i£x IGtbrtB SEYMOUR DURST It'ben you lecwe, please leave this hook Because it has been said "Ever'thing comes t' him who wails Except a loaned hook." Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library Gi[ T OF Seymour B. Durst Old York Library 1 Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2013 http://archive.org/details/societyasihavefoOOmcal_0 SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. I I Society As J Have Found It BY WARD McAllister NEW YORK CASSELL PUBLISHING COMPANY 104 & 106 FouRiii AvKNUK, Nkw York EDITION DE LUXE Limiti'd to four Iiundred (400) copies, of ^vJiicJi t/iis is No. Copyright, 1890, Bv WARD McAllister. An rights reserved. THE MERSHON COMPANY PRE'^S, KAIIWAV, N. J. DECEMDEIV 9, 19 33 VAKD McALLIiTEK Sherry with the terrapin and claret with the rf)ast; When the ladies leave the table, oh, it's then we love 'em most; Madeira for the gentlemen to sit and drink their fill, And Mr. \V:xvd McAllister to lead in the tpiadrille! Brownstone into m.arble is the way a city grows; Marble into chrome and steel, and after, no one knows; But brownstone into marble, as a thoughtful man will note, Strolling to the Union Club with a flower in his coat. The cotillion sets are forming to the airs from "Pinafore," And five-and-twenty Patriarchs will do to guard a door, Before the brownstone crumbles and before the cries begin: "Oh, Mr. Ward McAllister, it's time to let us in." "Oh, wait a little longer, we'll be finished in a trice; The figure's very pleasant and the dancing's very nice. There's just enough of favors for the dancers on the floor," Quoth Mr. Ward McAllister, "and more is always more." And what would be the favors for a leader in the dance? A coat that's cut in Savile Row, a beard that's cut in France, A corner at Delmonico's with the cover freshly laid, And the choicest seat beside the whip in the Coaching Club Parade. A pretty taste in canvasbacks, a taking way with whist, A proper word on New Year's Day for every hand that's kissed ; A house in Twenty-first Street for a gentleman's abode. And bayberry and goldenrod to line a Newjiort road. Oh, Newport is a summer town with garlands on her brow, But who drives a basket phaeton at noon in Newport now? In Narragansett Avenue, what lady stops to call : "Oh, Mr. Ward McAllister, pray get us up a hall"? And who in Twenty-first Street now comes rolling up to dine With "Mr. Ward McAllister, pray let us taste your wine"? Not even Mrs. Astor sends to set her royal task: "Oh, Mr. Ward McAllister, please tell us whom to ask." Brownstone into marble and cotillion into dust. And dancer into Icss-than-dream and brightest blade to rust; The doors are all unguarded; they are trampling on the stairs, But Mr. Ward IVIcAllister he neither heeds nor cares. Sherry witli the terrapin and claret with the roast; When the ladies leave the table, oh, it's then we love 'em most; Madeira for the gentlemen to sit and drink their fill, And Mr. Ward McAllister to lead in the ipiadrille! — KF.NNK rii Al l AN Robinson AUTHOR'S NOTE. One -who reads this book throuoh will have as rough a mental journey as his physical nature would undergo in riding over a corduroy road in an old stage-coach. It makes no pretension to either scholar- ship or elegant diction. W. McA. vii CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. My Family — My Mother an Angel of Beauty and Charity — My Father's Nobleness of Character — Building Bonfires on Paradise Rocks and flying Kites from Purgatory with Uncle Sam Ward — My Brother the Lawyer, . . . CHAPTER n. My New York Life — A Penurious Aunt who fed me on Turkey — My First Fancy Bail — Spending One Thousand Dollars for a Costume — The Schermerhorns give a ball in Great Jones Street — Sticking a Man's Calf and Drawing Blood — A Craze for Dancing — I Study Law — Blackstone has a Rival in lovely Southern Maidens — I go to San Francisco in '50 — Fees Paid in Gold Dust — Eggs at $2 — My First Housekeep- ing — A faux pas at a Reception, . . . . . CHAPTER III. Introduction to London Sports — A Dog Fight in the Sub- urbs — Sporting Ladies — The Drawing of the Badger — My Host gets Gloriously Drunk — Visit to Her Majesty's Kitchen — Dinner with the Chef of Windsor Castle — I taste Montilla Sherr)- for the First Time — "A Shilling to pay for the Times," - - - CHAPTER IV. A Winter in Florence and Rome — Cheap Living and Good Cooking — Walnut-fed Turkeys — The Grand Duke of Tus- cany "s Ball — An American Girl who Elbowed the King — What a Ball Supper should be — Ball to the Archduke of Tuscany — X CO. V TENTS. PAGE " The Duke of Pennsylvania " — Following the Hounds on the Campagna — The American Minister Snubs American Gentlemen, --------- 41 CHAPTER V. Summer in Baden-Baden — The Late Emperor William no Judge of Wine — My Irish Doctor — His Horror of Water — How an American Girl tried to Captivate Him — The Lou- isiana Judge — I win the Toss and get the Mule — The Judge "fixes" his Pony — The " Pike Ballet," - - - - 55 CHAPTER VL Winter in Pau — I hire a perfect Villa for $800 a year — Luxury at Small Cost — I Learn how to give Dinners — Fraternizing with the Bordeaux Wine Merchants — The Judge's Wild Scheme — I get him up a Dinner — General Bosquet — The Pau Hunt — The Frenchmen wear beautiful Pink Coats, but their Horses wont Jump — Only the General took the Ditch, --------- 65 CHAPTER Vn. My Return to New York — Dinner to a well-known Mil- lionaire — Visit of Lord Frederick Cavendish, Hon. E. Ash- ley, and G. W. des Voeux to the United States — I Entertain them at my Southern Home— My Father's Old Friends resent my Manner of Enterta'ning — Her Majesty's Consul disgrimtled — Cedar Wash-tubs and Hot Sheets for my Eng- lish Guests — Shooting Snipe over the Rice Lands — Scouring the Country for Pretty Girls, ------ 77 CHAPTER VHL A Southern Deer Park— -A Don Quixote Steed — We Hunt for Deer and Bag a Turkey — Getting a Dinner by Force — The French Chef and the Colored Cook Contrasted — One is Inspired, the Other follows Tradition — Making a Sauce of Herbs and Cream — Shooting Ducks across the Moon — A Dawfuskie Pic-nic, .-------89 CONTENTS. XI CHAPTER IX. PAGE I Leave the South — A Typical British Naval Officer — An Officer of the Household Troops — Early Newport Life — A Country Dinner — The Way 1 got up Pic nics — Farmers throw their Houses Open to Us — A Bride receives us in her Bridal Array — My Newport Farm — My Southdowns and my Turkeys — What an English Lady said of our Little Island — Newport a place to take Social Root in, .... 107 CHAPTER X. Society's Leaders — A Lady whose Dinners were Exquisite and whose Wines were Perfect — Her " Blue Room Parties" — Two Colonial Beauties — The Introduction of the Chef — The Prince of Wales in New York — The Ball in his Honor at the Academy of Music — The Fall of the Dancing Platform — Gro- tesque Figures cut by the Dancers — The Prince dances Well — Admirable Supper Arrangements — -A. Light Tea and a Big Appetite — The Prince at West Point — I get a Snub from General Scott, - - - - - - - - - 123 CHAPTER XL A Handsome, Courtly Man — A Turkey Chase — A Visit to Livingston Manor — An Ideal Life — On Horseback from Staatsburg to New York — Village Inn Dinners — I entertain a Fashionable Party at the Gibbons Mansion — An Old House Rejuvenated — The Success of the Party — Country Life may be enjoyed here as well as in England if one has the Money and the Inclination for it — It means Hard Work for the Host, though, - - 139 CHAPTER XII. John Van Buren's Dinner — I spend the Entire Day in getting my Dress-coat — Lord Ilartington criticises American Expressions — Contrast in our way of Living in 1862 and i8go — In Social Union is Social Strength — We band to- gether for our Common Good — The organization of the "Cotillion Dinners" — the "Smart" Set, and the "Solid" Set — A Defense of Fashion, - 155 Xll CONTENTS. CHAPTER XIII. PAGE Cost of Cotillion Dinners — My delicate Position — The Debut of a Beautiful Blonde — Lord Roseberry's mot — We have better Madeira than England — I am dubbed " The Auto- crat of Drawing-rooms" — A Grand Domino Ball — Cruel Tricks of a fair Mask — An English Lady's Maid takes a Bath — The first Cotillion Dinners given at Newport — Out-of- Door Feasting — Dancing in the Barn, . . . . 165 CHAPTER XIV. The first private Balls at Delmonico"s — A Nightingale who drove Four-in-hand — Private Theatricals in a Stable— A Yachting Excursion without wind and a Clam-bake under difficulties — A Poet describes the Fiasco — Plates for foot- stools and parboiled Champagne for the thirsty — The Silver, Gold, and Diamond Dinners — Giving Presents to guests, - 181 CHAPTER XV. The Four-in-hand Craze — Postilions and Outriders fol- low — A Trotting-horse Courtship — Cost of Newport Picnics Then and Now — Driving off a Bridge — An Accident that might have been Serious — A Dance at a Tea-house — The Coachmen make a Raid on the Champagne — They are all Intoxicated and Confusion reigns — A Dangerous Drive Home, ... - igi CHAPTER XVI. Grand Banquet to a Bride elect — She sat in a bank of Roses with Fountains playing around her — An Anecdote of Almack's — The way the Duke of Wellington introduced my Father and Dominick Lynch to the Swells — I determine to have an American Almack's — The way the " Patriarchs' " was founded — 'I'he One-man Power Abolished — Success of the Organization, 207 CONTENTS. Xlll CHAPTER XVII. PACE A Lady who has led Society for many years — A Grand Dame indeed — -The Patriarchs a great social Feature — Organ- izing the F. C. 1). C. — Their Rise and Fall — The Mother Goose Ball — My Encounters with socially ambitious Work- ers — I try to Please all — The Famous " Swan Dinner" — It cost $10,000 — A Lake on the Dinner-table — The Swans have a mortal Combat, - - - - - - - -221 CHAPTER XVIII. How to introduce a young Girl into Society — I make the Daughter of a Relative a reigning Belle — First Offers of Marriage generally the Best — Wives should flirt with their Husbands — How to be fashionable — " Nobs " and " Swells" — The Prince of Wales's Aphorism — The value of a pleasant Manner — How a Gentleman should dress — I might have made a Fortune — Commodore Vanderbilt gives me a straight CHAPTER XIX. Success in Entertaining — The Art of Dinner-giving — Selection of Guests — A happy Mixture of Young Women and Dowagers — The latter more appreciative of the Good Things — Interviewing the Chef — "Uncle Sam" Ward's Plan — Mock Turtle Soup a Delusion and a Snare — The Two Styles of cooking Terrapin — Grasshopper-fed Turkeys — Sourbet should not be flavored with Rum — Nesselrode the best of all the Ices, - - - 255 CHAPTER XX. Madeira the King of Wines — It took its Name from the Ship it came in — Daniel Webster and "Butler 16" — How Philadelphians "fine" their Wines — A Southern Wine Party — An Expert's shrewd Guess — The Newton Gordons — Prejudice against Malmsey — Madeira should be kept in the Garret — Some famous Brands, 267 XIV CONTENTS. CHAPTER XXI. PAGE Brut Champagne — Another Revolution in treatment of this Wine — It must be Old to be Good — '74 Champagne worth $8 a bottle in Paris — How to frappe Chamaagne — The best Clarets — Even your Vin Ordinaire should be Decanted — Sherries — Spaniards drink them from the Wood — I prefer this way — The " famous Forsyth Sherry " — A Wine-cellar not a Necessity, - . 279 CHAPTER XXII. Assigning Guests at Dinner — The Boston fashion dying out — The approved Manner — Going in to Dinner — Time to be spent at table — Table Decoration — Too many Flowers in bad taste — Simplicity the best style — Queen Victoria's table — Her Dinner served at 8.15, but she eats her best meal at 2 P.M. — Being late at Dinner a breach of good Manners — A Dinner acceptance a sacred Obligation — A Visite de diges- tion, 2gi CHAPTER XXIII. -Some practical Questions answered — Difference between Men and Women Cooks — Swedish Women the cleanest and most economical — My Bills with a Chef — My Bills with a Woman Cook — Hints on Marketing — I have done my own Buying for forty years — Mme. Rothschild personally super- vises her famous Dinners — Menu of an old-fashioned South- ern Dinner — Success of an Impromptu Banquet, - - - 305 CHAPTER XXIV. The " Banner Ball " — How to prepare a Ball-room Floor — A curious Costume and a sharp Answer — The Turkish Ball — Indisposition of ladies to dance at a Public Ball — The Yorktown Centennial Ball — Committees are Ungrateful — My E.xperience in this Matter— I discover Mr. Blaine and intro- duce Mvself, 323 COJVT£.VTS. XV CHAPTER XXV. PACE A Famous Newport Ball — Exquisite effect produced by blocks of Ice and Electric Lights — The Japanese room — Corners for " Flirtation couples " — A superb Supper — Secre- tary Frelinghuysen in the Barber shop — I meet Attorney- General Brewster — A Remarkable Man — I entertain him at Newport — A youug Admirer gives him a Banquet in New York — Transformation of the Banquet-hall into a Ball- room, - 335 CHAPTER XXVI. New Era in New York Society — Extravagance of Living — Grand Fancy Dress Ball in Fifth Avenue — I go as' the Lover of Margaret de Valois — A great Journalist at New- port — A British Officer rides into a Club House — The great Journalist's masked Ball — A mysterious Blue Domino — Breakfast at Southwick's Grove to the Duke of Beaufort — Picnic given President Arthur — His hearty Enjoyment of it — Governor Morgan misjudges my " Open Air Lunches " — The Pleasure of Country Frolics, 349 CHAPTER XXVn. I visit Washington as the guest of Attorney-General Brewster — A Dinner at the White House — Amusing arrange- ment of Guests — The Winthrop Statue — The memorable Winters of 1S84-S5 — A Millionaire's House-warming — A London Ball in New York — A Modern Amy Robsart — Transforming Delmonico's entire place into a Ball-room — The New Year's Ball at the Metropolitan Opera House — Last Words, 367 MY FAMILY. Society as I have Found It. CHAPTER I. My Family — My Mother an Angel of Beauty and Charity — My Father's Noble7iess of Character — Bicilding Bonfires on Paradise Rocks and Flying Kites from PiDgatory with Uncle Sam Ward — My Brother the Soldier — i\fy Brother the Lawyer. Ix 1820 my mother, a beautiful girl of eighteen years, was introduced into New York society by her sister, Mrs. Samuel Ward, the wife of Samuel Ward, the bank- er, of the firm of Prime, Ward & Kina. She was a crreat belle in tb.e days when Robert and Richard Ray and Prescott Hall were of the jeimesse dorec of this city. In my opinion, she was the most beautiful, Murillo-like woman I have ever seen, and she was as orood as she was beautiful,^ — an angel in works of charity and sympathy for 3 4 SOCIETY AS I J/AJ'E FOVXD IT. her race. Charlotte Corday's picture in the Louvre is a picture of my mother. The hkeness arose from the fact that her family were descended on the maternal side from the Corday family of F"rance. This also accounts for all my family being, from time immemorial, good Democrats. No one was too humble to be received and cared for and sympathized with by my mother. Her pastime was by the bedside of hospital patients, and in the schoolroom of her children. She followed the precepts of her mother's great-grandfather, the Rev. Gabriel Marion (grandfather of Gen. Fran- cis Marion) as expressed in his will to the following effect : " As to the poor, I have always treated them as my brethren. My dear family will, I know, follow my ex- ample." It also contained this item : " I give her, my wife, my new carriage and horses, that she may visit her friends in comfort." This ancestor came from Ro- chelle in a large ship chartered for the Carolinas by several wealthy Huguenot M y FAMJL y. 5 families. The lingers and Trapiers and others came oxer in the same ship. lie did not leave Trance em[)ly-handed, for on his arrival in Carolina he bought a plantation on Goose Creek, near Charles- ton, where he was buried. While a belle in this city her admirers were legion, until a young Georgian, in the person of my father, stepped in, and secured the prize and took her off to Savannah. He was fresh from Princeton College, cut short in his college career by a large fire in Savannah (his native city), which burnt it down, destroying my grandfather's city property. The old gentleman, when the fire occurred, refused to leave his residence (now the Pulaski Hotel ), and was taken forcibh' from the burninir buildinsf in his chair. He then owned the \aluable busi- ness portion of the city, and at once went to work to rebuild. His relatives would not assist him. and so he sent for his only son, then at college, and got him to indorse all his notes, and in this way secured from 6 SOCIETY AS 1 HAVE FOUXD IT. the banks the money he wanted for building purposes. He undertook too much, and my father bore for one-third of his life a burden of debt then incurred. Nothing daunted, he went to work at the bar and commenced life with his beautiful, young Northern wife. At that time, there was a great prejudice against Northern people. My father's mother never forgave my mother for being a Northern woman, and when she died, thouofh she knew her son was weicrhed down with his father's debts, insisted on his freeincj all the neoroes she owned and left him by will, enjoining him to do this as her last dying request. It is needless to to say that he did it, and not only this, but became the guardian of those people and helped and cared for them so long as he lived. Being repeatedly Mayor of the City of Savannah, he was able to protect them, and so devoted were the whole colored pop- ulation to him, that one Andrew Marshall, the clergyman of the largest colored church MV FAMILY. 