Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1914-12-11
ATE !: And WAS | | SAD.
Yet It Was a Dish For Which He
Had Yearned For Years.
a. TRAGEDY in GAsTR0NoMY.

Heuillabaisse az Sung by Thaekersy
and as Served Ia a Famous Mar
ssilies Resort Proved Very Different
Propositions to an English Epieure.
We all know that famous poem OF
Thackeray's which begins,
Z a street there is in Paris famous
For which no rime our language yields.
tnd goes on to tell of the tavern where
the genial Titmarsh in the days when
he was Paris correspondent "ate and
drank the bouillabaisse.'
AS q 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-
lures up in bis lines-how appetizing 1t
seems! know that it was quite early
in my teens when I first read that
poem. and from that moment there
was formed in my mind firm resolve
ito eat some day Of bouillabaisse.
My opportunity came not long ago
when visited Marseilles. 1t was
nearly half past 8 when ] sat down In
the dining room of the hotel
There is no bouillabaisse on the
menu." ] said severely to the rnaitre
d'hotel. II have come to Marseples
specially to eat it" He replied that 1t
was not speciality Of the house, but
that 1t could always be prepared How
long would 1t take? twenty-five min.
utes. perhaps q little longer. but ]
think monsieur would find 1t rather
heavy at such late hour
He vas not encouraging, this maitre
d'hotel. did not accept for moment
his suggestion that bouillabaisse was
too heavy a dish for half past at
night. Thackeray had not talked about
heaviness. But twenty-five minutes!
l ordered an omelet
At midnight, walking down the fa
nous Cannebiere, back to the hotel, l
+, was hailed By q familiar voice. 1t was
that of friend whom L had not seen
for long time. Gratefully grasped
his hand and told him that ! intended
to eat bouilabaisse as soon as possible
And my respect for him was consider.
ably enhanced when be told me that he
had eaten some that very afternoon.
an hour after his Arrival IN Mar.
settles. Here was the true spirit, and
related to him, with some bitterness,
my experience with the maitre d'hotel
well, 1t is rather heavy stuff" he
said. But brushed this aside, and we
arranged to meet at luLcb on the NOR
row, when ] should haze the best that
Marseilles could give me.
There are. as everybody knows. two
places at Marseilies for bouillabaisse-
PaseaPs and Rasso's. on the VieuS
Port We decided on Basso's.
"Bouillabaisse," said laconically. !
paid no attention TO what my friend
ordered. No other dish interested me.
But In minute or so curious look.
Ing mess was set down before hinL
Whats that stuff you're going to
eat?" / asked.
That's bouillabaisse," be said. ''but
it's not mine"
! started. This bouillabalsse, this Gu
rious looking stuff. With indigestible
looking humps of fish floating in bill.
ious and oily saffron liquid! l know
not what ! had expected bouillabaisse
to be, but it certainly was not this.
There was a piece Of fish which rec
ognized as eel. and loathe cells. The
broad tail Of another and unknown
fish stuck up out Of the opaque liquid.
But II was the yellow liquid itself
which repealed. 1t shouted biliousuess.
and the smell.of saffron that arose with
the steam made me feel ill., Oh. Thack'
cray!
pecked at the eel-or 1t may have
been q unprecedented The various
other fish. tasted giaSerlr "f the thics
saffron liquid on one of the pieces OF
toast thnt tloated In it. But mine was
no palate for boniilabais>r. made
the waiter take the mess away ano
bring lamb outlets.
Rut had tnstcd OF bo,liiiahaisse and
was not to forget IL All day long the
terrible taste Of saffron remained With
mo Nothing would shift t.; not Mar
settles ten. nor many Go;drn books nor
dinner In fact. tie lnlIi !n'IaiSSe oi
h,urh sppiird the Giunrr. AND III una
night. in II cafe On the CaMltbirrp. my
friend conti(led IL secret to nae W heE
", f,l, in With each other Just twenty
four burrs ago" ne safe. L was SUI
ferir- iusl as you arc noN The nor
rifle t3s,e OF saffron had rrmaincd 90
stfnafelr 9th me ever since lunch and
has not quite gone even yet. hlt So3
fold the YOU had come to MarseilieS to
eat bouillaba,sse. aud knew nothing
could say would disSuade sou. but
no doubt the bitterness OF snis moment
will fade away. and as time passes you
will tell your friends In England now
excellent is The real bonltiahaisse
only YOU have it In Marseil!es"
Never! would die nrstE ! es'
claimed hruly.-London Standard
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Africa's Pysnny Antelopes.