Entertaining for Small Households.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXVIII, Issue XXVI, 28 June 1902, Page 1373

Entertaining for Small Households.

LUNCHEON PARTIES. Luncheon parties are one of the very easiest forms of entertainment in a small household, not only on account of expense, but also because the courses being fewer there is naturally less work for the servants in the matter of preparations beforehand and washing up afterwards. Indeed. there is no reason at all why a small luncheon party of from six to ten people should n >t be very successfully managed with the assistance only of the most inexperienced maid of all work, although. of course, in that case the mistress of the house will be obliged personally to superintend the preparations. and even to undertake the greater part of the cooking herself.'

Luncheon parties nowadays are a very different affair to those which were considered “the thing” a year or two ago, and instead of the heav ? meal, beginning with a joint at on? end of the table and poultry at the other, with a second course of three or four kinds of sweets, we now have several course's of much lighter fare, an arrangement which is not only far more digestible, but also less expensive, for it is the butcher s bill and such items as large joints of meat which make the weekly books so high that the housewile dreads their appearance. and is tempted to postpone the payment of them under the vague but mistaken impression that they will somehow become less if left to themselves a little longer. The French custom of beginning luncheon with a course of eggs served in some dainty manner has become very much the fashion tn smart houses nowadays, and as eggs are both economical and easy to pre pare, it is a notion much to be recommended to a hostess who is

anxious to give a smart little luncheon at small expense. Either an omelet, scrambled eggs, or eggs poached in curry sauce are very suitable dishes wita which to begin the meal, aud these should either be served in silver entree dishes or else in one of these pretty green or brown fireproof dishes which can be bought quite cheaply at any china shop. To follow the eggs some simple entree should I e arranged, such as rissoles, croquets curry or kromeskis; any of these may be made from scraps or odds and ends of meat, and if well flavoured and daintily served, are not to be despised by anyone. This course should also be handed if it is possible, but the next, which would consist of either a small Joint, game, or poultry, is better carved b’ F either the host or hostess, leaving the maid free to hand the plates and accompanying vegetables. If liked, this course might consist of cold meat, either beef or lamb, with a good salad to go with it. In this way the woiTt of dishing up during the progress of the meal will be lightened. It will be seen that a luncheon such as I have described may easily be contrived out of the remains of the Sunday jofht. part being used to make the entrees and the rest cut In neat slices and server! cold. One sweet will be quite sufficient, as it is no longer the fashion to have a choice of several, and this ean easily be made and dished up

beforehand and served cold, and with, perhaps, a following of cheese, butter, and biscuits, this menu will be found ample. and is far mor.up to date than the heavy meal < n which it was the custom in former days to regale our guests. The kind of wine given at luncheon depends much upon the taste and means of the hosts, but as a general rule all that is required is a choice of either sherry or claret, with whisky and soda water at hand in case it is asked for by any of the gentlemen. Coffee is always served directly after luncheon, and it is a good plan (unless the eook be thoroughly dependable) for the mistress of the house to make this herself beforehand. Coffee to be good only requires a little care in making, and yet how seldom it is that it is made properly by any but the most accomplished cook. Be very careful that the water boils, that the pot is clean, and the coffee freshly ground, prepare it an hour or so before it is wanted, and carefully instruct the cook that it must he warmed up, not boiled, and served very hot in cups upon a tray, with a small jug of cream or cold milk and powdered sugar candy, and there will be nothing to complain of either in the quality of the beverage or the manner of its serving. o o o o o When are Men the Most Ardent Lovers? Decidedly not in his teens, then he can hardly know his own mind. Yet we often hear in love stories of a hero and heroine who have been devoted to each other since childhood. Of course, there are fickle lovers at thirty, and constant ones at nineteen, but as a rule it is safest, to look for the dependable lover between those extremes. At five or six and thirty a man should know’ his own mind. Generally—of course every rule has its exception—a man is more dependable in his affections about that age than at any other time. If he have any inclination to flirt he will pretty surely have done so by the time he is twenty-three, and by the time he has reached thirty he will probably be more or less an “old bachelor.”