7 in the city of Savannah, offered up pra)'ers for him on every Sunday, as is done in our Episcopal church for the President of the United States. Blest with five sons and one daughter, struggling to maintain them by his practice at the bar, this best of fathers sent his famil\- North every summer, with one or two exceptions, to Newport, R. I., which at that time was really a Southern colony. It was the fashion then at Newport to lease for the summer a farmer's house on the Island, and not live in the town. Well do I remember, with m}- Uncle Sam Ward and Dr. Francis, of New York, and my father, building bonfires on Paradise Rocks on the Fourth of July and fl) ing kites from Purgatory. The first relief to this hard- worked man was sending his oldest son to West Point, where, I will here add, he did the family great credit by becoming, being, and dying a noble soldier and Christian. Fighting in both armies, one may say, though I believe he was in active service 8 SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. only in the Mexican War, having gradu- ated second in his class at West Point and entered the Ordnance Corps; so in jjlace of fighting, he was making arms, casting can- non, etc. His pride lay in the fact that he was a soldier. His last request was that the Secretary of War should grant permission for his remains to be buried at West Point, which request was granted. My second brother, Hall, grew up with the poet Milton alwa)'s under his arm. He was a great student. At the little village of Springfield, Georgia, where my family had a country house, and where we occasionally passed the summer in the piney woods, I remem- ber as a boy of fifteen years of age, reading the Declaration of Independence on the Fourth of July from the pulpit of the vil- lage church to the descendants of the old Salzburghers, who came over soon after Oglethorpe, and it was before an audience of these piney woods farmers, that, with this brother, at a meeting of our Debating Society in this village, I discussed the ques- I MV FAMIL Y. 9 tion, " Which is the stronger passion, Love or Ambition," he advocating Ambition, I Love. I well remember going for him, as follows: " If b.is motto be that of Hercules the Invincible, I assume for mine that of his opponent, Venus the \'ictorious. With my sling and stone I will enter this unequal combat and thus hope to slay the great Goliath." The twelve orood and true men who heard the discussion decided in my favor. To the end of his days this brother of mine was guided and governed b)' this self-same ambition ; it made him what he became, a great lawyer, the lawj er of the Pacific coast ; his boast to me being that he had saved seventeen lives, ne\ er having lost a murder case. I let ambition go, and through life and to the present moment swear by my goddess Venus. This brother, after entering the Georgia bar, started for a trip around the world. On reaching San Francisco he heard of the discovery of gold, and Commodore Jones, then in com- mand of our Pacific Squadron, lu'ged him lo SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. to prosecute some sailors who had thrown an officer overboard and deserted, and it was this which caused him to settle down there to the practice of law. LAW AND HOUSEKEEPING. II CHAPTER II. My Nnu York Life — A Penurious Aunt who Fed me on Turkey — My First Fancy Ball — Spending One Thousand Dollars for a Costume — The Sc/iermer- horns give a Ball in Great Jones Street — Sticking a Man's Calf and Drawing Blood — A Craze for Dancing — / Study Law — Blackstone has a Rival in Lovely Southern Maidens — I go to San Fran- cisco in '50 — Fees Paid in Gold Dust — Fggs at $2 — ^^y First Housekeeping — A faux pas at a Reception. I -MVSELK soon left Savannah for New York after Hall's departure, residing there in Tenth Street with an old maiden lady, my relative and godmother, whom I always felt would endow me with all her worldly goods, but who, I regret to say, preferred the Presbyterian church and the Georgia Historical Society to myself, for between them she divided a million. At that time Tenth Street was a fashionable street ; our house was a comfortable, ordinary one, but my ancient relative considered it a palace, so that all her visitors were taken from 13 14 SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. garret to cellar to view it. Occupying the front room in the third story, as I would hear these visitors making for my room, I often had to scramble into the bath-room or under the bed, to hide myself. Having a large fortune, my relative, whom I called * Aunt (but who was really only my father's cousin), was saving to meanness ; her plan- tations in the South furnished our table ; turkeys came on in barrels. " It was tur- key hot and turkey cold, turkey tender, and turkey tough, until at grace one would exclaim, ' I thank ye, Lord, we've had enough.' " As the supposed heir of my saving godmother, the portals of New York society were easily open to me, and I well remember my first fancy ball, given by Mrs. John C. Stevens in her residence in College Place. A company of soldiers were called in to drill on the waxed floors to perfect them for dancing. A legacy of a thousand dollars paid me by the New York Life Insurance and Trust Company I expended in a fancy dress, which I flattered LA IV AND nOUSEKEEPING. 15 nn sL'lf was the handsomest and richest at thr ball. I danced the cotillion with a nun, a strange costume for her to appear in, as " I wont be a nun " was engraved on every expression of her face. She was at that day one of the brightest and most charm- ing \oung women in this city, and had a power of fascination rareh^ equaled. The next great social event that I recall was the great fanc\' ball griven bv the Schermerhorns in their house on the corner of Great Jones Street and Lafayette Place. All the guests were asked to appear in the costume of the period of Louis XV. The house itself was furnished and decorated in that style for this occasion. No pains or expense were spared. It was intended to be the greatest a^airc dc luxe New Yorkers had ever seen. The men, as Avell as the women, vied with each other in getting up as handsome costumes as w^ere ever worn at that luxurious Court. The lace and diamonds on the women astonished societ)'. All the servants of the house wore cos- 1 6 SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. tunies, correct copies of those worn at that period. The men in tights and silk stock- ings, for the first time in their hves, became jealous of each other's calves, and in one instance, a friend of mine, on gazing at the superb development in this line of a guest, doubted nature's haviuQ- bestowed such generous gifts on him ; so, to satisfy him- self, he pricked his neighbor's calf with his sword, actually drawing blood, but the possessor of the fine limbs never winced ; later on he expressed forcibly his opinion of the assault. By not wincing the impres- sion that he had aided nature was con- firmed. These two balls were the greatest social events that had ever occurred in this city. Even then subscription balls were the fashion. One of the most brilliant was c^iven at Delmonico's on the corner of Beaver and William streets (the old build- ing in which the ball was given is now be- ing torn down). Saracco's dancing-rooms were then much resorted to. They be- 17 came tlie rage, and every one was seized with a desire to perfect himself in danc- ing. Disgusted with book-keeping, I resolved to study law, and knowing that I could not do much stud\'ing whilst flirting and ofoinof to balls ami dinners, I went South to my native city, took up the second volume of Blackstone, committed it to memory, passed an examination, and was admitted to the bar by one of our ex-min- isters to Austria, then a judge. Blackstone did not wholly absorb all my time that winter. I exercised my memory in the morning and indulged my imagina- tion of an afternoon, breathing soft words to loveh' Southern maidens, in the piney groves which surround that charming cit)'. From time immemorial they had alwajs o^iven these on Valentine's Eve a Valentine party. I was tempted to go to the one given that year. And as I entered the house a basketful of sealed envelopes was handed me, one of which I took ; on i8 SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUA-D IT. breaking the seal, I found on the card the name of a brilHant, charming young woman, whom I then had a right to claim as my partner for the evening, but to whom I must bend the knee, and express interest and devotion to her in a species of poetical rhapsody. As all the young men were to go through the same ordeal, it was less embarrassino-. From the time of en- tering the ball-room until the late hour at which supper was served, the guests in the crowded rooms were laucrhinfj over the sight of each young man dropping on one knee before his partner and presenting her with a bouquet of flowers, and in low and tender words pouring out his soul iii poetry. When it came my turn, I secured a cushion and down I went, the young woman laughing immoderately; but I, not in the least perturbed, grasping my bou- quet of flowers with one hand and placing my other hand over my heart, looking into ' the depths of her lovely eyes, addressed to her these words : I. A ir AXD HOUSEKEEPhXG. 19 " These flowers, clear lady, unto thee I bring, Witli hopes as timid as the dawning sjjring, Which oft repelled by many a chilling blast Still trusts its offerings may succeed at last. Recei\ e thou, emblem of the rosy spring, Charmer of life, of every earthly thing. These flowers, which lovely as tlie tints of morn Yet ne'er can hope thy beauty to adorn. Oh, may they plead for one who never knew Perfection's image till he met with you ; Oh, may their fragrance to thy heart convey How much he would, but does not dare to say." In the mean time, while I was dancing and reciting poetry to beautiftil women, ni}' generous brother was rapidly making money at the bar in San Francisco, and urging my father and me to leave Georgia and go to him, writing that he was making- more money in two months' practice than my father received in a )ear. This to my conservatix'e parent seemed incredible ; he shook his head, saying to me, " It is hard for an old tree to take root in a new soil." His friends of the Savannah bar ridiculed his entertaining the notion of leavino- Georcyia, where his father had been a Judge of the Superior Court of that 20 S0CIE7'\^ AS I HAVE I-OLWD IT. State ; he himself had been United States District Attorney, for \ears had presided over the Georsjia Senate, had been nomi- nated for Governor of the State, and for a hfetime had been at the head of the Georgia bar. Always a Union man, op- posing Nullification, he was beloved by the people of his State, and his law practice Avas then most lucrative. The idea of his pull- ing up stakes and going to the outposts of civilization seemed absurd. He would not entertain the tliought ; he laughed at my brother's Arabian Nights stories of his law firm in San Francisco making money at the rate of $100,000 a )'ear. But just here, my father's purpose was suddenly shaken, by my brother's remitting to me a large amount of money in gold dust, and he, my father, being then paid five thousand dol- lars by the Bank of the State of Georgia for an argument made for them before the United States Supreme Court at Washing- ton. My gold dust was tangible evidence of my brother's success, and as continual 21 dropping wears away a stone, so by con- tinual pleading I at last persuaded him to take me to California. Mournfully he sold our old homestead and sadly closed up his Savannah law office, and with me, on the 13th of May, 1850, left for San Francisco, where in two years he made a comfortable fortune, retired from practice and went to Europe. My brother Hall's motto was, "Ten millions or nothincj." He made himself, to my certain knowledge, two com- fortable fortunes. Grand speculations to double my fathers fortune very soon made inroads in it, and the dear old gentleman to save a remnant returned to this country. As he expressed himself to me, "California must have a Circuit Judge of the United States. I will oet our Democratic Cono;ress to pass a bill to this effect, and will myself return to California as its United States Circuit Judge. I do not care to return to the practice of law when I reach San Fran- cisco, where, I expect to find that, like the * fruit of the Dead Sea,' my little compe- 22 SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. tency will turn into ashes at the touch. Being on the Bench, I shall at least have a support"; all of which he carried out to the letter, and he died devoted to the peo- ple of the State of California. Imagine me then, a well-fed man, with always an appreciative appetite, learning, on my arrival in San Francisco, that eggs, without which I could not breakfast, cost $2 apiece, a fowl $8, a turkey $i6. One week's mess bill for my breakfast and dinner alone w^as $225, and one visit to my doctor cost me $50. Gloom settled upon me, until my noble parent requested me to brincr back to the office our first re- tainer (for I was then a member of my father and brother's law firm). It was $4000 in gold ounces. I put it in a bag and lugged it to the office, and as I laid them ounce by ounce on my father's desk, he danced a pirouette, for he was as jolly » an old fellow as ever lived. I went to work at once in earnest ; it struck me that in that country it was "root, pig, or die." LA IV AND HOUSEKEEPING. 23 My first purchase was a desk, which com- bined the qualities of bed and desk. How well I remember the rats playing hide-and- seek over me at night, and over the large barrel of English Brown Stout that I in- vested in and placed in the entry to console myself with. After six months' hard work, I began to ease up, and feel rich. I built a small house for myself, the front entry 4x4, the back entry the same, one dining- room 12x14, and one bedroom, same dimensions. My furniture, just from Paris, was acajou and white and blue horsehair. My bed-quilt cost me $250 ; it was a lovely Chinese floss silk shawl. An Indian chief, calling to see me, found me in bed, and was so delisfhted with the blankets that he seized hold of them and exclaimed, " Qtiaii- to pesos ? " ( How much did they cost T) My first row as a householder was with my neighbor, a Texan. I found my yard fence, if put up, would close up the win- dows and front door of his house. We had an interview. He, with strong adjectives, 24 SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. assured me that he would blow out my brains if I put up that fence. I asked him in reply, where he kept his private burying ground. All men then went armed day and night. For two years I slept with a revolver under my pillow. With a strong force of men the next day, I put up the fence, and the Texan moved out and sold his lot. As our firm was then makincr o $100,000 a )'ear, our senior partner, my father, asked me to entertain, for the firm, our distinguished European clients, as he himself had not the time to do so. His injunction to me was, " Be sure, my boy, that you always invite nice people." I had heard that my dear old father had on more than one occasion gotten off a witticism on me as follows : Being told how well his son kept house, he replied, "Yes, he keeps everything but the Ten Commandments," so I assured him if he would honor me with his presence I would have to meet him every respectable woman in the city, and I kept my word. Before we reached the LA IV AND HOUSEKEEPING. 25 turkey, my guests had so thoroughly dined that when it appeared, the handsomest woman in the room heaved a deep sigh and exclaimed, " Oh, that I might have some of it for hmch to-morrow!" Such chnners as I then gave, I have never seen surpassed anywhere. It is needless to say that mv father was intensely oratified. We had, tempted by exaggerated accounts of the gold fields, French cooks who re- ceived $6000 a year as salar)-. The tur- key, costly as it was at $16, always came on table with its feathered tail intact, and as eggs were so expensive, omelette soiifflee was always the dish at dessert. Two years was the length of my stay in San Francisco. On reaching New York in 1852, from California, I found great objection made to my return there as a married man, and gracefully yielded to circumstances. Though loath to give up my profession of the law, I was forced to make this sacrifice ; so the moment I conckided to give up California and the legal profession, 26 SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. not wishing' to be idle, I went to Washing- ton and appHed to the President for the position of Secretary of Legation in Eng- land. The Georgia, South CaroHna, Vir- ginia, and California delegations urged me for this appointment ; Mr. Buchanan was oroing to England as Minister. He was a warm friend of my father's, and, when ap- proached, expressed not only willingness but gratification at having the son of an old friend as his Secretary of Legation, and I was to have had the position. But just at this time, my father, who had re- turned from Europe, wished to obtain from President Pierce the appointment of Cir- cuit Judge of the United States for the State of California. He came to me and stated the case as follows : " My boy," he said, " the President says he cannot give two appointments to one family. If you go to England as Buchanan's Secretary, President Pierce cannot make me Circuit Judge of California." " Enough said," I replied, " I yield with pleasure. I will go « LA IF AND HOUSEKEEPING. 27 abroad, but not in the diplomatic service." Passing the winter in Washington, I soon learned how to ingratiate mx self with the law-makers of our country. Good dinners and wine were alwa}'s effective. And as I had the friendship of the Cahfornia, New York and Southern delegations, I was din- ing out all the time, invited by one man or other who had an axe to grind. On these occasions, there was always a room pre- pared to receive a guest who had indulged too freelv in stronor waters. Men then drank in good earnest, a striking contrast to the days in which we now li\e, when really, at dinner, people only taste wine, but do not drink it. I was then placed on the Committee of Management for the Inaugural Ball, and did sfood service and learned much from my Washington winter. An amusing incident I must here relate. Quietly breakfasting and chatting with a beautiful woman, then a bride, who had lived for years in Washington as a widow, she asked me if I was going to Corcoran's 28 SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. ball that evening, and on my replying, "Yes, of course I was," she requested me to accompany her husband and self, which I did. On enterincy Mr, Corcoran's ball room with her on my arm, I noticed that the old gentleman bowed very stififly to us ; however, I paid no attention to this and went on dancing, and escorting through the rooms my fair partner, from whom I had no sooner been separated than my host slapped me on the shoulder with, " My dear young man, I know you did not know it, but the lady you have just had on your arm is not only not a guest of mine, but this morning I positively refused to send her an invitation to this ball." For- tunately I had brought letters to this dis- tinguished man, so seeing my annoyance, he patted me on the shoulder and said, "My boy, this is not an unusual occurrence in this city; but let it be a warning to you to take care hereafter whom you bring to a friend's house." INTRODUCTION TO LONDON SPORTS. CHAPTER III. Introduction to London Sports — A Dog Fight in the Suburbs — Sporting Ladies — The Drawing of the Badger — My Host gets Gloriously Drunk — Visit to Her Majesty's Kitchen — Dinner with the Chef of Windsor Castle — / taste ^ font ilia Sherry for the First Time — "A Shilling to Pay for the ' Times.' " After my marriage I took up my resi- dence in Newport, buying a farm on Nar- ragansett Bay and turning farmer in good earnest. I planted out 10,000 trees on that farm and then went to Europe to let them grow, expecting a forest on my return, but I found only one of them struggling for existence three years later. In London, I met a Californian, in with all the sporting world, on intimate terms with the champion prize-fighter of England, the Queen's pages, Tattersall's and others. He sucroested that if I would defray the expense, he would show me London as no American had ever seen it. Agreeing to do this, I 32 SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. was taken to a swell tailor in Regent Street, to put me, as he expressed it, " in proper rig." My first introduction to London life was dining out in the suburbs to see a doe- fight, and sup at a Regent Street dry-goods merchant's residence. I was introduced as an American landed proprietor. Mine host, I was told, spent twelve thousand pounds, i.e. $60,000 a year, on his estab- lishment. He was an enthusiast in his way, an old sport. The women whom I was invited to meet looked like six-footers ; the hall of the house and the sitting-rooms were filled with stuffed bull-terriers, prize dogs, that had done good service. We walked through beautifully laid-out grounds to a miniature ornamental villa which con- tained a rat pit, and there we saw a contest between what seemed to me a myriad of rats and a bull-terrier. The latter's work was expeditious. We surrounded the pit, each one with his watch in hand timing the dog's work, which he easily accomplished in the allotted time, killing all the rats, INTRODUCTION TO LONDON SPORTS. 