The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1904-12-02
Ways to Give
Dinners Well


distinguished guest iiiaA bet othcr most
cgses 20 inspecting their china and iinei
closets, and Incidentally their bank &C
counts. and consulting with specialist
"a % possible novelties IN cooking. serv
ice and decorations.
ut has come 70 pass that whom New
York delights 70 honor or feels that ~
must honor. she hrst feeds The lorna
dinner unquestiOnably stands at tho yers
TOP 0f her entertaining program, rob
ably for the reason that II represenfi
about the costiiest habit into which 2
hostess can fall There ~ also no social
habit which reflects more enviable no.
f0riely on a hostess n she goes about in
dnlging It IN the right way.
1T Il pretty easy % gauge hostess
social position and her social accom-
plishments BY her formal dinners said
. social authority And he added re-
necfivcly:
IN takes something besides fine laces
choice Mowers lot u gold plate and an
elaborate menu TO make dinner.
A hostess % whom this remark was re-
pe8ted responded quickly.
That's right Many OF US found II ut
bong ago, which is the reason why Visit.
Ors from older countries no longer make
run Of New York spreads. We have found
biggest item on our winters entertaining
account When one guest can, and does.
dfink seven quarts Of champagne during
oinncr u Il easy enough 70 soc tnat dinner
parties are not exactly cheap form Of
- fairy taleq Not in the least.
zone Of the best known men In New
FORK. whose penchant for champagne IL
famous among bis friends. or IN does
that very thing when he dimes cut iil
private He ls not what would be called
Z drinking man. -lther During the day
be seldom on neVAr 20 Ichee llqulf Of any
Furt and. Of course, ne doesn't drink such
an enormous quantity OF champagne every
right az dinner
aDoes he have 10 be carried home? on
the contrary he walks Out just aF
straight as when he came H.
alrIpu flfa IRafaau continued
"may almost be called an art At any
rate. ~ Is q high accomplishment, aiih
Sne IN which many women never rucrffd.
That's the reason why some ho9t 5sses
have 10 sent out perhaps fort Invita-
tipna 70 get fifteen acccqtances and why
others never get regret unless the rer~
ron invited Is h0pclcssly III OF IL already
pledged 10 another hostess
ners,
people together. I don't mean 10 say that
the menu does not count tremendously,
for Il certainly does, especially with men.
but the most delicious viands on earth
will not Offset the bngbtlng influence of
q company OF III assorted guests and
the hostess who Is careless In this par
ucnlar will soon find that her dinner
parties are avoided. On the other hand.
The most fastldlous Will eagerly accept
Invitations 20 houses where they know
they will run no risk whatever Of find
ing themselves IN uncOngenial company
and Of being bored tU death.
Years ago when people In New York's
small circle Of society knew each other
intimately II was easy enough 10 give
dinners II Is anything but easy now
when society is divided into ~ least half
a dozen cliuucA or sets between Wnlch
fhcre Is more or less friction, and when
thc divorce courts have divided 50 many
families and created factions which, to
put II mildly are not craving each
Others ea,m,pany n eonsgagtesnee q
most the wisdom Of a Solomon to know
how 10 make a harmonious selection OF
guests for tho same meal.
"At larger entertainments .t doesn't
matter "A rap whether the most implac-
aDlc enemies are In the same room or mt,
but It does matter a good deal at dln-
ncr. where there is no possible way for
them 10 avoid each other. And yet !
have known hOstesses-usually hOst"Asca
new In the social ranks-whO Invited
men ana women who had not spoken to
each other for years 20 dine together az
their house. Obviously their chief con-
ccrn WAS 70 give dinner and 70 get
certain persons around their ta9lei an.
whut relation the guests stood p cach
other
III Is said sometimes that in fashion
able circles the samo persons eternally
dine together Well, 40 they do IN the
most conservative sets, and, after all.
that is the only possible way to give
Aucceasful dinners II any hostess wants
20 Introduce a stranger OF whom little Is
known she ought not 90 do Il by way of
the dinner table. II ls too dangerous.
~ speak feelingly, for ! was caught not
long ago. ] was giving dinner for some
men who are prominent both IN social
and political life. men Of pretty much
the same callhre, and all OF them friends
OF my husband The wife OF ZACH WAS
also asked. and all had accepted. AT the
eleventh hour / received word that one
pair could not come and | cast about In
my mind as TO whom to ask IN their
II invited a young man whom knew
very well for a brilliant fellow, and his
wife. whom ] did not know az all nil
gond society In her native city before her
marriage and therefore my mind was
easy as to her suitability
"Ag it turned out. that woman was
regular killjoy. She did not seem inter-
saied In any OF the conversation. which
was Interesting and animated. ana She
fclf agreeable 10 the men between whom
nhn sat III served me right FOR not lnNit-
irg woman who 1 was sure was ~
touch with the habits, aims and pursuits
IN the mer who were at that dinner.
"This does not refer. OF course. TO the
dinners given for young folks, or me very
large dinners nt which the guests are
seated az n lot OF small tables. Practical
ly. these don't count The best annirs
of the season limit the number OF guests
20 about twenty Or fewer Who slt around
the same table and portake OF menu
which Is. or ought 10 be. as good as
money can buy. There are houses IN
uhich the mistress occasionally serves 70
settcata poorly cooked mixtures which have
hecn prepared az restaurants and then
sent 20 her Kitchen TO be warmed up,
Nnt that sort OF thing happens less often
fhnn ID used to. Nowadays the first re-
ouirement OF every fashionable mcnaee is
a competent chef and no one who would
he thought elegant VIII dream OF kiNins
x formal dinner at "A restaurant unless Y
~ large and somewhat promiscuous ar
fair,
..1herc has been change, too. IN the
fashionable menu. and for the better In
ftead OF serving course after course COM
siatina OF mere m0uthful OF some often
stnrecnr nrnlzahlc mixture. fewer and larger
r,orfionp are preferred. and Tar more
attention Is paid TO the quality of meat,
n4h and game as wen as TO the cooking.
Naturally that surt uf dinner IL far more
40 The liking OF men than the other Kind.
aad thnt ! suspect Is the real reason II Is
rninlng in favor We don't get up the
choicest meals you know. to nleasc our
own Sex.
woman who Is connected hy marriage
with the English nobility. and AT whose
table that night sat two titled foreigners.
the course whlch received the most atten-
tion was "A saddle Of mutton done 20 Just
The right turn. which means that u was
almost pink The quality of tho meat
made an FnEllshman present look a. III
hc had foune fortune, Ny husband told
mo aftcrward that he never wanted
second helping Of anything SO much IN
:. Why can't have such mutton on my
table, he asked me.
You win have H. said and as