouds. Tho decora.
lions. which were splendid enough to hang in a
palace, were exceptionally complete. They be-
longed to the period OF the First EN-
pire. and were as good an adaptation 10
uses Of present day lie as the city has seen.
Heavy silk covered the walls and draperics 80
heavy as to be almost sitting hung at different
points about the room. Palms stood about tho
tables, contributing to the richness and luxury
OF the atmosphere. But that pherc was
curiously enough limited to the part of the room
above the tables. The level Of the white table
clothes was that OF nearly every oyster house
uptown. 1t was the Welsh rabbit and oyster
nircau. The First Empire seemed very remote.
One of the men began to philosophize.
1T is one OF tho most typicaily American
scenes have ever witnessed" he said. 1t
seems to me as complete u summary OF Ameri-
can civilization .s l have ever witnessed. Ev-
e~rything about it is prepared with tho mngnif-
! CrnCc tnat one HiRlt CNpttt W i''u III AL CStAP-
lishment OF the most pretentious character.
But most Of the persons who como here want
beer and oy sters. Some OF them are eating
game and drinking champagne; but most OF
roundings nearly as splendid as any 70 be seen
in London or Paris. Il is the most American m r
hero without the atmosphere OF richness, To
eat u Welsh rabbit Que, must SIT under the re
histors snF The1e IS G nothing I Ia!; cisd Ps to s"s 's FFs snsR
elegance. There Is no quit no particular case
in The service; there Is hustle, crowding, and
out in the quality OF the food. which is plain and
good. Imposed on this is moro Ipagnitieenee
knew. Combined with 1t is the noise OF a rev
Then the foreign philosopher and his frlcnt
left the place. and the promptncss with whlci
The vacant chairs we're tlled showed how much
what he had called tho Intensely native charac
ter OF the establishment was appreciated. l
was nearly midnight. but ,hcre were still ar
irving groups to statoes,t ne = ,h popplar,tyb o Ina,
s so%' t1 of ,h the ee aT1iy" Of The Gnssf room mp to the "n a part
and equally crowded. Groups stood about wait
inc for the departure of eaters who gave sign'
Of sufic!ency.
II there was ono more striking feature OF h,
room than the din which prevailed it was HI
earncstncss with which overy, person. in III
had brought him or her there. The eating wa
progressing rapidly. Systematically, assiduously
1t was n wonder there could DO simultaneously
so much che wing and so INCH talking. But TIT
PARTIES at the tables set themselves at work en-
Enthusiastically. Only at those tables which hat
ful finish was there any cessation. At last n few
men pushed back ths!r chairs and were SMOKING
rivals beEen TO be sluggish. II was a good thing
The crowds at the tables now were not OF tn,
They were lingering. The men smoked and III,
women crank. Tho ,asrect Of the place RENAME
Jusl Is bright ~ IL had been carrier III the crcn
ing. The women were fewer N number. bu
they we're tust as specracuisr. The music carr
70 an end ana In the rooms me snInd OF Gn!vc,
evident that the women were Connected "
too thcttre. The men as certainly Were not
frofher and conversation sprung up between IL
different tables. I'm that WAS confined TO III
ihcir party, Blu; it is fairly certain that he
knew who the Others were. They stared Wit
never spoke. They we're a str!kinply dresse
lu;. with, diamond pins IN rather nnr: ual place
: f fht s sIG,hss tne of %frG 5hGw yS Fs'd disp .Sao fiSI
3 ate'y made. Some OF he women had rings m
pins in profusion; Tyr 5. or three @yitsgg,,
out any especial propricty. was conspicuou
. somewhere about them;
arrivals nf,er ] O'Clock was the original metho
OF discrimination that decided VIII shout
WAS closed and the blinds drawn. An ~insisten
o knock brought the little negro porter to IN
S %Ssino1 H. he 'h Hosw his ibe head or at no those R9 9p's oai
tho timit retired at such, discourage
mcnt. The wise ones waited for a mC
ment or Two until tho doors wei
Q upaned for a retiring party to leave. Then ther
v was no difficulty in walking in. Asn matter c
fact, one was expected TO do that. This metIo
l. of limiting the attendance was adopted bv Il
proprietor as the golden mc'n bet wecn an ope
house and rigid exclusion, On n pleasant nigh
o 1t works very well for tho hungry ones, but
will have its Disadvantages in the snowy sense
After ] O'Clock the crowd grows MATERIAL
o smaller. Only Il few remain. Then tho tab
clothes are removed with less frequency, b.
nobody cares. Even the doors stay closed. III
. atmosphere OF the place grows In;lnIale, and It
cloud OF smoke hOyers On'y N ihe ceilin o.. !
every walters time OF service ends with the di
use of the particular tables over which he rr
o sides. they are nearly all gone IN The early NOR
@ ing hours: that 10 TO Say, by .. But son
OF Them linger near tables which thu
n know arc not likely TO he vncat'
for some time to conc. |lat n%ititufe in a ,grol
OF guests very soon shows .tsclf. Those, ho'
ever, who wait until the daylight comes ;hronC
q the yellow window blinGs are few IN nuinhe
n Two O'Clock anus most Of them gone. aud u
women arc scarce rftcr THAI hour. with the
diamonds. heir fohthcrci HITS ami The odOr
perfume they ala To the scent q: tohrcco. lh'
20, moi 10 return usually until the next nornin
or maybe in the last minutes of tho night th
If took them there. r..
But he Empire panels are not deprive Of Il
10 yiayv II ,hpy are not Looking QuNn on H