33 which called forth great applause. From this pit we went to another, where we saw the drawing- of the badger, a very amusing sicrht. riiere was a lonq- narrow box with a trap-door, by which the badger was shut in ; up went the door, in went the terrier ; he seized the badger by the ear and pulled him out of his box and around the pit, the bad- ger held back with all his might ; should the dog fail to catch the badger by the ear, the badger would kill him. Again, we as- sembled around a third pit, to see a dog- fight, and saw fight after fight between these bull-terriers, to me a diso^usting sight, but the women shouted with delight, and kept incessantly calling "Time, sir; time, sir!" Larcje bets were made on the result. At midnight we went to supper. I sat next to the champion prize-fighter of England, who informed me that a countr}'man of mine had died in his arms after a prize- fight. Such drinkino- I never saw before or since; the host, calling for bumper after bumper, insisted on every one draining his 34 SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. glass. I skillfully threw my wine under the table. The host and all the company were soon intoxicated. The footmen in orreen and cjold liveries never cracked a smile. o The master, after a bumper, would fall for- ward on the table, smashinof everythinof. His butler picked him up and replaced him in his chair. This was kept up until 3 A.M., when with pleasure I slipped out and was off in my hansom for London. My visit to Windsor Castle, dining at the village inn with Her Majesty's chef, and the keeper of her jewel room, was interesting. I saw the old, tall doorkeeper, with his long staff, sitting at the door of the servants' hall. I saw Her Majesty's kitchen and the roasts for all living in the castle, — at least twenty separate pieces turning on a spit. Then I examined a large, hot, steel table on which any cooked article being placed would stay hot as long as it remained there. The chef told me a German prince, when informed of its price, said it would take all his yearly revenue to pay for it. INTRODUCTION TO LONDON SPORTS. 35 Then I saw Her Majesty's jewel room ; the walls wainscoted, as it were, with gold plates ; the large gold bowl, which looks like a small bath-tub, from which the Prince of Wales was baptized, stood in the dining-room. I saw Prince Albert and the Prince of Wales that morning shooting pheasants, alongside of the Windsor Long Walk, and stood within a few yards of them. I feel sure we ate, that day, at the inn, the pheasants that had been shot by Prince Albert. I visited Her Majesty's model farm, and found that all the flax-seed cake for the cattle was imported from America. The simple cognomen, American Landed Proprietor, was "open sesame" to me everywhere, accompanied as I was by one of her Majesty's pages. In London, of an evening, we went to Evans's, a sort of public hall where one took beer and listened to comic songs. Jubber, a wine merchant, kept the hotel where I lodged. As a celebrated London physician was dining with me, I asked for the palest and 36 SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. most delicate sherry to be found in Lon- don, regardless of cost, to be served that day, at my dinner. He looked at me and smiled, seeing I was quite a young man, saying, "If I give it to you, you will not drink it." "Send me the sherry," I replied, "and you will see." The result was I got a delicious Montilla sherry and sent a butt of it to America. This was my first ac- quaintance with Montilla sherry, the most delicate wine that I know of, to be served from soup to dessert. Before getting through with my sporting friend, after paying all his expenses and remunerating him liberally for his services, as I was about to cross the Channel, he came up to me and said, " Mc, I want you to lend me some money." I saw by his face he was in earnest, and thought that he was about to make a demand for a laro^e amount. So, equally serious, I replied, " It is out of the question, my dear fellow ; I am here in a strange country with my family and have no money to lend." He INTRODUCTION TO LONDON SPORTS. 37 roared, "Why, all I wanted was a shil- ling to pay for the Times" ■which made me feel very sheepish. That was the last I saw of him. When two years later I returned to London, I found he had con- scientiously paid no bills, and, strange to relate, his hotel keeper and tailors seemed fully compensated for the food and raiment they had furnished him, by his sending them a few valueless colored plates of sporting scenes in this country. f A WINTER IN ITALY. 39 4» CHAPTER IV. A Winter in Florence and Rome — Cheap Living and Good Cooking — IValniit-fed Tier keys — The Grand Duke of Tuscany' s Ball — An American Girl who Elbowed the King — What a Ball Supper Should be — Ball to the Archduke of Tuscany — " 'The Duke of Pennsylva7iia" — Following the Hounds on the Cainpagna — The American Minister Snubs American Gentlemen. I LANDED in France, not knowincr how to speak the language, and only remembering a few French words learned in childhood. It was the year of the Paris Exposition of 1857 ; all the hotels were full. The Meurice Hotel people sent me off to a neighboring house, where we lodged in the ninth story. I saw the baptism of the Prince Imperial, and on that occasion, and later on in Rome, at the Carnival, saw the handsomest •women I had )'et seen in Europe. We then made for Florence, and there, getting a most captivating little apartment, on the Arno, kept house, and if it had not been for 41 42 SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. the terrible and incessant winds called the trainontana would probably have passed our days there. I had the most admirable cook, and had never lived as well. Then the economy of the thing; it cost nothing to live. I paid the fellow twenty-four pauls ($2.40) a day. For this sum he gave us breakfast and exquisite dinners. For each extra guest, at dinner, I paid a few pauls ; if I gave a dinner party he hired for me as handsome a service of silver plate as I have ever seen. His whole kitchen seemed to consist of half a dozen pots and pans, and everything was cooked by charcoal. His manner of roasting a turkey was indeed novel ; he placed his bird on a spit, put it in an iron pot, covered it with hot coals top and bottom, and then kept turn- ing the spit incessantly and basting the bird. Such a perfect roast I have never before or since eaten. I shall speak later on of the Newport turkey and the South- ern barnyard-fed turkey, but they are not A WINTER IN ITALY. 43 a circumstance to the Florentine walnut- fed turkey. In Florence, at the markets, all turke)'S and fowls were cut up and sold, not as a whole, but piece by piece. For instance, vou saw on the marble slabs the breasts of chickens, the wings of chick- ens, the legs of chickens ; the same with turkeys. To get an entire bird, }'ou had to order him ahead, so that a few days before Christmas, as we came home from our drive, w^e found a superb turkey strutt- ing throufjh the drawing-room, the largest creature I had ever seen, weighing twenty- five pounds. W hen he was served, the walnuts he had eaten could be seen all over his back in large, round yellow spots of fat. As he came on the table, he was indeed a sight to behold ; the skin, as it were, mahogany color and crisp, his flesh partaking of the flavor of the walnut, would have satisfied Lucullus. At that period I worshipped doctors ; my theory then was that you owed your exist- ence to them, that they kept you in the 44 SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUXD IT. world, and not to have a doctor within call was to place yourself in danger of imme- diate and sudden death ; so the first man I cultivated in Florence was the EncrHsh doc- tor. He came to see me every day ; it was indeed a luxury ; his fee was two dollars. We became great friends, and as he was the Court physician, he got me invitations to all the balls. The Grand Duke of Tus- cany, then the richest sovereign in Europe, gave a ball every fortnight at the Pitti Pal- ace. It was said that the Italians lived on chestnuts and air between these sup- pers, and, like the bear, laid in such a supply of food at them as comfortably to carry them through from one entertain- ment to the other. Certainly such feasting I had never before seen. The number of rooms thrown open really confused one, it was hard not to lose one's way. All the guests were assembled, and grouped in the form of a circle, in the largest of these salons, when the grand ducal party entered. The minister of each foreign country stood A WINTER I.V ITALY. 45 at the head of liis little band of country- men and countrywomen who were to be presented. The Grand Duke, Archduke, and suite passed from group to group. The presentation over, the ball began in earnest. All waited until the Archduke started in the dance, and as he waltzed by you, )'ou followed. When he stopped dancing, all stopped. I remember, at one of these balls, danc- inor with an American a strikinoh' handsome woman, a great Stonington belle. As we waltzed by the King of Bavaria, I felt a hand placed on my shoul- der, and a voice exclaimed, "Ulais, Mon- sieur, ccst le rot"; I stopped at once, and hastily inquired of my fair partner, " What is it?" She replied, "I did it, I was de- termined to do it. As I passed the King I punched him in the ribs with my elbow. Now I am satisfied." I rushed up to the King and Grand Chamberlain, saying, Millc pardons, mille pardons,'' and the affair passed over, but I soon disposed of 46 SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. the young woman and never " attempted her again." The diamonds the women wore amazed me. You see nothintr in this country like the tiaras of diamonds I saw at this ball ; tiara after tiara, the whole head blazing with diamonds, and yet there was but little beauty. It was here that I first learned what a ball supper should be, and what were the proper mural decorations for a ball-room and the halls opening into it. The supper system was perfect. In 6ne salon, large tables for coffee, tea, chocolate, and cakes. In another, tables covered simply with ices and other light refreshments, foie gras, sandwiches, etc. In the grand supper room, the whole of the wall of one side of the room, from floor almost to ceiling, was covered with shelves, on which every imaginable dish was placed, hot and cold. The table in front of these shelves was lined with servants in livery, and simply loaded with empty plates and napkins to serve the supper on. The favorite and most t A WnVTER IN ITALY. 47 prized dishes at all these suppers Avas cold sturgeon (a fish we never eat), and the most prized fruit the hot-house pineapple, with all its leaves, and to the eve seem- ingly growing. Opposite the supper table, in another part of the room, the wines were served, all by themselves, and there was, it appears to me, every wine grown in any quarter of the globe. Everything was abundant and lavish, and the whole affair was most imposing. That winter the Archduke of Tuscany married one of the princesses of Bavaria, and the Austrian Minister gave them a ball, which I attended. The effect produced in approaching his palace, all the streets illuminated by immense flaring torches at- tached to the house, was grand. The ball- room was superb. From the ceiling hung, not one or two, but literallv fiftv or more chandeliers of glass, with long prisms dan- gling from them. The women were not handsome, but what most struck me was the freshness of their toilets. They all 48 SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. looked new, as if made for the occasion ; not so elaborate, but so fresh and Hght and delicate. I noticed that the royal party supped in a room by themselves, always attended by their host. As I was strollinof throuo^h the rooms, my host, the Austrian Minister, approached me and said, " I see I have another Ameri- can as a guest to-night, and he is decor- ated. Will you kindly tell me what his decoration is?" " I really do not know," I replied ; " I will present myself to him and ask." We approached my countryman togeth- er, and, after a few words, the minister most courteously put the question to him. He drew himself up and said, " Sir, my country is a Republic ; if it had been a Monarchy, I would have been the Duke of Pennsylvania. The Order I wear is that of The Cincinnati." The minister, deeply impressed, withdrew, and I intensely enjoyed the little scene. After the great works of art, what most A WIXTER IX ITALY. 49 impressed me in^ Florence were the im- mense, orderly crowds seen on all public occasions, a living mass of humanity, as far as the eye could see. No jostling or shov- ing, but human beings tilling up every inch of space between the carriage wheels, as our horses, on a walk, dragged our carriage throucrh them. The most charming spot on earth for the last of winter and the spring months is the city of Rome. We went there under most favorable circumstances. A kind friend had leased an apartment for us in the \'ia Greg-oriana, and we found Rome full of the ci'cme de la crcmc of New York society. In Nazzari we had another Delmonico, and we kept dining and wining each other daih". Here I made intimacies that have lasted me through life. I followed the hounds on the Campagna, and was amused at the nonchalance of the vouno: Italian swells as they would attempt a high Campagna fence, tumble off invariably, remount, and go at it again. They were a handsome set 5° SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. of men, as plucky as they were handsome. I myself found " discretion the better part • of valor," and would quietly take to the road when I met a formidable jump, but I lived on horseback and enjoy ed every hour. Though carrying letters to our American Minister, then resident at Rome, I gave his legation a wide berth, as I had heard that our distinguished Representati v^e was in the habit of inviting Italians to meet Italians and Americans to meet only Americans at his house ; when asked his reason for this, he replied : " I have the greatest admira- tion for my countrymen : they are enter- prising, money getting, in fact, a wonderful nation, but there is not a gentleman among them." Hearinof this, I resolved he should get no chance to meet me and pass on my merits. Several of our handsomest New York women were then having their busts sculp- tured in marble ; as you saw them first in the clay you found them more attractive. Gibson for the first time colored his A WINTER IiY ITALY. 51 Venus ; it added warmth to it, and I thought improved it. The blessing- of the multitude by the Pope from the balcony of St. Peter's, under a canopy, with the emblematic peacock feathers held on either side of him, the illumination of St. Peter's, and the fire- Avorks at Easter were most impressive. But I shall attempt no description of Rome. Nowhere in the world can you see such a display. GERMANY AND THE ALPS. 53 CHAPTER V. Summer in Baden-Baden — The Late Emperor WiU liam no Judge of Wine — My Irish Doctor — Hii Horror of Water — How an American Girl Tried to Captivate Him — The Louisiana Judge — / Win the Toss and Get the Mule — The Judge "fixes " his Pony — The " Pike Ballet." We passed our summer at Baden-Baden and literally lived there in the open air. Opposite to my apartment, Prince Fursten- burg of Vienna had his hotel : from him and his suite I learned how to spend the summer months. At early dawn they were out in the saddle for a canter ; at ten they went for a drive down the Allee Lich- tenthal and through shady woods, nowhere seen as at Baden-Baden. They would stop and breakfast in the open air at twelve noon, again drive in the afternoon, and dine at the Kursaal at six. They kept at least twenty-five horses. We dined daily within a table or two of the then Prince of 55 5 6 SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. Prussia, afterwards the Emperor William, whom I soon discovered was no judge of wine, as I drank the best and he was evi- dently indifferent to it. When you see a man sip his wine and linger over it, that evidences his appreciation of it; but when you see him gulp it down, as the Prince did his, you see that he is no connoisseur. But I must say here, I had an intense ad- miration for him. His habit of walking two hours under the trees of the Allee Lichtenthal was also mine, and it was with pleasure I bowed most respectfully to him day by day. Being anxious to cross every Alpine pass, I found a distinguished physician who lived at Pau, France, on account of his health, and had there the practice of the place during the winter months, and who was, necessarily, idle in summer, as Pau was then deserted. Still believing in doctors, I engaged him to travel with me for two months as my physician. I agreed to give him a bottle of 1848 Latour for his 1 GERMANY AXD THE ALPS. 57 dinner daily, pay his expenses, and to give him a medical fee such as I saw fit at the end of our trip. He was indeed a man amonsf men. All I can sav is that when we parted and I handed him his fee, the tears came into his eyes ; he grasped my hands, swearing- eternal friendship. This doctor made a new man of me. " Throw ph)'sic to the dogs," was his motto ; " you will never die : you will in the end have to be shot to get )'ou out of the world ; air and exercise is all you want : eat slowly and do not deluge yourself with water at dinner." Of water he had a holy horror. " Drink what good wine ) ou wish and let Avater alone." As I had the luxury of a private physician, a friend from Louisiana suggested joining m)' party with his two young daughters. My Irish doctor was the most sensitive of men. One day I found he could eat no breakfast. I sympathized with him and asked him the cause. He replied, " My dear boy, the habits of your •American women. I came down to the 5 8 SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. breakfast room this morninof and there I found the oldest of the Judge's daughters with her back hair down and the younger one combiner it. This settled me." I assured him this was not the national cus- tom with American women. The young woman was simply trying to captivate him by her lovely, long, flowing tresses. The doctor was a character. On another oc- casion a Frenchman Hohted a cio^ar in our railway compartment. The Doctor detested cio-ar smoke, and as there was a large sign in the car, in French, forbidding smoking, he touched the Frenchman and pointed to the sign. The Frenchman simply smiled blandly. The train stopping, the conduc- tor opened our door, when the Frenchman quietly slipped two francs into his hands, saying in French, " Of course I can smoke here, that sign is obsolete, is it not?" The conductor replied, " Oh, yes," and on we went. My Irishman got up and com- menced taking his coat off. " What are vou ofoinof to do?" exclaimed the French- GERMANY AND THE ALPS. 59 man. " Why, throw you out of that win- dow if you do not at once throw that cigar away." There was no mistaking the Doc- tor's meaning, so the cigar went out and the Frenchman staid in. My traveling Louisiana friend liad a charming way of suggesting each morning, as we paid our hotel bills, that we should toss up a five-franc piece and decide, by heads and tails, who was to pay the bill. I did this once or twice, when I found, as he always won and I lost, it was a losing business for me ; but on another occasion was forced into the plan. To ascend the mountain at Lugano, three wretched beasts were brought us by the Italian boys to mount for the ascent. The Judge insisted on tossing up a five-franc piece for choice of animals. I was compelled to give in and accede to his suggestion, and bv great cjood luck won first choice. My friend, the Judge, forbade the Doctor advising me as to the animal I should take, as he knew him to be a good judge of horses. There was a 6o SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. feeble, worthless horse that literally could carry no one ; his back all raw ; a vicious mule who bit and kicked, and a stone blind pony that would not go. With my experi- ence of mules in the South, knowing what sure-footed creatures they were, I chose the mule, had him blindfolded, mounted him, and off I went. After waitincr an hour on the summit, the Judge appeared, coat and hat gone, and swearing terribly that he would prosecute the canton for his treat- ment, and horsewhip the Italian boys. He had let the horse go, and footed it. I soon slipped away on my mule, letting the irate Louisianian and the Irishman settle it, on top of the, mountain, how they were to have satisfaction out of the government for permitting such beasts to be imposed upon travelers. I was two-thirds down the mountain when I looked behind me and heard the most terrible shouts, and saw the Irishman clinging to the pony, over whom he had lost all control, and the Judge hang- ing on by the pony's tail, all coming down GERMANY AND THE ALPS. 6i , at a terrific pace. The pony was at first gentle, but it appears would not go beyond a walk. The Judge hung on to his tail to guide himself down the mountain, and find- imr he would not (jo fast enough to suit them, he assured the Irishman he would fix him, and immediatel)' stuck his penknife into the beast's tail. " Fix him," he did, for the creature was so terrified he dashed off at a break-neck pace, and the Judge, not wishinof to be left alone on the moun- tain, had to hang on by the tail and be dragged along at lightning speed. These beasts alone knew the way down ; once parted from them, they were lost, for the Italian boys who had furnished them had long since fled from the Judge's wrath. The Judge and the Doctor forbade my pay- ing the hotel bill, and I had to do it sur- reptitiously. My doctor (who was a victim to rheuma- tism) called my attention to the fact that on the summit of every Alpine pass we crossed, after all other vegetation ceased. 