The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-11-06
Over the Nuts and Wine
By FRANCES coURTENAY BAYLOR

and their hoops required nice manage
ment to get in one at all. and their
patches. paint, frills and furbclows
were sight to see. we have let
Ter IN orr, orr dispatch boy describing
the handsomest buck Of his day, arm
IN arm with Colonel and the
! French ambsssador-all three evident
| ~ In their cups: the biggest nuns J
nave seen--inclined to be quarrelsome
| Lord - trounced his footman for
| forgetting to put his snuffbox in HE
smaliclothes, and broke his fine cane
ri 10 oits-whieh gave Us pretty
The Ancient Estimate of Fnshion.
wherever money and silly people
are to be found. there are ridiculous
ssHeesses to be seen" said Xenophon.
nltting the nall fairly and squarely
People Of birth and of breeding
are restrained by refinement and good
taste from becoming mere tailors' and
aaIessmaKers models: from indulging
absurd extent; from all excuses. They
were born In the purple They are
TOO proud to submerge their own
s na and do ANYTHING merely be-
cause somebody else does IL. They
know how TO spend money most Law
ishly, but not foolishly. They keep
thelr balance perfectly: the notoriety,
publicity OF the brass band and lime
Hsht get In society otfends tho refined
sens!bility OF a gentleman lady. They
are not climbers; they have nothing
TO gain and nothing TO lose by fash
Ions and what is called "the smart
head Of the table SO long that they
never think of their position" at all
One cannot be more than just a sim
pie gentleman. Crowns. coronets, es-
= the gentleman-.convenient. agreeable
IT may be; perhaps only burdensome
and undes!ra ble.-but essential? Not
IN the least! Liberty. Independence.
a alta iaeartts and friends, with tho
We have a great humber Of charm
and might be said not hot to BE- ii" in So So.
ctety" at all according to the newly
arrived. Many OF them can't afford to
by the t!nge OF vulgarity, art1hcialits.
ostentat!on Of much modern ENTER
fainmsnt Tor man and beast" as the !
: ne .n inns put i, the club house o.
dful: real. naighborly. kinsnanly. old
Hospitality OF Virginia and the South.
some OF them have found out that the
warmth OF your own lreside. the COM
congenial' friends, your work. your
books, are worth al! OF the yellow
tunchsons and green dinners and p,nl,
teas that were ever given. no matter !
tent on being SWELL that they nav. i
lost all idea OF courtesy, unseltish kind |
ness. sincerity without which. no ono
can ca, J. possibly be well bred. Vlrg!nlans
pendent lot, They hnd 1t possible to
enjoy a good dinner with everything
they are going to eat In plain sight
a ana easy r reach ~ iping hot and mighty
than follow q Russian fashion. which
sets one down to the tables OF most
people OF ordinary means before a
!, waste OF white taplecloth. few bon +
dusty fern OH It's last legs, till an in. 4
experienced protemporaneous servant
serves intermittently In elaborate
courses y ,s halfscold spoiled dinner.
fore the green peas arrive. They Of
ten get.ha through the meal without
glaIIIss 81 water: And they spend their
est I e se bop sems ppsop ss
Lh1y forget nrsss te be born rich. They act
p1fveT 70 81
q q small French roll tied up With al
huge bow of pink ribbon. They don't
care 8. pin about a chandelier wreathed Z
n smilax set above steak like shoe
leather, poor soup and worse vegeta +
,les. With high-art pudding like Mme.
le Stael's airy nothing" and minerals
waters to end with. They resent huge
handsome silver dishes, handed around n
y y, !; foreign footman y livery, with
,ned croquettes or six small potatoes,
7 r. the the middle No meter how iine and
Tide the ,suffragettes; they are not i aas, 4
they. are generally the posses
'ors OF good, honest appetites, ana al.
.er u hard days work they want q
1000. honest hot, abundant supply
Il whites" regardless of fashion, 3 gt1r, E
course, In very wealthy, stately homes
where plenty of the best servants are
tept, dinners a la Russo are ali very. T.
veil, But In this country they ara
Generally ghastly farce. The Old
Ingllsh IA shion OF serving food is vast T.
y more sensible and comfortable. mi
ia Virginia days, when there was
trace, a turkey al the head OF tho
able ana nam at the foot. tlnnked
Y 2 pair ct ducks on one side and a H.
~ vegetables, a royal pudding and
axes galore, Will, wine, milk and cor f.
&c, host who carved beautifully to
hoose tidblts for q guest and u cou- :
lie of negro men with silver salyers
ehind the master and mistresss chair
serve, and ut least two covers laid
or unexpected but over welcomus "a
'uests, people lived lndeed. The CON.
ort, tile friendllness tho abundanceI
nd the refinement Of these dinners for