The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1906-12-22
THE CHRISTMAS DINNER.

Once upon time I went to a
Christmas dinner ; it was long ago
and I was young, but l remember
that every one thought that the thing
to do was to eat and eat and eat it
seemed to me that there had never
been so many things to eat before
as we had at that meal, and that was
all / can recollect about it. What
contrast was that kind of Christmas
entertaining to Our ideas now of
what the dinner should be Of
course there is plenty to eat at pres
ent, but there is so much else to con-
slider besides just the menu. A hos
tess would feel that her hospitality
was anything but complete If her
Christmas dinner table did not have
certain distinction of its own, and
if the decorations and the service and
all the details were not quite as at
tractive as the list of viands. In
deed, among the principal florist sales
nowadays are the tiny trees that are
used to decorate Christmas dinner
tables, and the neutrality-suspicious.
are filled with appropriate trifes for
the same purpose, while caterers
rake their brains to think up conceits
in ices and creams that shall empha-
size the spirit of the season.
In thinking of Christmas dinner
one naturally jumps to the conclusion
that the function will be a family
meal the anniversary does not seem
to be the time for ceremouious enter
tanning, but the dinner is the occasion,
when one gives ones best efforts and
thought for those who are nearest, to
make them happy and do all that is
possible for their entertainment.
Presumable for the family dinner
the invitations are verbal, or perhaps
in the form of notes informally word
ed, but telling as precisely as in the
most formal invitation just the hour
to come, for the benefit of those who
are to be entertained as well as for
the convenience of the hostess-and,
not least of all, for the benefit of the
cook.
1t may be that the dinner Is to be
on Christmas day, and for the reason
that small folks will be present it has
to be a midday function. The table,
under these circumstances, cannot be
made to look quite as attractive as at
night, when softly shaded candle-light
is a feature, but a very charming
scheme of decoration can neverthe-
less be carried out. The room must
be little darkened, and the table
top should be round to show off the
Christmas tree in the middle to the
best advantage. On the tree, which
rests on a green base made for the
purpose, are hung all sorts of rehec-
tors-stars aud every kind of glitter
ing ornament-a reddish in color,
and all the tiny candles on the tree
are red over the whole, when dec
Grated, is thrown a mass of the red
tinsel that comes especially. There
should be as much of this last as the
tree will bear. A tree is tawdry if
over-decorated. Perhaps tiny red
cornucopias may be hung on the
branches, but the candles and orna-
ments and tinsel make the prettiest
tree, and only what is red should be
used.
Under the tree are banked boughs
of holly, with plenty of berries on
them, and hidden among the holly,
but not so completely that one may
not catch glimpses of them, are packa-
ges done up in white tissue-paper
tied with bright red ribbons. There
is a package for every one present,
and the ribbons go to every place,
ending in pretty knots in front OF the
covers. Ali around the table just
beyond the tree is a wreath of holly,
and there may be small dishes OF
cakes and candies and fruit placed at
intervals. The dishes should all be
of cut glass, and the contents should
all be red-red candied cherries and
marron cherries cakes with red
frosting and dishes of lady-apples.
There is any quantity of red confec-
tions to be had at Christmas-time
which home cooks may devise or
which can be produced from a caterer.
The place cards should be decora-
ted with bunch of painted holly, or
real holly, tied on them with red
ribbon bow, and there may be bunch
es of holly for each woman, and
boutonnieres of mistletoe for the
men. Can you not imagine how gay
the table will look? And the ex-
pense will be triding, for no flowers
need be used. The candles on the
tree should be lighted, but there need
be no other artificial light.
The menu must be suitable for the
little people as well as for the big
ones, so it must not be too elaborate.
Here is a good list:
Fruit salad.
| Chicken consomme.
| Radishes. Olives. Celery.
Escaloped lobster served in the snelis' brown-
/ bread sandwiches.
Sweetbread and fresh mushroom patties
| Green goose and apple sauce. Fried sWeet-po-
J tatoes. Souf1e spinach.
| Waldorf salad with walnuts. Camembert cheese.
| Toasted crackers.
Plum pudding on fire. Brandy sauce.
Individual ices in the form of Santa Claus.
Cake. Fruit. Bonbons Coffee.
The wines may be sherry and claret
or champagne.
When the dinner has been eaten