62 SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. the aconite plant grew, showing nature had provided there a remedy for the disease which the severity of the climate developed in man. My Irish friend, living far from the sea, had a passion for all fish but pike, which he detested, and which was daily served to us wherever we went ; finally, reaching Berlin, he insisted on having sea fish. It was promised us, but, lo and be- hold ! when dinner was served, in came the pike, with the apology that no other fish could then be had in the city. After din- ner we went to the opera, and there, in the ballet (superbly done as it was), were at least one hundred pike dancing on the stage, which so upset my friend that he seized his hat in a rage and left the house. o WINTER IN PAU. 63 CHAPTER VI. Winter in Pan — / Hire a Perfect Villa for $800 a year — Luxury at Small Cost — / Learn Hot.u to Give Dinners — Fraternizing with the Bordeaux Wine Merchants — The Judge's Wild Scheme — / Get Him up a Dinner — General Bosquet — The Pau Hunt — The Frenchmen Wear Beautiful Pink Coats but their Horses Wont Jump — Only the General Took the Ditch. After you have been a little while in Europe you are seized with a desire to have a house of your own, to enjoy home comforts. Your loss of individuality comes over you. In Paris you feel particularly lost, and as this feeling; increased on me I resolved to go to Pau, take a house, and winter there. The Duchess of Hamilton had abandoned the idea of passing the winter in Pau, so that many lovely resi- dences were seekinof tenants. For eiijht hundred dollars a year I hired a beautiful villa, looking on the Pyrenees, directly op- posite the Pic du Midi d'Ossau, with lovely 6s 66 SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. grounds filled with camelia bushes, and I then felt that I had all a man could de- sire, — a perfect home made to one's hand, a climate where the wind never blows hard enough, even in winter, to stir a leaf on the trees, the best cooks in the world, and where people appeared to live but to eat well and sleep. A country of beautiful women ; the peasantry a mixture of Span- ish and French blood ; the climate so soft and genial as to take away all harshness or roughness from their faces — rich Titian- like women, with fine coloring and superb fiofures — what more could man desire ? I was, I may say, a pioneer American there. A member of a distinguished New York family, who had been our Secretary of Legation at Madrid, had preceded me ; he had a lovely English wife, was the master of the hounds, and gave me a cordial recep- tion. I lived there two winters, with a lux- ury I have never since enjoyed, and liter- ally for nothing, comparing one's expenses there to living in New York. The desire WINTER AT PAU. 67 to entertain took possession of me and I gratified it ; such dinners and such wines ! I ran down to Bordeaux, made friends with all the wine fraternity there, tasted and criticised, and wormed myself into the good graces of the owners of those enormous Bordeaux caves, learned there for the first time what claret was, and how impossible it was to drink out of Bordeaux, what a Bordeaux connoisseur would call a perfect wine. There I learned how to give dinners ; to esteem and value the Cog de Bruylre of the Pyrenees and the Pie de Mars (squab Magpie). Pau was filled with sick English people. I was one of the few sound men physically in the place. I dashed into society with a vim. My Louisiana friend, the Judge, fol- lowed me there, and I had my hands full in establishing him socially. Shrewd, and im- mensely clever, he came to me one day and said, " My friend, I am going to make a name for myself in this place ; wait and \o\\ will see." Some little distance from Pau, there 68 SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. was a large tract of worthless land, utterly valueless, called Lcs Landcs. Shepherds on stilts tended a few sheep on it. The judge at once had an interview with the Prefet of the Basses Pyrenees (an officer similar to the governor of one of our States), and assured him of the feasibility of reclaiming all this land and makinsf fine cotton fields of it. This scheme, wonderful to relate, was seized upon with avidity by the Prefet, and my friend, the Judge, was asked to submit his views. This was all he wanted. Of course he never perfected his plans for such work. The Prefet, however, was at once his friend and admirer, and he was made the distino-uished and souMit-after stranger of that winter. He then came to me to get up a dinner for him, to be given to his newly acquired friend, which he charged me to make the most brilliant and superb dinner ever given in that place. I well remember his order to the florist ; " Furnish me for my table such a display of flowers as you would provide for your WINTER AT PAU. 69 Emperor ; spare no expense." I tele- graphed to Paris and exhausted all my resources to give him what he wished. When his guests were all assembled in his salon, my friend could not remember who was to take in who to dinner; so with great coolness he walked over to me, and to dis- tract the attention of his assembled guests, said, in a loud voice, " Your horses, I am told, have run away, upset your carriage, and killed the coachman." Instantly the French people sprang up, exclaiming, " What ! what is it ! is it possible !" while the Judge, in a low voice, whispered, " Tell me quick who is to take in Madame }., and who goes in with Count R.?" I told him, when he quietly said, "All made up, my boy, let them believe it." The dinner was a success, such a success that I resolved to give a ball myself on the arrival from Paris of one of our New York merchant princes, to whom I was much indebted. The French papers gave a glowing account of this l)all, and I was fairly 7° SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. launched into the French society of the Basses Pyrenees. It is hard to convince an old business man, Avho has had laree experience and amassed a fortune, that any one can do anythincj in his line better than himself. Therefore, when I gave my mer- chant prince exquisite Bordeaux wines that I knew Avere incomparable, and extolled them, he quietly replied : "Why, my young friend, these Avines are all from the house of Barton & Guestier. Now, )-ou must know, that the house of Johnson can alone furnish what I class as the best clarets. I have for forty years been in correspondence with that house, and will guarantee to produce here in Pau, from them, clarets and sauternes better than any A'our house of Barton & Guestier can send you." I took him up at once, and the wager was a fine dinner of twenty covers. All I had to do was to write the above statement to Mr. Guestier, who at once sent me his own butler to serve the wines, and sent with him a " Haut Brion " IV/.VTER AT PAU. 71 and a Chateau Latour of 1848. As he termed it, Diisc en botUeille to7it a fait spc- cicxlc hors dc ligne, whose smoothness, bou- quet, and flavor surpassed anything I had ever dreamt of tasting. My merchant prince with his Johnson wines was beaten out of si^ht, and so mortified was he that the day after the dinner he sent me as a present all the wines Johnson had sent him. The hunt was then really the feature of Pau life, for those who could not follow in the saddle would, after attending the meet, take to the roads and see the best of the run. General Bosquet, returning then to Pau, his native city, was feted by both French and English. He had so distin- guished himself in the Crimean War that all recjarded him as a g^reat hero. The English particularly wanted to express their admiration of him, so they asked him to appear with his friends at the next Meet, and follow in the hunt, promising him rare sport and a good run after a bagged fox. 72 SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOU.YD I7\ To do him honor, the French, to a man, ordered new hunting suits, all of them turned out in "pink," and being in force made indeed a great show. My Irish doctor was by my side, in great eood humor, and a wicked twinkle in his eye. Turning to me he said : "You will soon see some fun; not one of these Frenchmen can take that jump ; it is a rasper. Not a man of them will clear that bank and ditch." I smiled at this, and felt that to the end of time it would always be English against French, It was cruel ; but men should not pretend to ride after hounds when they cannot take the jumps. " Look at those chaps," he said, " in spotless pink; not a man among them who can jump a horse to any purpose." They were the nobility of the Basses Pyrenees, a splendid, gallant set of fellows ; all prepared "to do or die." The master of the hounds raised his hat, the fox was turned out of the bag ; he was given ten IVIXTER AT PAU. 73 minutes' law; then the huntsman with his pack dashed away, clearing both bank and ditch. It was the severest jump the)' could hnd in any part of that countr)', pur[)osely chosen for that reason. My doctor's little Irish boy, a lad of sixteen years, went at it, and cleared it at a bound. I saw the master of the hunt (an American, a splen- did looking fellow, superbly mounted, and a beautiful rider), with General Bosquet at his side, turn to the General (who was rid- ing one of his horses), and shout : "General, dash the spurs into her; lift her head a bit, and follow me." The General did not hesitate ; he plunged the spurs into the beast, dashed ahead, and cleared bank and ditch. All his friends followed him. Forward they went, but only for a few rods, when every horse, as if shot, came to a full stop, planted his fore- feet in front of him, and neither whip nor spur could budge him. None would take the jump ; every Frenchman's face became ashey pale, and I really felt sorry for them. 74 SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. Not a Frenchman, with the exception of the General, took that jump. After this, the mere mention of fox hunting would set the Frenchmen wild. It was cruel, but it was sport. Moral : Men should not attempt to do what is not in them. Passing two winters at Pau and the summers at Baden-Baden, keeping four horses at the former place, following the hounds at least once a week, giving all through the winter from one to two dinners a week, with an English housekeeper, and living as well as I could possibly live, with the cost of my ball included, I did not spend half the amount in living that I am compelled to in New York, The ball cost me but eisrht hundred dollars. * HOME AGAIN. 75 CHAPTER VII. A/v Return to New York — Dinner to a Well-known Millionaire — Visit of Lord Frederick Cavendish, Hon. E. Ashley, and G. W. des Voeux to the United States — / Entertain Them at My Southern Home — My Father s Old Friends Resent my Manner of Entertaining — Her Majesty's Consul disgruntled — Cedar Wash-tubs and Hot Sheets for viy English Guests — Shooting Snipe 07>er the Rice Lands — Scour- ing the Country for Pretty Girls. Called home by the stupidity of an agent, who was unable to treat with my old friend, Commodore \^anderbilt, for an extension of his lease of our dock property, most unwillingly we left our dear old Pau, with all its charming associations, and re- turned to New York. I have always had a great fondness for men older than myself. Always preferring to associate with my superiors than my inferiors in intellect, and hence when brought in contact with one of America's 77 78 SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. noblest and most cultivated men (withal, the then richest man in the United States, if not in the world), by his son-in-law, with whom I had formed a close intimacy abroad, I sought his society, and he, in turn, appeared at least to enjoy mine. Din- ing with him constantly, I suggested that he should dine with me ; to which he readily assented. So I went to Cranston, my landlord of the New York Hotel, and put him to his trumps to give me a suitable dinner. His hotel was then crowded, and I had actually to take down a bedstead and improvise a dining-room. Cranston was one of those hotel-keepers who worked as much for glory as for money. He gave us simply a perfect dinner, and my dear old friend and his wife enjoyed it. I remem- ber his saying to me, " My young friend, if you go on giving such dinners as these you need have no fear of planting yourself in this city." I here give the menu of this dinner : HOME AGAIX. 79 CARTE jDU diner. Les Huitres, salees. Le Potage de Consomme de \'oIaille, i la Royale. Le Basse rayee, grillee, Sauce Remoulade. Les Pommesde Terra, d la Lyonnaise. La Mayonnaise de Homard, decoree a la gelee. Le Filet de Bceuf, pique. I'oti, aux champignons. Les Cailles, truffees, a la Financiere. Les Cotelettes d'Agneau, a la Soubise. Les Tomates, h. I'Americaine. Les Petits Pois, 4 la Fran^aise. Canvas-back Ducks, roasted. Le Celeri, au jus. Les Huitres, griUees, a la Ste. Augustine. Le Pouding de Cabinet. La Gelee, au rhum. Les Meringues, a la Chantiily. Les Glaces de Creme, a la Portugaise. Les Ouatre IMendiants. Les Fruits. Le Cafe, etc. L' Hotel New York, Mercredi, le 5 Janvier, 1859. 8o SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. Just at this time three charming men visited New York and were feted by my little circle of friends. They were Lord Frederick Cavendish, Hon. Evelyn Ashley, and G. W. des Voeux, now Governor of Hong Kong ; three of the brightest spirits I had ever met, and without the slightest pretension ; in fact, just what the real Eng- lish gentleman always is, — the first gentle- man in the world. Fearing a cold winter, and a friend who was going off on a foreign mission offering me his furnished house in Savannah, with all his servants, etc., I took it on a lease and proposed leaving for my native city in January. Finding my Eng- lish friends also going South, I invited them to pass a month with me in my Southern home. All my European pur- chases, my china, glass, and bric-a-brac, I did not even unbale in New York, but shipped them directly to Savannah. Before leaving I took the precaution to order my marketing from old Waite of Amity Street (the then famous butcher), to be sent to HOME AGAIN. 8i me weekly, and started my new Southern household. I naturally prided myself, on appearing in my native cit}', in putting my best foot foremost, and ent('rtaining as well as I knew how, or, rather, in giving to my Southern friends, the benefit of ni)' European educa- tion in the way of dinner giving. I found this, at first, instead of gratifying my father's friends rather piqued them ; they said — "Heydey! here is a young fellow coming out here to show us how to live. Why, his father did not pretend to do this. Let us let him severely alone," which for a time they did. I took up the young fr}-, who let their elders very soon know that I had certainh' learned something and that Mc's dinners were bound to be a feature in Savannah. Then the okl patriarch of the place relented and asked me to a grand dinner. The papers had announced the intended visit to Savannah of the son of the Duke of Devonshire, and the son of the Earl of t 82 SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. Shaftesbury. Southern people then wor- shipped the EngHsh nobility. They prided themselves on retaininor all the old Encrlish habits and customs, and of being descend- ants of the greatest nation of the world, — excepting their own. The host at the dinner announced the coming of these distincjuished men, and wondered who in Savannah would have the honor of enter- tainincr them. The British Consul then spoke up, he was a great character there, giving the finest dinners, and being an authority on wine, i.e. Madeira, " Her Majesty's Consul will have the honor." I secretly smiled, as I knew they were com- ing to me, and I expected them the next day. This same good old Consul had ig- nored me, hearing I had had the audacity to give at my table filet de bwuf aux triififcs ct champignons. I returned home feeling sure that these young noblemen would be but a few hours under my roof before Her Majesty's Consul would give me the honor of a visit. In fact, my guests HOME AG A IX. 83 had not been with me an hour when my old friend, the Consul, rushed up m\' front steps. Meeting- me at the door he threw his arms around ni)' neck, exclaiming, " INIy dear boy, I was in love with )our mother thirt)' years ago ; you are her image ; carr\' me to your noble guests." Ever after I had the respect and esteem of this dear old man, who, for Savannah, was rich as Croesus, and before all thinos esteemed and valued a good dinner and a fine glass O «_> of Madeira. My filets de boeuf, and the scions of noble English houses placed me in the front social rank in that little, aristocratic town, and brought forth from one of its oldest inhabitants the exclama- tion, " My dear boy, )-our aunts, the Tel- fairs, could o^ive breakfasts, but you, \oy\ can give dinners." Knowing the Englishmen's habits, I gave to each one of them, on their arrival, enor- mous cedar wash-tubs and hot sheets for their morning ablutions : then a good breakfast, after which we drove to the river 84 SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. and had my brother-in-law's ten-oared boat, called " The Rice Bird," all the oarsmen in yachting rig, myself at the tiller, and the darkeys, knowing they would all have to- bacco, or money, pulled for dear life from the start to the finish, giving us their plan- tation songs. The leader improvised his song, the others only singing in chorus. On these occasions, the colored people would give you in song all the annoyances they were subjected to, and the current events of plantation life, bringing in much of and about their " Massa " and his family, as follows : " Massa Ward marry our little Miss Sara, bring big buckra to Savannah, gwine to be good times, my boys, pull boys, pull, over Jordan ! " Reaching the planta- tions, of which there were three, Fairlawn, Argyle, and Shaftesbury, well equipped with admirable dogs (for my brother-in- law was a great sportsman), we would shoot snipe over the rice lands until 2 p.m., then lunch elaborately in his plantation house, and row back in the cool of the HOME AGAIN. 