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Bouilli is Indispensable

Mrs. Samuel Harrison Smith gives "a small, genteel dinner" for Miss Martineau

(To Mrs. Kirkpatrick)

WASHINGTON, Febr. 4th, 1835

AND now for Miss Martineau, since you desire to

hear a little more about her, particularly of the day she passed here. But I really must give you a previous scene which amused me extremely and will not be without some diversion for you. The day previous to our little dinner party, I sent for Henry Orr, whom I had always employed when I had company and who is the most experienced and fashionable waiter in the city. He is almost white, his manners gentle, serious and respectful, to an uncommon degree and his whole appearance quite gentlemanly. "Henry," said I, when he came, "I am going to have a small dinner party, but though small, I wish it to be peculiarly nice, everything of the best and most fashionable. I wish you to attend, and as it is many years since I have dined in company, you must tell me what dishes will be best. "Bouilli," I suppose, "is not out of fashion?" "No, indeed, Ma'am ! A Bouilli at the foot of the table is indispensable, no dinner without it." "And at the head?" "After the soup, Ma'am, fish, boiled fish, and after the Fish canvas-backs, the Bouilli to be removed, and Pheasants." "Stop, stop Henry," cried I, "not so many removes if you please!" "Why, ma'am, you said your company was to be a dozen, and I am only telling you what is absolutely necessary. Yesterday at Mr. Woodbury's there was only 18 in company and there were 30 dishes of meat." "But Henry I am not a Secretary's lady. I want a small, genteel dinner." "Indeed, ma'am, that is all I am telling you, for side dishes you will have a very

small ham, a small Turkey, on each side of them Partridges, mutton chops, or sweet breads, a macaroni pie, an oyster pie."—"That will do, that will do, Henry. Now for vegetables." "Well, ma'am, stew'd celery, spinage, salsify, cauliflower." "Indeed, Henry, you must substitute potatoes, beets, &c." "Why, ma'am, they will not be genteel, but to be sure if you say so, it must be so. Mrs. Forsyth the other day would have a plum-pudding, she will keep to old fashions." "What, Henry, plum-pudding out of fashion ?" “La, yes, Ma'am, all kinds of puddings and pies." "Why, what then must I have at the head and foot of the table?" "Forms of ice-cream at the head, and a pyramid of anything, grapes, oranges, or anything handsome at the foot." "And the other dishes?" “Jellies, custards, blanc-mange, cakes, sweet-meats, and sugar-plums." "No nuts, raisons, figs, &c., &c.?" “Oh, no, no, ma'am, they are quite vulgar." "Well, well, Henry. My desert is, I find, all right, and your dinner I suppose with the exception of one or two things. You may order me the pies, partridges, and pheasants from the French cook, and Priscilla can do the rest." "Indeed, ma'am, you had best ". "No more, Henry, "interrupted I. "I am not Mrs. Woodbury." . . . But I carried my point in only having 8 dishes of meat, tho' I could not convince Henry, it was more genteel than a grander dinner. He came the next day, and leaving him and the girls as his assistants (for Anna absolutely locked me out of the dining room) I sat quietly in the front parlour, as if no company was expected. Mrs. Randolph, Mrs. Coolidge (Ellen Randolph that was), James Bayard and B[ayard] K[irkpatrick] were the only additional guests to Miss M[artineau] and Miss Jeffrey her companion. About 3, B. K. came. I only was in the parlour, the girls were dressing, presently Ann came down, and told me Miss M. and Miss

Miss Martineau's Ear Tube

J. were up stairs in my room. "And you left them there alone!" exclaimed I. "To be sure answered Ann, with her usual nonchalance. I have never been introduced to

them and they asked me to show them to a chamber." “And you let them go in alone!" "To be sure," I hastened up stairs and found them combing their hair. They had taken off their bonnets and large capes. "You see," said Miss M., "we have complied with your request and come sociably to pass the day with you. We have been walking all the morning, our lodgings were too distant to return, so we have done as those who have no carriages do in England, when they go to pass a social day." I offered her combs, brushes, etc. but showing me the enormous pockets in her french dress, said they were provided with all that was necessary, and pulled out nice little silk shoes, silk stockings, a scarf for her neck, little lace mits, a gold chain and some other jewelry, and soon without changing her dress was prettily equipped for dinner or evening company. We were all as perfectly at our ease as if old friends. Miss M.'s toillette was soonest completed, and sitting down by me on the sopha, and handing me the tube, we had a nice social chat before we went down stairs. I introduced Mr. Smith, my nephews, and son &c. Mr. S. took a seat on the sopha by her, and I on a chair on her other side, to be near to introduce others. It was quite amusing to see Mr. S. He took the tube and at first applied its wrong cup to his lips, but in the warmth of conversation perpetually forgot it, and as he always gesticulates a great deal with his hands, he was waving about the cup, quite forgetful of its use, except when I said, as I continually had to do, " Put it to your lips." But Miss M. had admirable tact and filled up the gaps of his part of the conversation, made by the waving of the tube, by her intuitive perception and talked as fluently of Lord Brougham,

Lord Durham and other political personages, of whom Mr. S. inquired as if she had heard every word . . . Mrs. Coolidge managed better, and conversed with perfect ease and great fluency until dinner, which was not served until five o'clock, when the curtains being drawn and shutters closed, the candles on the table were lit and made everything look better. . . . Dinner went off very well. I conversed a great deal with Miss M., as Mrs. R. would not. Our conversation was very interesting and carried on in a tone that all the rest of the company could hear. . . . It was a rich treat to hear her. Her words flow in a continual stream, her voice pleasing, her manners quiet and lady-like, her face full of intelligence, benevolence and animation. . . . It was 11 o'clock before the party broke up. Every one gratified at an opportunity of meeting Miss M. in such a quiet, social manner.

Washington Irving denies both

As

(To James K. Paulding, Jan. 3, 1833)

S to rumors, they are as numerous as they are absurd. Gouverneur's particular friend, Bankhead, the British chargé d'affaires, has just returned from New York, very gravely charged with one concerning myself; viz., that I was to marry Miss and receive

the appointment of Postmaster of New York!! Now either the lady or the office would be a sufficient blessing for a marrying or an office-craving man; but God help me! should be as much bothered with the one as with

the other..

A Serious Situation

James Russell Lowell prepares to buy a doll

MY

(To Mrs. William Wetmore Story)

HÔTEL DE FRANCE, RUE Lafitte,

PARIS, July 16th, 1856

Y DEAR EMELYN,- Here I am back again just where I was a year ago at this time and as delighted to hear of your being in England as I was then disappointed to find that you had decamped thither - for in England I shall be in a few days. It is rumoured in diplomatic circles that you are at the White Hart, Windsor— which has a very comfortable sound. But are you to stay there? Shall we go and see another cathedral or two together?

What I wish you particularly to do now is to write and tell me where you got the doll which has so excited Mabel's cupidity. If you can't remember the exact address can you tell the street or the quarter? Also whether it is a gal of wax? Moves her eyes? About how big? Cost environ how much? Has a wardrobe ? I see ruin staring me in the face, and have just got a letter from M. ordering shoes, stockings and what not for the young foreigner. You see what a predicament I should be in were I to go home with the wrong baby. It is not a case for a warming-pan, for the features of the child are already known to the expectant mother by vision — nay by actual touch of the twin sister of elder birth. Not every supposititious child would answer. . . .

So the Longfellows are coming? Won't they have a nice time! Over here it is more of a reputation to know Longfellow than to have written various immortal works. Gather your laurels while ye may, old Time is still a-flying! and old times, too, more's the pity. We will have one more, though, in England, I trust.

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