The age-herald., 1899-03-29
Does Society Dine Too Late?

1uSS oVSictI Uttfc tOO LueS
 It seems rather late at the close of the season to write upon the subject of late dinner hours, for with the close of the theater season and the lectures, which brought society from the after-dinner cof- fee, there will be no necessity for the skipping of the menus in order to see the first act or hear the overture. Theater managers insist on the curtain being raised on time, and with society dining late one Is not surprised at many late corners. The majority of the plays this winter have be- gun at o'clock or few minutes after and for those who dined between and it meant a rush to theater or lecture or concert and a bare hope of hearing the first number or of being present in time for the opening scene. At the parties of the winter, which were preceded by formal dinners, a woman, who is In position to know, told me of remarkable number of late arrivals at her party. owing to a num- Der of late dinners. She was of course not criticising her guests in regard to the hour of their arrival, but was speaking of how late dinners frequently delayed cotillons and of the great hurry they brought to hostess in the attempt to get the guests oiL tO d party, lHS lledltT anu OlLtT IulC- tions. When there have been committee meetings called for in the evening to make arrangements for the balls or other social events, there has been invariably a dis cussion about the hour.
 Don't announce 8 O clock as the hour" implored a young matron of an arrange ment committee the past winter. My din- her hour is ', and l cannot be at the meet ing at s.
 Another woman who was going to din- ner at wanted the meeting set for earlier in the evening: but this was not to be thought of, for there were two other wo- men who dined at 6.
 Thus 1t went the winter long. Cooks were hurried to death, or society missed the opening scenes.
 Bring on the coffee." said host when the dinner was only half over.
 "O,'' said his wife, you have upset all arrangements" and the maid fluttered out, not knowing what to do.
 Society evidently dimes too late.
 A Paris correspondent writing of social matters in the French capital, says that Parisian society is in a quandary owing to the fact that theater managers insist that the dinner hour is too late, while chefs complain that nasty eating to attend plays has brought about a culinary crisis. "Whether you like it not" is announced by the managers, "our curtains will go up at half past eight o'clock precisely"
 M Docquet, a famous chef of Paris, sums up the matter thus: Culinary art is passing through crisis, caused by the irregular hours of meals. People do not know how to eat now. Formerly dinner was one of the chief events of life in well conducted houses. The guests were re- quested to arrive punctually, and the cook made it point of honor to set nothing before them that was not absolutely ire proachable
 nf ,,1o da v kept up this custom. As the clock struck seven he sat down to table, whether his guests were there or not. But the old tra- ditions died with him, and the most shock ing disorder has taken their place. Dinner is announced for half past seven o'clock but In reality begins at eight, or half past eight, or even a quarter to nine.
 Meanwhile the meats have dried up and the sauces have thickened."
 If people took their time when once at the table" chimed in the vice president, "it would not be so bad But they simply bolt their food in hurry to go to the thea ter or to party.
 "Why, at the Baron Alphonse's the ff- teen courses are got through with in forty minutes"
 M Docquet recovered his breath and took up the running.
 .It is the o'clock that ruined us. The fault all lies with the ladies. Formerly cup and cake were enough and they took their o'clock punctually at 4.
 Nowadays the o'clock Is at and lasts till z People drink sweet wines and stuff themselves with sandwiches, pate de fole gras and cold meats"
 If this sort of thing goes on, agree these leading lights. the culinary profession of cooking will soon be added to the lost arts Between that dire possibility and missing the first acts of the latest theatrical suc- cesses society has to choose.