The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-03-13
AT THE LITTLE TRTANON.
THERE rs DELAY, SURFIr =, RUT
WIEN DINNER DOES COMET

a shabby French Restaurant whcre Nobody
ts Ever In n Hurry save tho Guests,
aud the Proprictor's wIrr Proposes THAT
ErrrJthinE Shall no Done Property.
1t Is always easy to toll the new customers.
They grow impatient and call pctulantly for the
proprietor when tho soup has failed to apponr
inter half mn hour md tho waiter has seemingly
been swallowed UP by tho basement staircase.
They grow excited over the delays which TO the
initiated cause no distress. Tho half dozen
guests scattered about the room who sit quietly
absorbed In their newspapers, never raising their
voices In eSpostulation as the minutes slip BY,
but merely waiting. arc tho old customers who
have learned how futile protest Is. They have
learned other things, too. else they would not
find 1t worth while to endure tho distresslngly
slow progress of the dinner at the Little Trianon.
They know that they must wait, but they know
also that their patience 10 certain to have its
reward. That will bring them compensation. too.
for tho cups AMI saucors that never match. the
dull knives and the vNricgated china which finds
itself on tho tables. They bring their newspa-
pers, prepared to wait, and thoy never trust to
the supply OF Monsieur te proprictdire.
At the hest his resources in this direc-
tion would provo to consist OF O few
copies of lie Monde IlustrG or LfIiustrdtion,
picturing events now ono or two years old. For
no newspapers aro over bought at the Little
Trianon. Somebody must hnvo forgotten q
stock there several years ago. and II survives
to-day unchanged save for n few moro thumb
marks and tho increased stalcness that has
come with years.
II is to such papers that the exasperated new
customers turn in their vexation, only 10 find
that they are rs much behind tho time as tho
waiter. Sometimes there are two walters, and
within the memory of men still living three
have moved about the two small rooms with
nm appearance of haste that was utterly futile
n view OF The spirit Of delay that hangs over
patio that. Whether 1t is domiciled in the
kitchen or seizcs like n dcadly miasma on the
basement, nobody knows. But 1t is true that
the Little Trihnon is the home, of delay. woary-
stand what It 6ercts. who have not tasted the
Mathematical chicken Drowned on the spit to a
divinely epicurcan hue, or revclled In a slice Of
the Rigot, suggesting but family the penetrating
flavor Of garlic, or known the bass brought to
mingled cream and choose. There is delay 40
the Little Trinnon, and it is indeed enthroned.
h iish, t as Woi nF as t hat en mssnroh me bo aifSSGt' w ~ns the The
white cheese cltnRing to it 40 tightly that 10
t tss, aeIicio onl{ WIN Wat TGlt Is s'G griSS O Mi fbe tSs, 70 pro
The knowing ones never protest against delay
or tho unique decorations OF tho establishment.
These features astOnish the strangers, and their
expressions 5etray thcm rs they glance around
the conmonplace;looking room nearly as strong
screens, or somielhing-nnything rather than q
s after n sho FASHION 6%0% OF n mSst = Se% Sns York IN the Son rsss.
Both are furnished like ieurtl-rate boarding
the papercd walls. Three &C, or four plates sSI hang
there as well. and nobody dimes there without
% nsh!in'T &c sh GOOD in i SiSw TO OF pub sho E RS"Hit on q he sh taSie -
Along the sides OF the room are set small tables.
In 1he rear room ARE three largo tables. IT..
most regular customers can scarcely remember
having 1,yinR r seen thG ;. sn an man there twice. The
taken up in the intervals of other work. After
they have quarrellol with Antoine, the maitre
dh6iei. in one rcstaurlnt:nnd before they have
passed into tho service of Philippe at another.
they spend the intervening days at the Little
Sixth avenue saloons until they are hirod. This
system gives the little restaurant efficient wait-
T,rianon. Even the proprietor has shown himself
line that might be supposed 10 affect him. New
customers and some old ones, when they are not
s ss temper sRals so or S1sa: af 70 som 1hiFty m Mbo Ss, t inss
nor has been ordered. When they return
jouiet duchasseur will be forever forbidden to
them. does the rr4y,bearaod proprietor drive
gotten ull about their having disappeared, and
viii allow them to wait quite as long for their
is his prin ipal official utteranco. Sometimes
into saying that much. Buff he consulted his
own wishes lola. tho Maine disaster. and the
Latt1nner Sn0OllnSS arc more 10 MS TASTE. SOmes
times when no takes an order and then hands it
over to the walters he may utter words in praise
of tho way Madame WIS cooking the quot that
night, or make a passing reference to her nOtori.
ously skilful treatment of pheasants. such as
those on the bill OF fare TINT day. Even these
observations are made with more or less intif-
ference. The proprietor of the Little Trianon
does not grow enthusiastic even when he talks
OF Mudame'S cooking.
Nobody sees her upstairs. Sometimes in tho
shiny kitchen downstairs. with the lcnminR
pans and its scrubbed boards. Madame with her
assistants Is 10 he seen, There lies the secret or
the delay. But what n ground it is for delay.
Everything that is cooked on the comfortable
range awaits tho word from above. Some OF tho
fare stcnms and SINNERS ana si2Zlcs in pans and
pots waiting to DO chosen. Everything awaits
the pleasure of the guest who may wOnder
will not be furricd. I'haatres may wait
and nervous NJ ricans may fnmn in unncccs-
sary haste. A 0i1Ot is n piOOt whether ono secs
the lrSi act or not. md II must no treated AZ
dinner coffee. and the one. shtl be rich and
light. while the other shall be dark md strong.
Il never q customer mounts the step, OF The Lit
tic Trinnon again. Bnt the customers 90 come
back. not in Overwhelming numbers brt
enough. OF them are there every night to
cral patronage is. naturally small. There
is not hurry enough. But there are regular
patrons who have gone there for many Ne,rs.
Most OF the diners are French, and thor faces
soon become familiar. for, with tho pcrsistcncy
Of c%picurcs. they rclurn bnck TO the Ld'tlo
Trianon. Most Of them know one another and
all OF them know the proprietor. lln knows
them, too. for without their prcScnc" tho Little
TrianOn. with the chickens. the soIUs. nnd the
pigot cooked rs Madame only Knows how 70
cook thcm-would soon disappear.