85 afternoon, dining at 8 o'clock, and having as my guests every pretty girl within a hundred miles and more of the city. The flowers, particularly the rose called the Cloth of Gold, and the black rose, I was most prodigal with. I had given a fee to the clerk of the market to scour the country for game and delicacies, so our dinners were excellent, and the old South- ern habit of sitting over Madeira until the small hours was adopted, and was, with the bright minds I had brought together, most enjoyable. MERRYMAKINCx IN THE SOUTH. 87 CHAPTER VIII. A Southern Deer Park — A Don Quixote Steed — We Hunt for Deer and Bag a Turkey — Getting a Dinner by Force — The French Chef attd the Colored Cook Contrasted — One is Inspired, the Other Follows Trad- ition — Making a Sauce of Herbs and Cream — Shoot- ing Ducks Across the Moon — A Dawfuskie Pic-nic. Ix a small place, life is monotonous if you do not in some way break up this monoton)'. I bethought me of a friend who lived some distance from Savannah, who had a deer park, was a sportsman, and was also the soul of hospitality. His pride lay in his family and his surroundings ; so I wrote to him as follows : " My dear friend, I have no baronial mansion ; I am a wanderer on the face of the earth, while you possess what I most covet, an ances- tral home and a great domain. Will you then invite my guests and me to pay you a visit and o-ive us a chance at your deer?" O w Back came the invitation : " Come to me 89 9° SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. at once with your noble friends. I and my whole county will receive them and do them honor." The next morning, by ten, we were at the railway station. Before leavinof the carriaoe I saw a distingruished General, a sort of Dalgetty of a man, who preferred to fight than eat, pacing up and down the railway platform. A ruffled shirt, not spotless, a fierce air, an enormous false diamond pin, as big as a crown piece, in the center of his ruffled shirt bosom, with a thin cTold cha^n attached to it and to his waistcoat, to prevent its loss. He at once approached me and exclaimed, " By Jove ! by Jove ! Mc, introduce me to your noble friends." The introduction made, he accompanied us to the train, and in turn presented us to a large crowd assem- bled to see what Southern people were so proud of, " thoroughbreds," as he called them. I repeatedly heard him exclaim, " No jackass stock here, sir ; all thorough- breds ! I could tell 'em in the dark." On rolled the train, and we soon reached our MERRYMAKING IiY THE SOUTH. 91 destination, and were no sooner out of the cars than we were enveloped by a myriad of sand flies. You could cut them with a knife, as it were. My friend, a six-footer, stepped up to my guests and was presented. He then addressed them as follows : " Will your lordships ride or drive ? " In the mean while, his coachman, a seedy old darkey, in a white hat at least ten years old, fly specked to such an extent that its original color was lost, in shabby, old, well-worn clothes, seized me by the coat tail, exclaiming, " Massa Ward, show me the ' bi^ buckras.' " After pointing them out, we all pressed through the crowd to the wagon and horses, two marsh tackeys, with their manes and tails so full of burrs, and so netted together, as to form a solid mass ; stirrup leathers pieced with clothes lines, and no evidence of either of the animals having ever seen or been touched b\- a cur- ry-comb. "Don Quixote, by Jove!" ex- claimed the heir of the Shaftesburys, and vaulted into the saddle, while the repre- 92 SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. sentative of the house of Devonshire and myself took our seats in the open wagon. At this point, our hospitable host called the attention of his lordship to his horses and gave him their pedigree. One was sixteen hands high, had a bob tail, and high action ; the other was a little pony of fourteen hands, with an ambling gait. Not giving any sign of moving, our host held forth as follows : " Your lordship, so well bred are these horses that if they are not prop- erly caparisoned, nothing human could stir them ; they will plant their feet in the soil and neither whip nor spur would budge them. You see how well my boy keeps their harnesses." By this time I was con- vulsed. Cavendish, I saw, was lautrhing; inwardly, but suppressed it. The straw in one collar was bulsfinsj out, one turret was gone, and a piece of rope lengthened one of the traces. Trul}', it had seen better days. If he calls that a fitting harness for his horses, what am I to expect in the way of a house and deer park? However, my fears MERRYMAKING IN THE SOUTH. 93 were allayed. The house was a charming- old Southern plantation house, and the owner of it, the embodiment of hospitalit)'. When the cloth was removed at dinner, I trembled. For my dear old father had always told me that on his circuit (annualh- made b}' the Savannah lawyers) he always avoided this house, for in it one could never find so much as a i-lass of whiske\\ What then was my surprise, to have placed before us a superb bottle of sherr}', since world-renowned, i.e. in this countr)- ; and a matchless Madeira, which he claimed he had inherited from his father, to be opened at the marriafye of his sister. The next morning, at the very break of day fixed for our deer hunt, the negro boys commenced tooting horns. As soon as I could see, I looked out of my windows and there saw four old lean, lank dogs, lifeless looking creatures, and four marsh tackeys, decorated, front and rear, with an abundance of l)urrs. Off we went, as sorry a looking com[)any as one's e) e had ever 94 SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. seen, with a crowd of half-naked children following the procession. We were out eight hours, went through swamp after swamp, our tackeys up to their fetlocks in mud, and sorry a deer did we see. One wild turkey flew over us, which my host's colored huntsman killed, the only man in the party who could shoot at all. Returning to Savannah, we went after quail. One morning, being some fourteen miles from the city, we felt famished, hav- ing provided no lunch basket. I asked a friend, who was shooting with us and act- ing- as our gruide, if there was a white man's house within a mile or two where we could get a biscuit. He replied, " No, not one." I pressed the matter, saying, " We must have a bite of something," and urged him to think ao;ain. He reflected, and then said, as if to himself, " Oh, no use to go there, we will get nothing." I took him up at once. " What do you refer to," I said. " Oh," he replied, "there is a white man who lives MERRYMAKING IN THE SOUTH. 95 within a mile of us, but he is the meanest creature that lives and will have nothing to o-ive us." o "Who is he?" 1 exclaimed. He gave me his name. " What," said I, " Mr. Jones, who goes to Newport every sum- mer ? " " The sanie," said he ; " do you know him ? " " Know him ? " I answered, "why, man, I know no one else. He has for years asked me to visit his plantation. He lives like a prince. I saw him at a great fete at Ochre Point, Newport, several years ago. He turned up his nose at everything there, saying to me, " Why, my dear fellow, these people don't kn the days that made Newport what it was then and is now, the most enjoyable and luxurious little island in America. The farmers of the island even seemed to catch the infection, and they were as much inter- ested in the success of our picnics and country dinners, as we were ourselves. They threw open their houses to us, and never heeded the invasion, on a bright sun- shiny day, of a party of fifty people, who took possession of their dining-room, in fact of their whole house, and frolicked in it to their heart's content. To be sure, I had often to pacify a farmer when a liveried groom robbed his hen roost, but as he knew that this fashionable horde paid their way, he was easily soothed. I always then remarked that in Newport, at that time, you could have driven a four-in- LIFE AT NEWPORT. I 1 1 hand of camels or o^iraffes, and the resi- dents of the island would have smiled and found it quite the thin<;-. The charm of the phice then was the simple way of entertaining"; there were no large balls; all the dancing and dining was done by daylight, and in the countr)-. I did not hesitate to ask the crane dc la crcuic of New York society to lunch and dine at my farm, or to a fishing party on the rocks. My little farm dinners gained such a repu- tation that my friends would say to me: " Now, remember, leave me out of your ceremonious dinners as you choose, but alwaj's include me in those given at your farm, or I'll never forgive )-ou." Hut to convey any idea of our country parties, one must in detail give the method of getting them up : Riding on the Avenue on a lovely summer's day, I would be stopped by a beautiful woman, in gorgeous array, looking so fascinating that if she were to ask you to attempt the impossible, you would at least make the effort. She 112 SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. would open on me as follows : " My dear friend, we are all dying for a picnic. Can't you get one up for us?" " Why, my dear lady," I would answer, "you have dinners every day, and charm- ing dinners too ; what more do you want ?" "Oh, they're not picnics. Any one can give dinners," she would reply; "what we want is one of your picnics. Now, my dear friend, do get one up." This was enough to fire me, and set me going. So I reply : " I will do your bidding. Fix on the day at once, and tell me what is the best dish your cook makes." Out comes my memorandum book, and I write : " Monday, i p.m., meet at Nar- ragansett Avenue, bring Jilct de bceiif piqud,'' and with a bow am off in my little wagon, and dash on, to waylay the next cottager, stop every carriage known to contain friends, and ask them, one and all, to join our country party, and assign to each of them the pro- LIFE AT NEWPORT. 113 riding- of a certain dish and a bottle of champagne. Meeting young men, I charge them to take a bottle of champagne, and a pound of grapes, or order from the con- fectioner's a quart of ice cream to be sent to me. My pony is put on its mettle ; I keep going the entire day getting re- cruits ; I engage my music and servants, and a carpenter to put down a dancing platform, and the florist to adorn it, and that evening I go over in detail the Avhole afYair, map it out as a general would a battle, omitting nothing, not even a salt spoon ; see to it that I have men on the road to direct my party to the farm, and bid the farmer put himself and family, and the whole farm, in holiday attire. On one occasion, as my farmer had just taken unto himself a bride, a )oung and pretty woman, I found that at mid-day, to receive my guests, she had dressed herself in bridal array ; she was dc^collctc, and seemed quite prepared to sing the old ballad of "Coming thro' the rye"; but as 114 SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. her husband was a stalwart young fellow, and extremely jealous, I advised the young men in the party to confine their attentions to their own little circle and let Priscilla, the Puritan, alone. When I first began giving picnics at my farm, I literally had no stock of my own. I felt tliat it would never do to have a gathering of the brightest and cleverest people in the country at my place with the pastures empty, neither a cow nor a sheep ; so my Yankee wit came to my assistance. 1 at once hired an entire fiock of South- down sheep, and two yoke of cattle, and several cows from the neifihborinof farm, for iialf a day, to be turned into my pasture lots, to give the place an animated look. I well remember some of my knowing guests, beinof amateur farmers, exclaiminsf : "Well, it is astonishing! Mc has but fifty acres, and here he is, keeping a splendid flock of Southdowns, two yoke of cattle, to say nothing of his cows:" I would smile and say : LIFE AT NEWPORT. "5 " My friend I am not a fancy farmer, like yourself; I farm for profit." At that time, I was out of pocket from three to four thousand dollars a year by my farm, but must here add, for my justifica- tion, that finding amateur farming an expensive luxury, I looked the matter squarely in the face, watched carefully the Yankee farmers around me, and satisfied myself that they knew more about the business than I did, and at once followed in their footsteps, placed my farm on shares, paying nothing out for labor, my- self paying the running expenses, and dividing the profits with my farmer. Instead of losincj three or four thous- and dollars a year by my farm, it then paid me. and continues to pay me seven to eight hundred dollars a year clear of all expenses. We sell off of fifty acres of land, having seventeen additional acres of pasturage, over three thousand dollars of produce each year. I sell fift}- Southdown lambs during the months of April and May, Il6 SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. at the rate of eight to ten dollars each, to obtain which orders are sent to me in ad- vance, and my winter turkeys have become as famous as my Southdown lambs. The farm is now a profit instead of a loss. I bought this place in 1853 ; if I had bought the same amount of land south of Newport, instead of north of the town, it would have been worth a fortune to-day. To return to our picnic^ The anxiety as to what the weather would be, was alwa\s my first anno)'ance, for of course these country parties hinge on the weather. After making all your preparations, every- thing ready for the start, then to look out of your window in the morning, as I have often done, and see the rain coming down in torrents, is far from making vou feel cheerful. But, as a rule, I have been most fortunate in my weather. We would meet at Narragansett Avenue at i p.m., and all drive out together. On reaching the picnic grounds, I had an army of skir- mishers, in the way of servants, thrown out, LIFE AT NEWPORT. to take from each carria"e its contribution o to the country dinner. Tlie band would strike up, and off the whole part}' would fly in the waltz, while I was directintr the iciuQ' of the champagne, and arranging the tables ; all done with marvelous celerity. Then came my hour of triumph, when, with- out giving the slightest signal (fearing some one might forestall me, and take off the prize), I would dash in among the dancers, secure our society queen, and lead with her the way to the banquet. Now begfan the fun in Qood earnest. The clever men of the party would assert their claims to the best dishes, proud of the efforts of their cook, loud in their praise of their own game pie, which most probably was brought out by some third party, too modest to assert and push his claim. Beauty was there to look upon, and wit to enliven the feast. The wittiest of men was then in his element, and I only wish I dared quote here his brilliant sallies. The beauty of the land was also there, and all feeling that Il8 SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. they were on a frolic, they threw hauteur, ceremonial, and grand company manners aside, and, in place, assumed a spirit of simple enjoyment. Toasts were given and drunk, then a stroll in pairs, for a little interchano^e of sentiment, and then the whole party made for the dancing platform, and a cotillon of one hour and a half was danced, till sunset. As at a " Meet," the arrivals and departures were a feature of the day. Four-in-hands, tandems, and the swellest of Newport turn-outs rolled by you. At these entertainments you formed lifetime intimacies with the most culti- vated and charming men and women of this country. These little parties were then, and are now, the stepping-stones to our best New York society. People who have been for years in mourning and thus lost sight of, or who having passed their lives abroad and were forgotten, were again seen, admired, and liked, and at once brought into so- ciety's fold. Now, do not for a moment LIFE AT NEWPORT. 119 imagine that all were indiscriminately asked to these little fetes. On the con- trary, if you were not of the inner circle, and were a new-comer, it took the com- bined efforts of all your friends' backing and pushing to procure an invitation for you. For years, whole families sat on the stool of probation, awaiting trial and ac- ceptance, and many were then rejected, but once received, you were put on an intimate footing with all. To acquire such intimacy in a great city like New York would have taken ) ou a lifetime. A fash- ionable woman of title from Enc^land re- marked to me that we were one hundred years behind London, for our best society was so small, every one in it had an indi- viduality. This, to her, was charming, " for," said she, " one could have no such individuality in London." It was accorded only to the highest titled people in all England, while here any one in society would have every movement chronicled. Your persofinel,'' she added, " is daily dis- I20 SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. cussed, your equipage is the subject of talk, as well as your house and household." Another Londoner said to me, " This Newport is no place for a man without fortune." There is no spot in the world where people are more en evidence. It is worth while to do a thing- well there, for you have people who appreciate your work, and it tells and pays. It is the place of all others to take social root in. SOCIETY'S LEADERS. 121 CHAPTER X. Society's Leaders — A Lady whose Dinners were Ex- quisite and -whose Wines were Perfect — Her " Blue Room Parties" — Two Colonial Beauties — 7 he Intro- duction of the Chef — The Prince of Wales i?i New York - — The Ball in his Honor at the Academy of Music — The Fall of the Dancing Platform — Gro- tesque Figures cut by the Dancers — The Prince Dances Well — Admirable Supper Arrangements — A Light Tea and a Big Appetite — The Prince at West Point — I get a Snub from General Scott. Society must have its leader qr leaders. It has always had them, and will continue to have them. Their sway is more or less absolute. When I came to New York as a boy, forty years ago, there were two ladies who were skillful leaders and whose abil- ity and social power the fashionable world acknowledged. They gave the handsomest balls and dinners given in this city, and had at them all the brilliant people of that period. Their suppers, given by old Peter Van Dyke, were famous. Living in two adjoining houses which communicated, 123 124 SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. they had superb rooms for entertaining. These were the days when Isaac Brown, sexton of Grace Church, was, in his hne, a great character. His memory was some- thing remarkable. He knew all and every- thing about everybody, knew always every on"e's residence, was good-nature itself, and cracked his jokes and had a word for every one who passed into the ball-room. You would hear him sotto voce remarking upon men as they passed : " Old family, good old stock," or " He's a new man ; he had better mind his" p's and q's, or I will trip him up. Ah, here's a fellow who intends to dance his way into society. Here comes a handsome boy, the women are crazy about him," etc. A year or two later, during my absence in Europe and at the South, a lady living in Washington Place found herself hlling a very conspicuous place in the matter of social entertainment by the departure of her husband's relatives, who had been society's leaders, for a prolonged sta\' in SOCIETY'S LEADERS. 