The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1914-09-11
A TRAGEDY IN GASTRONOMY.

Bouiilabasse as Sung by Thackeray
and as Served In a Famous Mar
seiles Resort Proved Very Different
Propositions to an English Epicure.
We all know that famous poem of
Thackeray's which begins,
A street there is in Paris famous
For which rime our language yields.
and goes on to tell of the tavern where
the genial Ttmarsh in the days when
he was a Paris correspondent ''ate and
drank the bouillabaisse
AS a result OF that delightful poem
tens of thousands of Englishmen have
yearned to eat bouillabaisse Thacke-
ray puts it SO beautifully. The steam
ing dish of stewed fish that he con
Jures up in his lines how appetizing 1t
seems. | know that it was quite early
in my teens when | first read that
poem. and from that moment there
was formed in my mind Il firm resolve
to eat some day OF bouilabasse
My opportunity came not long ago
when | visited Marseilles. 1t was
nearly half past when | sat down in
the dining room of the hotel
There is no bouillabaisse on the
menu" said severely to the maitre
d'hotel. Il have come to Marseilles
specially to eat it." He replied that it
was not a speciality of the house. but
that it could always he prepared. How
long would II take? Twenty-Five min
utes, perhaps a little longer But
think monsieur would find it rather
heavy at such late hour.
He was not encouraging, this maitre
dhotel | did not accept for a moment
his suggestion that bouillabaisse was
too heavy n dish for half past at
night Thackeray had not talked about
heaviness. But twenty five minutes.
! ordered an omelet
At midnight, walking down the IA
nous Cannebiere. back to the hotel.
was hailed by familiar voice 1t was
that of a friend whom | had not seen
for a long time Gratefully | grasped
his hand and told him that intended
to eat bouiliabaisse as soon as possible
And my respect for him was consider
ably enhanced when he told me that he
had eaten some that very afternoon,
an hour after his arrival in Mar
seilles. Here was the true spirit, and
| related to him, with some bitterness,
my experience with the maitre d'hotel
"Well, it is rather heavy stuff" he
said Rut ! brushed this aside. and we
arranged to meet at lunch on the NOR
row. when ! should have the best that
Marselies could give me
There are. as every body knows two
places at Marseilies for boullabaisse-
Pascals and Rasso's. on the Vieux
Port We decided on Basso's.
"Bouilahaisse" | said laconicaliy |
paid no attention TO what my friend
ordered No other dish interested me-
But in Il minute or so a curious look
Ing mess was set down before him.
Whats that stuff you're going to
eatT' | asked.
That's bouillabaisse. he said, but
it's not mine"
| started This bouilabaisSe this Gu
rious looking stuff. With indigestible
looking Jumps Of fish floating in bill
ious and oily saffron liquid. know
not what had expected bouilabaisse
to be. but ii certainly was not this.
There was piece of fish which ! rec
ognized rs eel. and loathe eeS The
broad tail of another and unknown
fish stuck up out of the Opaque liquid.
But it was the yellow liquid itself
which repealed 1t shouted biliousness,
and the smell of saffron that arose with
the steam made me feel i'll. oh, Thack-
cray.
| pecked at the eel or it may have
been lamprey explored the various
other fish, tasted gingerly of the thick
saffron liquid on one of the pieces of
toast that floated in il. But mine was
no palate for bouiilabaisse. made
the waiter take the mess away and
bring lamb outlets.
But | had tasted OF bouillabaisse and
was not to forget it. All day long the
terrible taste Of saffron remained with
me. Nothing would shift it; not Mar
sejlles ten. nor many golden books. nor
dinner In fact. the bouillabaisse OF
lunch spoiled the dinner And at mid
night. in d cafe on the Cannebiere, my
friend confided IL secret TO me. When
we fell In with each other just twenty
four hours ago" he said. II was suf
fering Just as you are now The hor
ribe taste of saffron had remained OBJ
stinately with me ever since lunch anC
has not quite gone even yet But yol
told me you had come to Marseiiles to
eat bouiHabaisse. and knew nothing
| could say would dissiade you. But
no doubt the bitterness OF this moment
will fade away. and as time passes yor
will tell your friends in England how
excellent is the real bouillabaisse Il
only YOU have it in Marseilles."
Never. | would die frst"' ! ex
claimed triniy. London Standard.
Africa's Pyemy Antelopes.
r'he pygnis antelope OF the Colo
Coast OF Africa is the smallest OF cue
chewing animals II stands about ter
inches high at the withers that Is
f.,y inr Ia