Evening star., 1901-12-21
A BOARDING HOUSE XMAS
CAROLS AND COMPANY, WITH HOLLY
AND MISTLETOE.
A Festival Day Can he Made Even In
the HumbIest of
HOstelries.


Christmas dinner at the boarding house
like many other topics popular with hui
morists and cartoonists, is not always as
black as it is painted. Perhaps in no city
of the Union are there so many people
who are forced to call boarding houses
home as in New York. Exorbitant rents
and the eternal servant-girl problem have
driven hundreds of families to this mode
of living
Particularly IN the northern part of the
city there are scores of quiet hotels and
boarding houses whose landladies do not
OBJECT to children, but actually boast that
they offer special inducements to large
families. Here one finds family occupy
ing an entire floor, with sitting room and
bath, and having in the dining room a pri-s
Vate table on which their own fern dish
ana sflFefWare are used. Or perhaps e
group of clerks and stenographers nave
dubbed together and made nook of
their own in the midst of many board
erS.
In such houses as this does a real
Christmas atmosphere prevail The land
lady forgets the inevitable rent day; lost
spoons, broken dishes and even deiIn-
quent boarders. She takes the initiative
and the parlor first bristles with holiday
suggestions. The piano lamp is decked
with new and particularly gorgeous shade
In crimson wreathed with holly. The jar
4
In ruby crepe paper and tied with satin
ribbon. Down in the basement dining
room the long suffering n-of-all-work,
usually darky, takes genuine pleasure
In drap1ng the evergreen festoons Later
on he smuggles in small trees for the
families with small children, makes sup
ports and boxes for these same trees and
on christmas morning reaps his reward
In the form OF real cigars and shining
quarters.
All the servants from the cook to the
chambermaids are reasonably sure Of be-
ing remembered on that day and the air
in the servants quarters becomes genial
The landlady, If popular with her guests,
comes in for her share of presents and
trouble. For instance, If Mrs. A, who has
been her star boarder for five years pre-
sents her with an embroidered doyley and
Mrs. b, who has been with her four
years, selects a doyley done in Renais-'
sance or Battenberg, there arises the aw-
full question of giving the two gifts equal
prominence in the parlor. q
One Mans Kindness
At one large boarding house last year the
young women gathered in the lower hall
at daybreak and sang carols, filling the
house with that indefinable Christmas pres
ence which carried many a man and woman
back to their childhood and home" A de-
lghtfui old bachelor who has boarded eight
years at 7th avenue house, took pains to
discover the fad of each of forty boarders
and on Christmas morning they found sug-
gestlye little trifies at their breakfast
plates. Another, with neither family nor
immaculate kindred to entertain on the fes-
tival day, gave a jolly dinner party to six
clerks from the store where he was en-
plGyed
Ii dining room where individual tables
are used, there is much rivalry in the mat
tel of decorations. Nearly every regular
boarder not invited out for the day will
entertain friends. Here is a table with
crimson candles aglow In a nest of holly
There another where red roses are at each
cover. At a table where a club of girls
dlne there is a miniature tree cleaning
with wee candles and ridiculous little ia
vcrs for their guests. Each boarder paws
foT his guests at the regular price per meal
ranging from 30 cents to 20 cents, accord
Ing to the prevailing rates of board in the
house. And over it all broods the landlady
as proud Of her attractive dining room and
the extra guests as if it were individual en-
tertainment.
Here is the menu which will be served
Christmas day in boarding house where
the rates are from $6 to S12 per week, ac-
cording to the size and location of the room
and the number of occupants
Blue Points on the Half Shell.
Boiled Blue Fish, Egg Sauce.
turkey, Boiled Ham,
Cranberry Sauce,
Mashed Turnips, Drowned Sweet Potatoes
Mashed White Potatoes,
Asparagus on Toast.
Mince and Pumpkin Pie, Plum Pudding,
Fruits, Nuts and Raisins.
water Crackers and Cheese,
Tea, Coffee, Cider.
The wise boarder does not plan on attend
ing christmas matinee for holiday din
ners are always late. A light tea is served
at . CLOCK followed by some frolic in the
parlor a card party, games and perhaps a
virginia reel to please the younger element,
for even the children are not barred from
the parlor Christmas night