125 Europe. A woman of charming manners, possessing eminently the talent of social leadership, she took up and easily carried on society as represented by the "smart" set. For from six to seven years she gave brilliant entertainments ; her dinners were exquisite; her wines perfect; her husband's Madeiras are still famous. At that time, her small dances were most carefully chosen ; they were the acme of exclusive- ness. On this she prided herself. She also arranged and controlled for two years (the winters of 1870 and 1871) small sub- scription balls at Delmonico's, Fourteenth Street, in his "blue rooms." They were confined to the young men and maidens, with the exception, perhaps, of a dozen of the young married couples ; a few elderly married ladies were invited as matrons. These dances were known and became famous as the " Blue Room parties." There were three hundred subscribers to them. Ha\ing a large fortune, she was able to gratify her taste in entertaining. 126 SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. Her manners were charming, and she was a most pleasing conversationalist. Her brother-in-law was one of the founders of the Patriarchs, and at a later period her two sons-in-law also joined them, though the younger of the two, the husband of her accomplished and beautiful daughter, has lived abroad for many years, but is still numbered among the brilliant members of our society. It was during the winter of 1 87 1 that a ball was given in these same rooms to Prince Arthur, when on his visit here. On this occasion, the Prince danced with the daughter of my old friend, the Major, who, in air and distinction, was unrivaled in this country. About this time two beautiful, brilliant women came to the front. They were both descended from old Colonial families. They had beauty and wealth, and were eminently fitted to lead society. A new era then came in ; old fashions passed away, new ones replaced them. The French cJicf then literally, for the first time, SOCIETY'S LEADERS. 127 made his appearance, and artistic dinners replaced the old-fashioned, solid repasts of the earlier period. We imported Euro- pean habits and customs rapidly. Women were not satisfied Avith their old modistes, but must needs send to Paris for every- thinsf. The husband of one of these ladies had a great taste for society, and also a great knowledge of all relating to it. His delight was to see his beautiful young wife worshipped by everybody, which she was, and she soon became, in every sense, the prominent leader. All admired her, and we, the young men of that period, loved her as much as we dared. All did homage to her, and certainly she was deserving of it, for she had every charm, and never seemed to over-appreciate herself, or rec- ognize that as Nature had lavished so much on her, and man had laid wealth at her feet, she was, in every sense, society's queen. She was a woman sans aucune pretention. When you entered her house, her reassuring smile, her exquisitely 128 SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND n\ gracious and unpretending manner of re- ceiving, placed you at your ease and made you feel welcome. She had the power that all women should strive to obtain, the power of attaching men to her, and keep- ing them attached ; calling forth a loyalty of devotion such as one imacrines one yields to a sovereign, whose subjects are only too happy to be subjects. In the way of entertaining, the husband stood alone. He had a handsome house and a beautiful picture gallery (which served as his ball- room), the best chef in the city, and entertained royally. I well remember being asked by a member of my family, "Why are you so eaijer to i Ideal Life — On Horseback from Staatsburg to New York — Village Inn Din- ners — / Entertain a Fashionable Party at the Gibbons Mansion — A71 Old House Rejuvenated — The Success of the Party — Country Life may be Enjoyed Here as well as in England if one has the Money and the Inclination for it — It fneans Hard Work for the Host, though. All my life I had been taught to have a sort of re\"erence for the name of Living- ston, and to feel that Livingston ^Llnor was a species of palatial residence, that one must see certainly once in one's lifetime. The opportunity offered itself, and I seized upon it. The owner of the upper Manor jokingly suggested our form- ing a party to go there, and take possession of his house in October, and see the lovely autumn foliage. By acclamation, it was resolved that the project be carried out, and I went to work, spurring up my old friend, 139 14° SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. the owner of the Manor, to prepare for us. As an important feature and member of this party, I must here give a sHglit sketch of one of the handsomest, most fascinating, most poHshed and courteous gentlemen of that or any other period. We will here call him the Major ; amiability itself, a man both sexes could fall in love with. I loved him dearly, and when I lost him I felt much of the charm of life had departed with him. At all these country parties, he was al\va}'s first and foremost. My rapidity of thought and action always annoyed him. " My dear fellow," he would say, " for heaven's sake, go slow ; you tear through the streets as if at some one's bidding. A gentleman should stroll leisurely, casting his eyes in the shop windows, as if in search of amuse- ment, while you go at a killing pace, as if on business bent. The man of fashion should have no business." Again, he had a holy horror of familiar garments. " My dear boy," he would smile and say, " when will you discard that old coat ? I am so DELIGHTS OF COUNTRY LIFE. 141 familiar with it, I am fatigued at the sight of it." On one subject we were always in ac- cord — our admiration for women. My eye was quicker than his, and I often took ad- vantage of it. I would say, " Major, did you see that beauty ? By Jove, a most deli- cious creature ! " "Who? Where?" he would exclaim. "Wh\-, man," I replied, "she has passed you ; )"ou have lost her." "Lost her! How could }-ou let that happen ? Why, wh)- did ) Ou not sooner call my attention to her?" Apropos of the Major, I must tell a good story at his expense : As my farm parties were always gotten up at a day's notice, I was often in straits to provide the dishes, for all that was wanting to complete the feast I furnished myself. A boned turkey, on one occasion, w^as absolutely necessarj-. The day was a holiday. I must at once place it in the cook's hands. The shops were all shut, 142 SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. SO I suggested to the Major that he drive out with me to my farm and procure one. When we reached the place, farmer and family, we found, had gone off visiting; there was no one there. I took in the situation at a glance. " Major," I said, " there, in that field, is a gobbler ; that turkey you and I have got to catch, if it takes us all nicrht to get him. Positively I shall not leave the place with- out him." He looked aghast. There he was, in Poole's clothes, the best dressed man in America! This he always was. On this point, a friend once got this off on him. As he was entering his club, with another well-dressed man of leisure, this gentleman exclaimed, " Behold them ! like the lilies of the field, they toil not, neither do they spin, yet Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these." Clothes, or no clothes, in pursuit of the turkey we went. Over fences, under fences, in barnyards and through fields, at a full run, the perspiration pouring down the DELIGHTS OF COUNTRY LIFE. 143 cheeks of the dear old Major, and I scream- ing encouragement to him. " Try it again, Major ! head him off ! now you have him ! " Finall}-, after an hour's chase, we got the bird, when, throwing off his coat, straighten- ing himself up and throwing his arms akimbo, he exclaimed, " Well, Mc, the profession of a gentleman has fallen very low when it takes him to chasing turkeys." " My dear fellow," I replied, " the great Chancellor Livingston once said, ' a gentle- man can do anything ; he can clean his own boots, but he should do it well.'" To return to our excursion. The party to go up the North River to the Manor Livingston, and ride back to New York, was at once formed. My first dis- cussion with the Major was as to the pro- priety of taking a valet, he insisting it was indispensable, that every college boy in England, on three hundred pounds a year, had his valet. I contended that they were nuisances, and it Avas not the habit to in- dulge in them here. Besides this, our host 144 SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUXD IT. would have his hands full in carinor for us, and would feel we were imposing on him if each of us took a man servant. This settled it. The Major and I were to travel together and meet the party at Staatsburg. Let me here say that people of the ^\■orld put up with the annoyance of travel better than any other class of people. The glorious morninor that we left the cars at Poughkeepsie, and mounted our horses, I shall never forget. That lovely ride, from Poughkeepsie to Staatsburg, under that superb row of old trees, put me in mind of the Lono; Walk at Windsor ; it is equally as handsome. We speculated on the way as to what we were to expect. " If he has no chef, I leave in twenty-four hours," exclaimed mv friend. I assured him we mi^ht feel secure of findincr artistic cooking and of having a very jolly good time. Instead of a palace, I found a fine, old-fashioned country-house, very draughty, but beautifully placed amid magnificent forest trees. My first exploit was to set DELIGHTS OF COUNTRY LIFE. 145 fire to the carpet in m\' room by building- a huge fire in \w\ grate, to try and keep warm. As the Major put it, " My dear boy, burn )'ourself up if )'ou will, but kindly remember you endanger all our lives." At eleven every morning we were all in the saddle, and went off for a ride of some twenty miles, lunching at some fine house or other. It was English life to perfection, and most enjoyable. Hyde Park, with two superbly kept places, and its little village church on a Sunday, carried you back to England, and it seemed then to me that you there found the perfection of country life. It was whilst dining in one of these old baronial mansions, that I conceived the idea of transporting the whole party to my late father-in-law's place at Madison, New Jersey, and giving them myself, in his old residence, another country entertainment. After inviting them, I began to realize what I had undertaken. The house itself 146 SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. was all one could wish, built of brick, and nearly as large as the White House in Washington, But it had been shut up and unoccupied for years; however, I was in for it and I resolved, in spite of all difficulties, to carry it through successfully. After a week at the Manor, our whole party of some dozen ladies and gentlemen mounted our horses, and rode down to New York, sending the servants ahead by rail, to en- gage apartments, have our rooms ready, and dinner prepared for us at the village inns where we were to sleep. It was amus- ing to see the gentlemen in dress coats and white cravats, and the ladies in their hand- some toilets, sitting down in a villasfe inn to ham and eggs and boiled chicken and cabbage ; but, as we had always sent on the wine, and had the best of servants to look after everything, we enjoyed these inn dinners very much. Not a murmur from any of the ladies of any discomfort ; they found everything charming and amusing. So day by day we rode, chatting away and DELIGHTS OF COUNTRY LIFE. I47 enjoying' each other's soci(;t\', and at niglit, after a cosy little meal, we were all only too glad to seek the arms of Morpheus. When I returned to my family at New- port and informed them of what I had done, that I had invited a dozen of the most difficile, fastidious people of Newport to pass ten days with us in New Jersey, at my brother-in-law's then unoccupied and shut-up residence, there was but one ex- clamation, " You are crazy ! How could you think of such a thing ! How are you to care for all these people in that old deserted house ? " All they said did not discourage me. I determined to show my friends that, though the Gibbons mansion was not a Manor house, it was deserving of the name, and was, at that date, one of the handsomest, largest, most substantial, and well-built residences at the North. When the Civil War broke out, my brother-in-law requested me to make it my home. I give in detail all I did to successfully entertain my friends for ten da)s in this 148 SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. old family house, as it may instruct others how to act in a similar case. In London, during the season, one hires a house for a few days to give a ball in, and there are many very superb large houses used there in this way every year. Telegraphing at once to the ao;ent who had charofe of this house to put an army of scrubbing-women in it, and have it cleaned from cellar to orar- ret, I next went into the wholesale business of kerosene and lamps. In the country particularly there is nothing like an illu- mination a giorno at night. I hunted up an experienced c/ief, got my servants, and then made mentis for ten dinners, lunches, and breakfasts, as my guests were asked for a certain lenofth of time ; encjacjed a country band of music for the evenings, telegraphed to Baltimore for my canvas- backs, arranged for my fish, vegetables, and flowers to be sent up by train daily from New York, purchased myself every article of food that I would require to make up these menus, gave orders for my ices, bon- 149 bons, and cakes, everything that must be fresh to be good, to come to me by ex- press ; sent up my wnies, but no Madeira, as I knew there was enough of thai winv. in the wine celhirs of that old house to float a frifjate ; looked after mv stabling', and found we could stable twenty horses in a fine brick stable, and house all the drags and vehicles. The conservatories were full of oranoe and lemon trees. The house it- self, architecturally, was a duplicate of the White House in Washington, and almost as large. It had a superb marble hall, 20x45, leading to a dining-room, 36x25. The house was built in 1836, of brick, in a forest of trees, with the three farms surrounding it really forming part of the grounds, containing a thousand acres of land. The house and grounds cost in 1836 over $150,000. All I had to do, then, was to reanimate the interior and take from hidden recesses the fine old family china, and the vast quantity of silver accumulated in the family for three generations. My 15° SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. wife's grandfather had been a distinguished lawyer; being wealthy, he had some of his lawyer's fees which were paid in Spanish dollars, melted into plate. I only wish it had been my good fortune to have secured some of those old grand silver salvers. Before a guest arrived, everything on and about the place had life and animation. To all my guests the house was a surprise, for it had never before been shown to fashion- able people. As on the North River, we passed the days in the saddle, and driving four-in-hands, lunched with many distin- guished people, at their distant country places, and lived for those ten days as thoroughly an English life as one would have lived at a country house in England. I had invited young men to come down from New York every evening to join us at dinner, and even the fastidious and exacting Major, I think, was satisfied with everything. The success of this party evi- denced that a country house can be made as perfect and enjoyable here as in any DELIGHTS OF COUNTRY LIFE. 15 1 Other country, provided you will take the trouble and bear the expense. Now, New- port life is wholly and entirely a contrast to all this, for the charm of that place is its society. You do not brinor it there, but find it there, and it takes care of itself, and comes to you when you wish it ; thus you are relieved of the care of providing daily for a large company, to do which is well enough in England, where you inherit your servants with your fortune, while here, to have things properly done, be you who you may, you must give them your time and attention. This country party I gave in November, 1862. FASHIONABLE PEOPLE. 153 CHAPTER XII. JoJai Van Bur en s Dinner — / spend the Entire Day in getting my Dress-Coat — Lord Hartington criticises American Expressions — Contrast in our Way of Living in 1862 and 1890 — In Social Union is Social Strength — IVe band Together for our Common Good — The Organisation of the " Cotillon Din- ners " — The " Smart " Set, and the " Solid " Set — A Defense of Fashion. Meeting John Van Buren as I left the cars in Jersey City to cross the ferry to New York, he insisted on my dining witli him that day at the Union Club, to meet Lord Hartington, and his brother, Lord Edward Cavendish, to whom he was oivino- a larg-e dinner. I declined, as I had no dress-suit in the city, but he would not take no for an answer. " My dear man," he said, " it will be an event in your life to meet these distinguished men. Jump in the first train, return to your country home, and get your dress- coat. By all means you must not miss my 155 I SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. dinner." As I knew Lord Frederick Cav- endish so well, I reall}' wanted to meet his brothers, and as no one could send me my spike-tail coat as they call it at the South, I took a way train and consumed the entire day getting the necessary outfit, and return- ing with it to the city. To compensate me for my day's work. Van Buren put me next to Lord Hartington. Chatting with him, I asked him what he had seen in our habits, manners, and speech that struck him as odd. At first he avoided making any criticism, but finally he laughingly replied, " The way you all have of saying ' Yes, sir,' or ' No, sir.' We never do this in England ; it is used thus only by servants." James Brady, a great chum of our host's, being at the dinner, kept up an incessant fire at Van Buren, who retaliated with, " My dear Lord Hartington, pay no attention to what my friend Brady says ; all I can say of him is that he is a man who passes one half his time in defending criminals and the other half in assailing patriots, such as myself." FASHIONABLE PEOPLE. I was well repaid for all the trouble I had taken to attend this dinner. At this time there were not more than one or two men in New York who spent, in living and entertaining, over sixty thousand dollars a year. There were not half a dozen chefs in private families in this city. Com- pare those days to these, and see how easily one or two men of fortune could then control, lead, and carry on society, receive or shut out people at their pleasure. If distincjuished strancjers failed to brinu" let- ters to them, they were shut out from everything. Again, if, though charming people, others w^ere not in accord with those powers, they could be passed over and left out of societ)'. All this many of us saw, and saw how it worked, and we resolved to band together the respectable element of the city, and by this union make such strength that no individual could withstand us. The motto, we felt, must be nojis nous soutejions. This motto we then assumed, and we hold it to this day, and have found 158 SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. that the good and wise men of this commu- nity could always control society. This they have done and are still doing. Our first step then in carrying out these views was to arrange for a series of " cotillon dinners." I must here explain, that behind what I call the " smart set" in society, there always stood the old, solid, substantial, and re- spected people. Families who held great social power as far back as the birth of this country, who were looked up to by society, and who always could, when they so wished, come forward and exercise their power, when, for one reason or another, they would take no active part, joining in it quietly, but not conspicuously. Ordinarily, they preferred, like the gods, to sit upon Olympus. I remember a lady, the head of one of these families, stating to me that she had lived longer in New York society than any other person. This point, how- ever, was not yielded or allowed to go undisputed, for the daughter of a rival I FASHIONABLE PEOPLE. 