Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-09-19
Perplexities of COhee-H0use Revival

vading Belgium destroyed most of the
chicory fields. Good deeds are OCCASION
ally wrought by singular instruments.
The French percolated coffee is delight
in an after-dinner demi.tasse; a pale and
souplike infusion of a few honest berries
and deluge of hot water and steaming
milk at thu, breakfast table.
Turks, Arabs and other Moslems, barred
from alcohol by their religion, are un-
afraid of native coffee strength, but the
wisdom of their policy Of serving the
grounds in the cup may be seriously
doubted. South Americans and Spaniards,
as rule, make real coffee, but according
to some tastes the berries are overroasted,
and even those whose sweet teeth are un.
satisfied under the Hoover regime may
object to the four or five Jumps of sugar
deposited in the cup before the liquid
makes its appearance on the cafe table.
Italian nscoffee has a way of compelling one
to order another glass of wine.
n MEXICAN coffee stands up we'll under
\ this hasty survey. Lack Of uniformity
however, is it's embarrassing weakness.
The percolated variety, the boiled variety,
the coffee cleared" with eggshells. the
pure but weak mahogany-colored coffee
| and that puzzling. ambiguous decoction to
which the term Jersey coffee" has been
applied are all prevalent In the nation
| which, even without the revival Of John
sonian inns, consumes more Of the un-
stable liquid than any country on earth.
TT MAY be seen, therefore, that the coffee
l. house institution, redolent with its
charms of historical retrospect, will i'm.
mediately PROFOUND problems to make life
more complicated. The riddle, What is
good coffee?" will flourish virulently and
| anew. Perhaps an International affair
| with urns properly manned by natives Of
each American district and each foreign
land whence the respective and bewilder-
ing varieties Of coffee hail, might bring
amity to the foreshadowed situation. Even
| the chicory bibbers might be admitted-to
| a dark corner.
| HAPPILY the loquacious aspects of the
IL twentieth century coffee house should
| give no uneasiness. The Abyssnians are
said to have discovered the coffee by noting
the vivacious conduct Of a herd of sheep
which had accidentally pastured on the
| wild shrubs. Later the Arabs prepared
some of the berries for their own use and
were delighted to learn that the pain Of
being compelled by certain Mohammedan
religious rites to remain awake all night
was converted into the pleasurs of an in
vigorating social gathering. No. there
isn't particle of doubt that words will
flow fully as fiuently as at the bar, and
much more distinctly should the coffee
house be resuscitated. Once the CASTRO
nomic embarrassments have been over
come the picture becomes engaging.
THERE is more point to be emphasized.
l. All coffeehouse tables should be low,
congenial to the casual elbow, and conse-
quently unproductive Of strain. Low.
lying tables are subtle but powerful in
ducements to fellowship. to tolerance and
the enlivening interchange of opinion. The
furnishings of all European sidewalk cafes
attest the pertinence Of this great truth.
II you doubt 1t. shorten the legs of your
own dining room table, and while waiting
for the coffee house to materialize, see
what increased fun you can have airing
your own views over your own character
istio. cup At home. HTC.