The record-union., 1899-04-12

York. Two hundred and fifty dollars
and $500 some people contend It is abb
solutely necessary to expend. Others
say that for $50 or 500 they can enter
tain twelve or sixteen guests so nicely
that none of them will growl, and can
furnish them with an exceptionally pal
atable dinner
1t is generally found, however, that
the well endowed people who make this
last statement do not allow for the fact
that they have a chef Of their own,
enough servants to serve the dinner
properly without calling in outside aid
and a well-stocked wine cellar.
The last item of wine is what keeps
many people from entertaining, for all
most without exception an unlimited
supply of champagne is expected ana,
of course. one or two rare and eXpen-
sive wines, and the slightest economy
in this respect is socially fatal in upper
tendom 1t Is better not to entertain
at all than to get the credit of not pro-
viding enough wine for the guests
COURSES AND DECORATIONS.
There are not SO many courses now
for dinners, long dinners being quite
questionable, but everything must be
cooked to perfection, and if possible
some new dish provided. All this costs
| money, and yet it has been proved that
! it is not only money that secures the
desired happy result.
Now that it is nearing springtime the
. fashionable aim and desire is to have
all the spring flowers possible. Enor-
nous bowls filled with yellow tulips ana
the decorations of the table in yellow.
and white We're greatly admired at a
dinner last. week.
An entirely novel idea was struck re-
Gently by a hostess, who used nothing
but red tulips and had her table in red.
the tablecloth itself being a most su-
perb piece of red satin, on which was
spread a center piece and also a num-
Der of small pieces of the finest point
lace. This dinner was one of the most
expensive given in New York this sea-
son, and certainly one of the most
beautiful China and cut glass showed
to perfection against this red back
ground, relieved by the white lace.
SOME SUPERB DINNERS.
Another hostess who aims at being
original and succeeds always has her
! decorations in green and White, and her
| guests (the womeD, knowing her tastes,
make a point of wearing gowns that
will not interfere with the color scheme,
wearing no bright colors. The effect
is most artistic and most harmonious,
and when, SO far as possible, even the
food has as much green in it as can
be, the originality of the idea stands
out
The great trouble in New York this
winter is said to be there are so many
feuds going on that it is difficult to get
people together who are congenial, or
even on speaking terms. The four most
entertaining women in New York (their
names are not mentioned, but there Will
be little difficulty in guessing who they
are) are most congenial one to the 9TH
er. but these four do not care to meet
other women. And with truth it can be
added other women do not care to
meet them, for it is not very pleasant
to be openly snubbed Still these four
women are so important socially that
they must needs be entertained, and
the hostess who invites them can only
do her best and be thankful when the
evening is over without any disagree
able contremps.
FAMOUS DINNER GIVERS.
The younger set of married women
the very young set, as they are called
are considered remarkable for the
dinners they give. Mrs. Almeric Paget
and Mrs. Harry Payne Whitney are
considered the most finished hostesses
of their age.
AS for Mrs. Belmont, Mrs. Oelrichs.
Mrs. Ogden Mills and Mrs. Stuyvesant
Fish, they are renowned as being thor
oughly conversant in all the latest de-
tails of dinner giving. There might be
added a long list of names of people
who make a point of having their dim
ners original, and who make it the
business of their lives to get up some
thing new.
These people entertain always twice
week, have all the noted foreigners
among their guests, and their dinners
never "go wrong" To get into this set
means not only social recognition and
the most enjoyable social life that goes
on in New York, but to enter into that
charmed circle great wealth, phenom-
email beauty or keen wit are requisite
The latter uncertain quality is hardly
sufficient excepting in the case of some
men. New York Herald.