159 house contended that her family had been longer in New York society than any other famil)-, and though she had heard the assertion, as 1 gave it, she would not admit its correctness. What I intend to convey is that the heads of these families, feeling secure in their position, knowing that they had great power when they chose to exercise it, took no leading part in society's daily routine. They gave hand- some dinners, and perhaps, once a year, a fine ball. I know of one or two families who have scrupulously all their lives avoided display, anything that could make fashion- able people of them, holding their own, esteemed and respected, and when they threw open their doors to society, all made a rush to enter. To this day, if one of these old families, even one of its remotest branches, gives a day reception, you will find the street in which they live blockaded with equipages. For years we have literally had l)ut one salon in this city — a gathering in the even- i6o SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. ing of all the brilliant and cultivated peo- ple, both young and old, embracing the distinguished strangers. A most polished and cultivated Bostonian, a brilliant wo- man, was the first, in my day, to receive in this way weekly. During her life she held this salon, both here, and all through the summer in Newport. " The robe of Elijah fell upon Elisha " in an extremely talented woman of the world, who has most successfully held, and now holds, this salon, on the first day of every week during the winter, and at Newport in summer. The mistake made by the world at large is that fashionable people are selfish, frivo- lous, and indifferent to the welfare of their fellow-creatures ; all of which is a popular error, arising simply from a want of knowl- edo^e of the true state of things. The elegancies of fashionable life nourish and benefit art and artists ; they cause the ex- penditure of money and its distribution ; and they really prevent our people and country from settling down into a hum- FASHIONABLE PEOPLE. i6i drum rut and becoming merely a money- making and money-saving people, with nothing to brighten up and enliven life ; they foster all the fine arts ; but for fashion what would become of them ? They bring to the front merit of every kind ; seek it in the remotest corners, where it modestly shrinks from observation, and force it into notice ; adorn their houses with works of art, and themselves with all the taste and novelty they can find in any quarter of the globe, calling forth talent and ingenuity. Fashionable people cultivate and refine themselves, for fashion demands this of them. Progress is fashion's watchword ; it never stands still ; it always advances, it values and appreciates beauty in woman and talent and o'enius in man. It is cer- tainly always most charitable ; it surrounds itself with the elegancies of life ; it soars, it never crawls. I know the general belief is that all fashionable people are hollow and heartless. My experience is quite the con- trary. I have found as warm, sympathetic, 1 62 SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. lovincj hearts in the orarb of fashion as out of it. A thorough acquaintance with the world enables them to distinguish the wheat from the chaff, so that all the good work they do is done with knowledge and effect. The world could not dispense with it. Fashion selects its own votaries. You will see cer- tain members of a family born to it, as it were, others of the same family with none of its attributes. You can give no explana- tion.of this ; " One is taken, the other left." Such and such a man or woman are cited as having been always fashionable. The talent of and for society develops itself just as does the talent for art. COTILLIONS IN DOORS AND OUT. CHAPTER XIII. Cost of Cotillion Dinners — My delicate Position — The Debut of a Beautiful Blonde — Lord Roseberry's mot — We have better Madeira than England — / am dubbed " The Autocrat of Drawing-roo7ns " — A Grand Domino Ball — Cruel Trick of a fair Mask — An English Lady's Maid takes a Bath — The first Cotillion Din- ners given at Newport — Out-of-Door Feasting — Dancing in the Barn. But to return to our Cotillion Dinners. A friend thought they were impracticable on account of the expense, but I had re- membered talking to the proprietor of the famous Restaurant Phillipe in Paris, as to the cost of a dinner, he assuring me that its cost depended entirely on what he called les primetirs, i.e. things out of season, and said that he could give me, for a napoleon a head, an excellent dinner, if I would leave out Ics pri7neiirs. Including them, the same dinner would cost three napoleons. " I can give you, for instance," he said, " a filet de boeiif atix ceps at half the cost of a 165 1 66 SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. filet aux truffes, and so on, through the dinner, can reduce the expense." Submit- ting all this to my friend Delmonico, I sug- gested a similar inexpensive dinner, and figured the whole expense down until I reduced the cost of a cotillion dinner for seventy-five or a hundred people to ten dollars each person, music and every ex- pense included. Calling on my friends, they seconded me, and we then had a winter of successful cotillion dinners. It was no easy task, however. How I was beset by the men to give them the women of their choice to take in to dinner ! and in turn by the ladies not to inflict on them an uncongenial partner. The largest of these dinners, consisting of over a hundred peo- ple, we gave at Delmonico's, corner of Fifth Avenue and Fourteenth Street, in the largre ball-room. The table was in the shape of a horseshoe, I stood at the door of the salon, naming to each man the lady he was to take in to dinner, and well re- member one of them positively refusing to COTILLIOYS IN DOORS AND OUT. 167 accept and take in a lady assigned to him ; and she, just entering, heard the dispute, and, in consequence, would never again at- tend one of these dinners. Sittinof at the head of the table, -with the two young and beautiful women who were then the grandes davics of that time, one on either side of me, we had opposite to us, on the other side of the narrow, horseshoe table, a young blonde bride, who had just en- tered society. I well remember the criti- cisms these o^rand ladies made of and about her. The one, turning to me, said, " And this is your lovely blonde, the handsomest blonde in America!" The other, the best judge of her sex that I have ever seen, then cast her horoscope, saying, " I con- sider her as beautiful a blonde as I have ever seen. That woman, be assured, will have a brilliant career. Such women are rare." These words were prophetic, for that beautiful bride, crossing the ocean in her husband's yacht, wholly and solely by her beaut\' cf^iined for her husband and i68 SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. herself a brilliant position in London soci- ety. Turning to me, the lady who had made this remark asked me how she her- self looked. I replied, " Like Venus rising from the sea." My serenity was here dis- turbed by finding- that one of the ladies, disliking her next neighbor, as soon as she discovered by the card who it was, had qui- etly made an exchange of cards, depriving a young gallant of the seat he most cov- eted, and for which he had long and earn- estly prayed. Of course, I was called to explain, and quiet the disturbed waters. The gentleman was furious, and threatened dire destruction to the culprit. I took in the situation, and protected the fair lady by sacrificing the waiter. After the ladies left the table, at these dinners, the gentle- men were given time to smoke a cigar and take their coffee. On this occasion, the Earl of Roseberry was a guest. Whilst smokinof and commenting- on the dinner, he said to me, "You Americans have made a mistake ; your emblematic bird COTILLIONS IN DOORS AND OUT. 169 should have been a canvasback, not an eagle." It was either to this cHstinofuished man or the Earl of Cork, at one of these after- dinner conversations, that I held forth on the treatment of venison, asserting that here, we always serve the saddle of venison, whilst in England they give the haunch. And when they send it off to a friend, they box it up in a long narrow box, much resembling a coffin. The reason for this was given me, — that their dinners were larger than ours, and there was not enough on a saddle for an Eno-Hsh dinner. A^ain, I called attention to the fact that here we eat the tenderloin steak, there they eat the rump steak, which we give to our servants. The reason for this, I was told, was that they killed their cattle younger than we killed ours, and did not work those in- tended for beef. On Madeira, I stated, "we had them," for, I said, "You have none to liken unto ours"; though later on, at another dinner, when I made this asser- 170 SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. tion, the Duke of Beaufort took me up on this point, and insisted upon it that in many of the old country houses in England they had excellent Madeira. The following anonymous lines on this •dinner were sent to me the day afterwards : There ne'er was seen so fair a sight As at Delmonico's last night; When feathers, flowers, gems, and lace Adorned each lovely form and face ; A garden of all thorns bereft, The outside world behind them left. They sat in order, as if " Burke " Had sent a message by his clerk. And by whose magic wand is this All conjured up? the height of bliss. 'Tis he who now before you looms, — The Autocrat of Drawing Rooms. One of the events of this winter was a gfrand domino ball, the laro-est ever griven here. Our Civil War was then raging; a distinguished nobleman appeared at that ball with his friend, a member of Parlia- ment. Before he could enter the ball- room, a domino stepped up to him and had an encounter of words with him. "Are you as brave as you look?" she COTILLIONS m DOORS AND OUT. 171 asked; "will you do a woman's bidding? I challenge you to grant me my request ! " "What is it?" he asked. "Allow mc to pin on this badge ?" " Certainly," was the gallant reply. As he passed through the rooms, it was seen that he was wearing a Secession badoe. It was thoucrht to be an intended affront to Northern people, and was immediately resented. His friend, the member of Parliament, hearing of it, at once went up to him and removed the badge. Man)- felt that this distinguished man was simply the victim of a cruel, mis- chievous, and silly woman. The followimr summer, as I had been so hospitably entertained in Nassau, at Government House, I invited my old friend, the Governor of the Bahamas, to pay me a visit at Newport. On a beauti- ful summer afternoon, I drove up to the Brevoort House, and there I found him literally surrounded by all his worldly goods, his entire household, with all their effects. It took two immense stages and 172 SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. a huge baggage wagon to convey them to the Fall River boat. Imagine this party coming from an island where it was a daily struggle to procure food, viewing the sumptuous supper-tables of these magnifi- cent steamers (which certainly made a great impression on them, for it caused them to be loud in their expressions of astonishment and admiration). Reaching Newport at 2 a.m., on attempting to go ashore, I found His Excellency had lost all his tickets. Our sharp Yankee captain took no stock in people who did such things ; so out came the Englishman's pocket-book to pay again for the entire party, the dear old gentleman declaring it was his fault, and he ought to be made to pay for such carelessness. It did not take me long to convince our captain that we were not sharpers ; that we had paid our passages, and we must needs be allowed to go ashore. I was determined to evidence to my guests that they had reached the land of COTILLION'S IN DOORS AND OUT. I73 plenty, and before they had been with me a week, the Governor declared, with a sigh, " That he detested the siofht of food." I put him through a course of vapor baths, and galloped him daily. On one occasion, we visited the beach together, when the surf was full of people. We saw an enor- mously tall, Rubens-like woman, clad in a clinging garment of calico, exhilarated by the bath, jumping up and down, and in her ecstasy throwing her arms up over her head. "Who is the creature?" he ex- claimed. " Is this allowed here ! W^hy, man, you should not tolerate it a mo- ment ! " I gave one look at the female, and then, convulsed with laughter, seized his arm, exclaiming, " It is your wife's Encrlish maid ! " If I had griven him an electric shock, he could not have sprung out of the wagon quicker. Rushing to the water's edge, he shouted, " Down with you ! down with you, this instant, you crazy jade ! how dare ) ou disgrace me in this way ! " The poor girl, one could 174 SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. see, felt innocent of all wrong, but quitted the water at lightning speed when she saw the crowd the Governor had drawn around him. The first Cotillion Dinner ever o-iven at Newport, I gave at my Bayside Farm. I chose a night when the moon would be at the full, and invited guests enough to make up a cotillion. We dined in the open air at 6 P.M., in the garden adjoining the farm- house, having the gable end of the house to protect us from the southerly sea breeze. In this way we avoided flies, the pest of Newport. In the house itself we could not have kept them from the table, while in the open air even a gentle breeze, hardly perceptible, rids you of them entirely. The farm-house kitchen was then near at hand for use. You sat on closely cut turf, and with the little orarden filled with beautiful standing plants, the eastern side of the farm-house covered with vines, laden with pumpkins, melons, and cucumbers, all giv- ing a mixture of bright color against a I COTILLIONS IN DOORS AND OUT. I75 ereen backaround, with the whole farm lying- before you, and beyond it the bay and the distant ocean, dotted over with sailing craft, the sun, sinking behind the Narragansett hills bathing the Newport shore in golden light, giving you, as John Van Buren then said to me, " As much of the sea as you ever get from the deck of a yacht." Add to this, the exquisite toilets which our women wear on such occasions, a table laden with every delicacy, and all in the merriest of moods, and )'ou have a picture of enjoyment that no shut-in ball- room could present. No "pent-up Utica" then confined our powers. Men and women enjoyed a freedom that their rural surroundings permitted, and, like the lambs gambolling in the fields next them, they frisked about, and thus did away with much of the stiff conventionality pertaining to a city entertainment. On this little farm I had a cellar for claret and a farm-house attic for Madeira, where the cold Rhode Island winters have 176 SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. done much to preserve for me wines of seventy and eighty years of age. On this occasion, I remember giving them Amory of 181 1 (one of the greatest of Boston Madeiras), and I saw the men hold it up to the Hght to see its beautiful amber color, inhale its bouquet, and quaff it down " with tender eyes bent on them." A marked feature of all my farm din- ners was Diiidonneanx a la To7i/ouse, and a la Bordciaise (chicken turkeys). In past days, turkeys were thought to be only fine on and after Thanksgiving Day in Novem- ber, but I learnt from the French that the turkey poiilt with quenelle de volatile, with either a white or dark sauce, was the way to enjoy the Rhode Island turkey. I think they were first served in this way on my farm in Newport. Now they are thus cooked and accepted by all as the summer delicacy. After dinner we strolled off in couples to the shore (a beach three-quarters of a mile in length), or sat under the group of trees looking on the beautiful bay. COTILLIONS IN DOORS AND OUT. I77 I\Iy brother, Colonel McAllister, had ex- ercised his engineering- skill in fitting up my barn with every kind and sort of light. He improvised a chandelier for the center of it, adorned the horse and cattle stalls with vines and greens, fitted them up with seats for my guests (all nicely graveled), and put a band of music in the hay-loft, with the middle part of the barn floored over for dancinor. We had a scene that Teniers has so often paintedr We danced away late into the niofht, then had a orlorious moon- o <_> light to drive home by. I must not omit to mention one feature of these parties. It was the "Yacht Club rum punch," made from old Plantation rum, placed in huge bowls, with an immense block of ice in each bowl, the melting ice being the only liquid added to the rum, ex- cept occasionally when I would pour a bot- tle of champagne in, which did it no injury. AN ERA OF AT EXTRAVAGANCE. 179 CHAPTER XIV. The first private Balls at Delvionico' s — A Nightingale •who drove Four-in-hatid — Private Theatricals iti a Stable — A Yachting Excursion without wind and a Clam-bake under difficulties — A Poet describes the Fiasco — Plates for foot-stools and parboiled Champagne for the thirsty — The Silver, Gold, a?id Diamond Vin- ners — Giving presents to guests. Let us now return to New York and its gaieties. The Assemblies were always given at Dclnionico's in Fourteenth Street, the best people in the city chosen as a committee of management, and under the patronage of ladies of established position. They were large balls, and embraced all who were in what may be termed General Society. They were very enjoyable. A distinguished banker, the head of one of our old families, then gave the 'v^xsl private ball at Delmonlco's to introduce his dauQ^h- ters to society. It was superb. The Del- monico rooms were admirably adapted for such an entertainment. There were at least eight hundred people present, and the i8i 1 82 SOCIETY AS I IIAI'E FOUND IT. host brought from liis well-filled cellar his best Madeira and Mock. His was the pioneer private ball at this house. Being a success, it then became the fashion to give private balls at Delmonico's, and certainly one could not have found better rooms for such a purpose. One of the grandest and handsomest fancy balls ever given here was griven in these rooms a little later. Absent at the South, I did not attend it. Then came in an era of great extravagance and expenditure. A beautiful woman, who was a night- ingale in song, gave a fancy ball. It was brilliantly successful, and brought its leader to the front, and gave her a large following. It made her, with the personal attractions she possessed, the belle of that winter. Among other accomplishments, she drove four horses beautifulh'. I re- member during the summer passing her on Bellevue Avenue as she sat perched up on the box-seat of a drag, driving four fine horses, handling the ribbons with a grace AN ERA OF GREAT EXTRAVAGANCE. 