The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1926-08-09
A 1WOMANS
bRfS6SAD

PARIS, France.-Green almonds
are to the French table what olives
and pickles are to ours.
Butter is served ordinarily only
upon request.
Water is also a request item and
no essential
If you insist on American prohi-
bition in your dining, you pay for
your wine or beer or cordial double
because of omission.
Forks and spoons and knives are
giant size. the fork resembles our
garden picks, and the knife might
be mistaken for a sabre. Teaspoons
are the size Of our tablespoons.
Table napkins are the size of
young table cloths, and a spotless
table cloth for each new table Of
diners does not seem the essential
here that it does at home.
II you find these copious refer
ences to food bit gross. reflect
upon the saying OF the sage who
said that to know a nations stom-
- l.
If he didn't say 1t exactly like
that, he meant it, and am rather
fond Of coming my own epigrams.
49,
Eating In French begins on the
Cherbourg-to-Paris diner. A cack-
ling waitress pushes us into chairs
and cackles some more, all OF which
means nothing to us. She is prob
ably again calling us daughters Of
pigs OF ar American"
Upon our erstwhile snowy cloth
repose plate of four sardines, but
ter cut into rosebuds upon fresh
oak leaves, a basket Of cherries,
mushy bananas, and what we learn
are the green almonds found on
every dining table in France.
We learn what they are. as do
our fellows, by the bitter experience
Of biting them as though they were
peaches. The French Mattresses
laugh Jovially to see US.
Dining car service resembles
procession In the harem.
The cackling Mattresses line up,
the male chief steward at their lead.
He passes down the aisle, nodding
with his head at this plate and that
which is to be served.
Handmaiden one dumps down the
plates, huge Goliath ones. Hand
maiden two hurls spoonful of DO
tato and caulifiower salad upon the
plate. Handmaiden three hurls
hunk of cold ham or meat loaf.
Handmaiden four sings a pimento
on the heap, and handmaiden five
hurls n tomato.
We are timed one minute, so CEN
times, for the hors d'oeuvre.
Promptly, the male cock o. -the-roost
signals his handmaidens and they
swoop down upon our table. One
takes the top plate and puts, a new
one in it's place, one stops with a
huge pannier of bread third heaps
the topmost plate with omelet, the
best omelet I ever ate, juicy and
packed full of spicy herbs.
WC dIC lAIllSo dSdIH linen IhOn-
sieur the chanticleer walks down the
aisle. asking more, more?"
We Americans are a bit dazed at
this spectacle Of being asked If we
would have more on diner. Many
accept. Then Chanticleer summons
his cackling handmaiden and she
dumps it on.
More plates-the fourth so far.
This time the phalanx of FIVE
m9idens lines up, one leaves a
chicken leg, the second adds a spoon
full OF gravy. the third some peas,
the fourth, some potatoes.
Timed. And again the chief cock
o. the walk goes down the aisle with
the second helping.
Ice cream, a watery kind, with
cake, and cheese complete the feast.
The bill? Twenty-Five francs,
which. being interpreted, meant that
day trifie over II cents each.
80
One has no doubt about the tip.
Chanticleer hovers der one and
breathes passionately, 1.-THE service.
was she not divine? Was she not
superb? Should she not have even
more than 10 per cent tip? Five
francs. she is nothing at all to you.
You make IL ten"