The evening times., 1897-12-22
THE PEHST
FOR CHRISTMHS
How to Prepare and Wher
to Serve It.
It Is Not Well TO Have 1t Too
Fairly in the Day Of Days.
The Menu.

The dinner is. OF course. one OF the
u.ost in.portan. events OF Christmas Day
In the joyous looking forward to the fruits
OF the Christmas tree and the spoils Of
the Christmas stocking the dinner may for
q time sink into comparative ins's
nificance. Put it will not remain there. 1t
does not take long to strip the tree AMI
empty the stockings, and then the aSer
mind looks around restleslsy for something
else to anticipate, and that something it
! fiUds In the dinner.
Luckily for the less important m.n-
bers OF the household the housekeeper has
not waited until then to take the dinner
into consideration. Upon her has devolvcd
the responsibility, In the midst Of tie
whirl OF keeping every ones secrets
and Tecullecting every ones presents, Of
| preparing bill OF fare that will do hOn,I
| to the day.
calm content fills her soul as she
| thinks OF the nlincc pie, the plum pudding
and the Christmas fruit cake upon w'licn
she has expended head and hand work. The
feast she has dsigned will be a culirl =
| triGiDph that will add fresh glories as
| houseEepcr.
1t snct well to have the Christmas dinner
too early In the day. On that morning the
| breakfast Is not usually an early meal and
the entire family have done more or less
| munchin@ of fruit, nuts and candies all the
forenoon, 1t is wise to postpone the dina .r
hour to OF 3 O'Clock and thus give every
one an opportunity for little exercise
that will bring UP the appetite to the point
| requisite to the full enjoyment of the
| meal. An evening dinner is hardly to be
commended on account OF the little folks.
who. on this day at least, should be per
mitted tc dine with their elders.
Make of your Christmas dinner rather
! stately affair Serve it in Courses, and
let the best of everything adorn the board.
The finest linen, the choicest silver, the
prettiest china and glass should be aired on
this day, If ever. Flowers should brighten
the table, boutomicres and bouquets lie
| corsaee should he mixed with holly, and a
| spray OF mist!etoe should hang from the
| chandelier.
| The service of the dinner need not be
elaborate. low bowl of flowers may
| stand in the middle of the table. a dtsn
| OF fruit ON the side, one of nuts and :aisinS
| on the other. Here and there may be set
| little ornamental dishes of candies, OF
| olives, of salted peanuts, or radishes.
| The cranberry jelly anh pickles, &c.
may also find their place here, and this
with tie array OF plates, knives, forks,
ETC., will !,roba bis leave no room for the
vegetables. These may stand on the side
table and be passed. But the turkey
must ha We his post Of honor at one end f
the table.
A word ahout the small silver and cut
lery. A great deal OF trouble is caused
BY putting most OF il on the table when
il is first Sc. To the right OF the plate
lay large knife for the meat and Il snail
one for the cheese tnat accompanies the
salad. To the left are two forks, one for
each Of these courses. At right angles to
these is the soup spoon. By the forks
lay the Ia piIins, with piece of bread folded
in them.
The meat and vegeta bles are. all removed,
of course, before the salad. cheese /; nd
crackers are brought in. Tea plates are
large enough to serve these on. After
this course the table may be clea-.d OF
everything but the sweets, and fruit, the
crumbs brushed off and fresh plates,
knives anG forks passed before the pies
and pudd,ngs are brought in and placed
at the opposite ends of the table. When
they have beeI discussed. fruit plates,
finger bowls and fruit knives are brought
and the coffee is served.
AN ELABORATE FEAST.
Here is a suggestion OF menu for .
Christmas dinner:
Raw oysters.
Clear Soup.
Fried Smelts with butter Sauce.
Chicken Patties.
Roast Turkey with oyster Stuffing.
Rice Croquettes. Sweet Potatoes.
Green Corn Pudding.
Cranberry Jelly.
Celery Salad. Sailed Almonds.
Pumpkin Pie Mince Pie. Plum Pudding.
Ice Cream.
Christmas Cake.
Small Fancy Cakes. Fruit.
For those who cainot afford the time
to prepare or the money to purchase No
elaborate n feast as this, it is siuple
matter to inoairy the bill Of fare 20 me
following
Oyster Soup.
Roast Turkey. Chicken Pie.
Scalloped Sweet Potatoes. Boiled Rice.
Cranberry Jelly.
Mince Pic or Plum Pudding.
Fruit, Nuts and Raisins. Coffee.
Inc chtckeni lne ann tne Toast 'urNey
may be served at the 81 me time. one from
each end of the table.
Persons who desire a more elaborate
feast may add to the first menu a sorber
and game, and introduce one or two more
entrees
OF course there must be some planning
for this dinner. Mince meat must have
been compounded at least week earlier.
that it may be properly ripened. The
clear soup, the pastry, the pies, the plum
pudding may all have been prepared the
day before, and the Christmas cake, like