It should not be taken for granted that the man who goes about his love affairs in a very quiet and reserved fashion is cold hearted. Very often he is as true as steel in his affection, and loves more warmly and unselfishly than many anotheu whose rhapsodies of love are a perfect dream of bliss to the woman '-in whose ears they are poured. She. of course, never reflects that “empty vessels make most noise.” but as likely as not she may afterwards discover that all the ardent protestations of love were simply a passing emotion. An enthusiasm perhaps excited by her pretty face, but which vanished as entirely and as rapidly as a cloud of smoke. Sincerity of character must eventually assert itself, and will stand the test of time and the fire of evil tongues and adverse criticism. Engaged to such a man a girl is happy. She need never fear that her lover will play her false.

But how can she know a man’s character? How tell that he .will be true? How that she really loves as a woman should love her husband?

If a girl wonders whether she really loves she may be quite sure that she does not yet know what love means. In the same way, if she doubts her lover’s character without grave cause she may be sure that she does not love, for love and suspicion of the beloved object are impossible.

If a man eannot tell his own mind at five or six and twenty he will never do it. Fickle at that age he is a dangerous character and not worthy Iff a woman's affections. But, as a rule, he loves most ardently from about the age of twenty-five to twenty-eight, and if he is ever to be understood it is then. By that time he is a fully matured character, hav« ing east off the flightiness and irresponsibility <>f yontw, and as yet, not having had time to settle into habits of selfishness, which make the elderly lover sometimes very undesirable as a husband.

The Japanese Wife. According- to Western ideas, the married woman in Japan is not to be envied. A Japanese girl’s marriage dowry consists of nothing l>eyond her dresses, a little writing desk, a box of cosmetics and other toilet necessaries, a couple of little dining tables, and a few lacquer plates. Japanese women do not inherit fortunes, and in families where there is no son, one is adopted as an heir. Women of the poorer classes are most to be pitied. A husband is as free as a bachelor, ami can do exactly what he chooses. A man marries when he likes, and when he tires of his wife he may put her away and take another with as little fuss as we make about changing our tradespeople. These exchanges, or divorces, are most frequent among the poor, but are comparatively rare among the upper classes. Mrs Langtry and the Shoeblack. Among Mrs Langtry's numerous acquaintances is an old and cripple shoeblack, who plies his trade in Sloane-street, near which Mrs Langtry lived for many years. One day she surprised and delighted the poor man by inviting him to some and set* her act. He presented himself at the theatre, but found he was unable to get upstairs. Mrs Langtry, however. meant him to enjoy himself, and therefore smoothed the way by having him put into one of the boxes. The astonishment of the audience on seeing the old shoeblack in the stage-box may be easily imagined. 0 0 0 0-0 Why Marry for Money? No woman is justified in marrying a man solely for wealth. Even if a man is infatuated enough to consent to such a union still she is not justified. Such a wife would be as a hired servant, for her services would be given for a money consideration. If business troubles came and wealth was lost the sustaining element to the marriage would perish. The wife would not be capable of being the strength and comfort to her husband that a husband in trouble usually receives at such times. Her heart could not be susceptible to so fine a sense as sympathy, and though she would weep at the financial trouble, the tears would be characteristic of a dull sense of personal loss. Furthermore. a woman who is coldblooded gn.dugh to enter into a mercenary -marriage is dangerously ammust be possessed of extow ideals.

How to Use Perfumery. To have your writing paper, whether note or letter size, or a plain business-like pad. carry with it a breath of dainty sweetness. you must keep it in tightly closed boxes in which are little |>aekets of orris powder. Your bureau drawers will be perfumed, and the perfume will creep into your handkerchiefs and ribbons and your underclothing if you will line the drawers with tissue paper; sprinkle this with powdered orris, an I lay a sheet of tissue paper above it. A prettier way is to make a sachet the exact size of your drawer by quilting orris |M»wder between folds of (Ulina silk. Little bags of silk tilled with orris and kept in the pockets of your gowns will give them a very delicate fragrance. A pronounced perfume is vulgar. You must have merely a suggestion of it—a whiff—gone in a breath, not a coarse, heavy odour which makes your friends think of musk jr patchouly. Perfume poured from a bottle is apt to scent a handkerchief too strongly to please a fastidious taste. You may use your Cologne or your violet essence, a few drops at a time, in the water in which you batu,. or you may finish your toilet oy wetting your hands with a tiny drop or two of your favourite perfume. Liqu: I perfumes must be used sparingly.