Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1897-07-02
THE BILL OF FARE.
Bean Porridge Hot, Bean Porridge
Cold, Bean POrridge, Etc.

Bean POrridge Hot, bean Porridge
Cold, Bean Porridge, Etc.
II it is not true that one Englishman
is match for four Frenchman, as
John Bull was wont TO boast in the days
of his long warfare against Johnny
Crapaud, yet despite the undoubted gal
lantry of French soldiers it is still COM
monty believed that the English are
better nation at fighting than the
French. But Capt John Goldman, in n
recent volume of "reminiscences, relates
one amusing little instance in which,
in the endurance of war time hardships
at least, the mercurial Gaul showed a
decided superiority.
1t was during the Crimean war, when
French and English fought together
against Russia, and the camps Of the
allies lay close together before Sebasto-
pol. Provisions had run short, and
Capt. Goldman, calling first upon an
English officer and shortly after upon
a French one, had an opportunity to
contrast the reception which they ac-
corded him. His British host was glum
and woebegone in the extreme.
"Come in," he said, none too amiably.
"Sit down. | wish had something to
offer you, but have not. Expected a
dozen of porter and pair of fowls up
to-day. Couldn't have cooked the fowls
If they had come. No coal. However,
might have lived a day or two on the
porter, but done out of that, too. In
formally miserable, by Jove!"
And SO he was" comments the
Yankee. "He looked it ALL" And he
goes on to remark that an Englishman
deprived of his roast beef and his beer
remembers them, growls and lies dog
gedly down to starve, while French
man-but this is how he was received
by his friend, Lieut.. Courtois:
Before reaching his tent we heard
snatch from an opera. With what en-
pressement he rushed to embrace us,
invited us to dine, insisted upon 1t and
sent for some Of his comrades to meet
his guests! His larder was scarcely
better stocked than that of the Eng
lishman, which had nothing In 1t. But
roots were grubbed up and fire was
made; some rough boards were laid out
and clean cloth spread upon them.
son came the soup, hot, at any rate,
II it was homeopathic. And in the
other courses, which were numerous,
beans, the material Of the soup, were
disguised in infinite variety with such
skill that they served for fish, roast,
entrements and dessert. j am sure we
had salad of something; perhaps 1t was
an old green silk umrella! A little
red wine was eked out with water, upon
which we all pretended to be excited
as we drank the health of the emperor
Beans again-as, alas! too often
with us at home-served for coffee, and
my jolly friends after dinner tramped
along with us on the road for mile,
imagining we were all on the boule-
Yards, and sharpening their remem-
brance Of the absent JOY of ladies' com
pany by addressing everyone they met
as mademoiselle!"
mat was gayety put 10 GOOD use anu
of sterling quality. Little wonder the
delighted guest formulated his conclu'
sions thus: "Three or four Frenchmen
can live upon the rations Of one Eng
lishman and be more jolly upon their
empty stomachs than he would with
tight waistband. When everything
else fails they can live upon ragouts
made of remembrances of the past and
seasoned with hopes of good times to
come" youths Companion.