183 and ease that was admirable. All paid court to her. She won the hearts of both men and women. At this time a man of great energy and pluck loomed up, and attracted, in fact absorbed to a great extent, the attention of society. Full of energy and enterprise, and supplied with abundant means, he did a great deal for New York, much that will live after him. He created Jerome Park; and not only created it, but got society into it. He made it the Goodwood of America, and caused society to take an interest in it. He opened that park most brilliantly, and, by his energy and persever- ance, rendered it for years a most enjoy- able place for all New Yorkers. Admiring the beautiful cantatrice, he proposed to her to turn his luxurious stables into a theatre, and ask the fashionable world to come and see her act " for sweet charity's sake," — to raise funds for the sick and wounded soldiers. In doine this, he as- sured her that she would literally bring the 184 SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. fashionable world to her feet to petition and sue for tickets of admission to this theatrt. And so it proved. All flocked to see this accomplished woman act. The work of this energetic man was admirably done. He made a gem of his stable. I can but compare it to a little royal theatre. As you entered you were received by liveried servants, and by them conducted to your seat, where you found yourself surrounded by a most brilliant assemblage ; and on the stage, as amateur actresses, supporting the fair singer, the fashionable beauties of that day. This was not the least of this generous man's performances. Being an admirable four-in-hand driver, he at once revived the spirit for driving four horses. He turned out daily Avith his drag or coach loaded with beautiful women, and drove to every desirable little country inn in and about the city, where one could dine at all well, crossing ferries, and dri\'ing up Broadway with the ease and skill of a veteran whip, which he was. His projects AN ERA OF GREAT EXTRAVAGANCE. 185 were, if anythinsj, too orand. He lavished money on all these things ; his conceptions were good, but, like many great minds, at times he was too unmindful of detail. On one occasion, at Newport, he came to me, and told me he had mapped out a country fete, asked my advice about getting it up, but failed to take it, and then brought about his first fiasco. He asked the bcaii mondc to embark on the yachts then lying in the harbor, and go with him to Stone Bridge to a dance and clambake. All the yachtsmen placed their yachts at his disposal. At 12 m., all Newport, i.e. the fashion of the place, was on these yachts. At the prow of the boats he had placed his champagne. Down came the broiling sun, and a dead calm fell upon the waters. Tugs were called in to tow the yachts. Orders had been given that not a biscuit or glass of wine was to be served to any of the party on these boats, that we might reach the feast at the Bridge with sharp appetites. The sun went down, and the 1 86 SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. night set in before Ave landed. We were then taken to an orchard, the high grass a foot deep all wet, and saw before us great plates of stewed soft clams and corn that had been cooked and ready for us at 2 p.m. The women j)ut their plates on the grass, and their feet in them, so at least to have a dry footing. The champagne was par- boiled, the company enveloped in darkness, and famished, so that all pronounced this kind of clambake picnic a species of fSte not to be indulged in knowinoly a second time. The great wit of the day, his boon companion, called it "The Melancholy Fete." The following anonymous lines on this clambake were sent me : An Adaptation of a Lamentation. Clams, clams, clams, Will always be thrown in my teeth. Clams, clams, clams ! I'll be crowned with a chowder wreath. Bread and pickles and corn. Corn and pickles and bread. Whenever I sleep huge ghosts appear With ^■/(j'worous mouths to be fed. AN ERA OF GREAT EXTRAVAGANCE. 187 Oh, women, with appetites strong ! Oh, girls, who I thought lived on air! I did not mean to leave you so long With nothing to eat, I declare. Clams, clams, clams ! I have nothing but clams on the brain. I'm sure all my life, and after my death I'll be roasted and roasted again. Oh, tugs, why could you not pull ? Oh, winds, why would you not blow ? Yxh sure 1 did all that man could do That my clambake shouldn't be slow. Not in the least discouraged by this failure, returning to New York, he planned three dinners to be given by himself and two of his friends, to be the three hand- somest dinners ever given in this city. Lorenzo Delmonico exclaimed, " What are the people coming to ! Here, three gentle- men come to me and order three dinners, and each one chargfes me to make his dinner the best of the three. I am oiven an unlimited order, 'Charge what you will, but make my dinner the best.' " Del- monico then said to me, " I told my cook to call them the Silver, Gold, and Diamond i88 SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. dinners, and have novelties at them all." I attended these three dinners. Among other dishes, we had canvasback duck, cut up and made into an aspic de canvasback, and again, string beans, with truffles, cold, as a salad, and truffled ice cream ; the last dish, strange to say, very good. At one dinner, on opening her napkin, each fair lady guest found a gold bracelet with the monogram of Jerome Park in chased gold in the centre. Now it must be remem- bered that this habit of oivingf ladies presents at dinners did not originate in this city. Before my day, the wealthy William Gaston, a bachelor, gave superb dinners in Savannah, Ga., and there, always placed at each lady's plate a beautiful Spanish fan of such value that they are preserved by the grandchildren of those ladies, and are proudly exhibited to this day. ON THE BOX SEAT AT NEWPORT. CHAPTER XV. The Foiir-tii-Hand Craze — Posiiltons a>td Outriders Follow — A Trotting-Horse Cotcrtship — Cost of New- port Picnics Then and Now — Driving off a Bridge — An Accident that might have been Serious — A Dance at a Tea-house — The Coachmen make a Raid on the Champagne — 77/^1' are all Intoxicated and Confusion Reigns — A Dangerous Drive Home. It seemed at this time, that the ingen- uity of man was put to the test to, invent some new species of entertainment. The winter in New York being- so gay, peo- ple were in the vein for frohc and amuse- ment, and feehng rich, as the currency was inflated, prices of everything going up, Newport had a full antl rushing season. The craze was for drags or coaches. My old friend, the Major, was not to be outdone, so he brought out four spank- ing bays ; and again, an old bachelor friend of mine, a man of large fortune, but the quietest of men, I found one fine summer igi 192 SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. morninor seated on the box seat of a drae, and tooling- four fine roadsters. But this did not satisfy the swells. Soon came two out-riders on postilion saddles, following the drag; and again, several pairs of fine horses ridden by postilions a la deini d' Aiiviont. A turnout then for a picnic was indeed an event. In those clays, a beautiful spot on the water, called " The Glen," was often selected for these country parties. It was a romantic little nook, about seven miles from Newport, on what is called the East Passage, which opens on the Atlantic Ocean. A young friend of mine, then paying- court to a brilliant young woman, came to me for advice. He wanted to impress the object of his attentions, and proposed to do so by hiring "two of the fastest trotting horses in Rhode Island, and driving the young lady out behind them to the "Glen" picnic. His argument was, that it was more American than any of your tandem or four-in-hands, or postilion riding; that ON THE BOX SEAT AT NEWPORT. I93 the pace he should go at would be terrific, and he would guarantee to do the seven miles within twenty minutes. He was Avhat we call a thorough trotting-horse man ; much in love ; worshipped horses ; disliked st)"le in them, going in for speed alone. I tried to dissuade him. " It will never do," I said ; " it is not the fashion ; the lady )ou drive out will be beautifully dressed, and you will cover her with dust ; besides, the pace will alarm her." " Never fear that, my man," he answered. " The girl has grit ; she will go through anything. She is none of )our milk-and- water misses ; I can't go too fast for her." " Have it as you will, then," I said ; and off he went to Providence to secure, through influence, these two wonderfully speedy trotters. We were all grouped beautifully at the Glen, when, all of a sudden, we heard something descending the hill at a terrific pace ; it was impossible to make out what 194 SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. it was, as it was completely hidden by a cloud of dust. Down it came, with light- ning speed, and when it got opposite to the Major and me, we heard a loud " Whoa, my boys, whoa !" and the vehicle came to a stop. The occupants, a man and woman, were so covered with mud and dust that you could barely distinguish the one from the other. I ran up to the side of the wagon, saw a red, indignant face, and an outstretched hand imploring me to take her out. Seizing my arm, she sprang from the wagon, exclaiming, "The horrid creature ! I never wish to lay eyes on him again," and then she burst into tears. Her whole light, exquisite dress was totally ruined, and she a sight to behold. Turn- ing to him, I saw a glow of triumph in his face ; his watch was in his hand. " I did it, by Jove! I did it. and ten seconds to spare ! — they are tearers ! " I quietly replied, " They are indeed tearers, they have torn your business into shreds." ON THE BOX SEAT AT NEWPORT. 195 " Fudge, man ! " he said ; " she wont mind it; she was a bit scared, to be sure; " but she hung on to my arm, and we came through all right." He then sought his victim. I soon saw by his dejected man- ner that she had given him the mitten, and, as I passed him, slowly w^alking his horses home, I philosophized to this ex- tent : " Trottinfj horses and fashion do not combine." Our next great day-time frolic was at Bristol Ferry. There we had a large country hotel which we took possession of. We sfot the best dinner Oliver then in Newport to lend us his chef, and I took my own colored cook, a native of Balti- more, who had, at the Maryland Ducking Club, gained a reputation for cooking game, ducks, etc. We determined, on this occasion, to have a trial of artistic skill between a creole woman cook, the best of her class, and the best chef we had in this country. We were to have sixty at din- ner ; dishes confined to Spanish mackerel 196 SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. soft-shell crabs, woodcock, and chicken par- tridges. It is needless to say, the French- man came off victorious, though my creole cook contended that the French chef would not eat his own cooked dishes, but de- voured her soft-shell crabs. On this occasion we had a ofrand turn- out of drags, postilions a la dcini d' Aumont, and tandems. I led the cotillion myself, dancing in the large drawing-room of the inn ; and it all went so charmingly that it was late into the night when we left the place. It was as dark as Erebus. We had eleven miles to drive, and I saw that some of our four-in-hand drivers felt a little squeamish. My old bachelor friend had in his drag a precious cargo. On the box-seat with him sat our nicrhtincrale, and I had in my four-seated open wagon our queen of society and a famous Baltimore belle. "Is the road straight or crooked?" I was asked, on all sides. Having danced myself nearly to death, and being well fortified with champagne, I found it ON THE BOX SEAT AT NEWPORT. 197 Straight as an arrow, as I was then obhvi- ous to its crooks and turns. Off we all started up the hill at a canter. I re- member my friend, the Major, shouting to me, " The devil take the hindmost," and the admonition to him of his old family coachman, who accompanied him that day, " Be careful, sir, the road is not as straight as it might be." Driving along at a spanking pace, the horses fresh, the ladies jubilant, I as happy as a lord, — there was a scream, then another, then a plunge, and a splash of water. Dark as it was, standing up in my wagon, I shouted, " By Jove ! he has driven off the bridge," — and off the bridge he was, drag upset and four horses mired in mud and water. One young fellow, in the excitement of the moment, sprang to the side of my wagon, and tried to wrench off one of my lamps. How then I admired the pluck)-, cool little woman at \w\ side ! She never lost her presence of mind for a second ; gave directions 198 SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. quietly and effectively, and soon brought order out of chaos. From a jolly, festive procession, we were turned into a sad, melancholy species of funeral cortege. The ladies were picked out of the wreck, and placed in the different drags and wagons, and we wended on our way at a walk, ten dreary miles to Newport. One brilliant youth of the Diplomatic Corps, as we passed a farm-house, making it just out in the dark, was asked to pro- cure for our invalids a glass of water. He rushed to the house, banging against the door, and shouting, " House, house, house, wont you hear, wont you hear?" The old farmer poked his head out of the window, answering him, " Why, man, the house can't talk ! what do you want here at this time of night ? I know who you are, you are some of McAllister's picnickers. I saw you go by this morn- ing. I s'pose you want milk, but you wont get a drop here." As picnics, country dinners, and 'break- 0-V THE BOX SEAT AT NEWPORT. 199 fasts were then Newport's feature, they took the place of balls, all the dancing' and much of the dining being done in the open air. I would here say that as every family took to these parties their butler, and carried out the wines and all the dishes, their cost in money was insignificant. We would pay twenty-five dollars for the farm or grove to which we went for the day. Twenty-five dollars for the country band, as much for the hire of silver, linen, crock- er\', etc., and ten dollars for a horse, wagon and man to take everything out, making the entire outlay in money on each occa- sion eighty-five to a hundred dollars. A picnic dinner and dance at my farm, furnish- ing everything myself, no outside contribu- tions, for fifty or sixty people, would cost me then three hundred dollars, everything included. What a difference to the present time ! I got up one of these country dances and luncheons summer before last at my farm, where, under, a pretty grove of trees, I had built a dancing platform 200 SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. from which )'ou can throw a biscuit into the beautiful waters of Narragansett Ba)'. Lending the farm to the party, every one bringing a dish, hiring the servants and music, cost us in money eight hundred and six dollars and eighty-four cents. There were 140 people present. The railroad running through the farm, the train stopped on the place itself within a few rods of the group of trees. Leaving New- port at 2 P.M., in six minutes we are on the place, and at a quarter of five the train returned to us, thus ridding ourselves of coachmen and grooms, finding them all at the railway station when we reached Nevv^- port on our return at 5 p.m., to take us for our usual afternoon drive. But to return to the past. When New- port was in its glory, and outshone itself, the young men of that day resolved to give me a lesson in picnic-giving. What they had done well in and about New York, they felt they could do equally well in Newport, so they sent to the city for Delmonico with ON THE BOX SEAT AT NEWPORT. 201 all his staff, and invited all Newport to a dance and country dinner at a large tea- house some six miles from Newport, adjoin- ing Oaklands, the then Gibbs farm, later on the property of Mr. August Belmont, and now belonging to Mr. Cornelius Van- derbilt, being his model farm, one of the loveliest spots on Newport Island. Del- monico took possession of this huge bar- rack of a house, and to work his waiters went to arrange in the large, old dining- room his beautiful collation, which was all brought from New York. The entire party were dancing the cotillion in the front parlor of the house, and grouped on its front piazzas. As 5 p.^i. approached, an irresistible desire, an inward cravinof for food, became apparent. Committeemen were beset with the question, when are Ave going to have the collation ? They rushed off to hurry up things, and then one by one reappeared with blanched faces, and an un- mistakable anxious, troubled look. Finally they came to me with, " My dear fellow. 202 SOCIETY AS I 11. WE FOUND IT. what is to be done ? Come and see for yourself." Dragging nie into the dining- room and pantries of the hotel I there in- deed saw a sight to behold. All the coach- men and grooms had made a foray on the abundant supplies, tumbled Delmonico's French waiters into the cellar of the hotel, and locked them up ; then, taking posses- sion of the dinino^-room, held hioh carnival. Every mouthful of solid food was eaten up, and all the champagne drunk ; the ices, jellies, and cohfectionery they left un- touched. As I viewed the scene, I re- called Virgil's description of a wreck, '^Apparent rari in gitrgite nantesy Every coachman and groom was intoxicated, and, as the whole party at once took flight to secure dinner at home, the scene on the road beggared description. The coach- men swayed to and fro like the pendulum of a clock ; the postilions of the dcini d' Atimonts hung on by the manes of their horses, when they lost their equilibrium. The women, as usual, behaved admirably. ON THE BOX SEAT AT NEWPORT 203 As one said to me, " My man is beastly in- toxicated, but I shall appear not to notice it. The horses are gentle, they will go of themselves." My old friend, the Major, at once held a council of war, and it was sug- ofested that all turn in and thrash the fel- lows soundl)-, but prudence dictated that at that work man was as good as master, that the result might be doubtful ; so all dolefully got away in the best manner pos- sible. The Major thus harangued his old family coachman : " Richard, I am aston- ished at you ; the other men's rascally con- duct does not surprise me, but )'Ou, an old family servant, to so disgrace yourself, shocks me." The reply w'as, " I own up, Major, but indade, I am a weak craythur." SOCIAL UNITY. 205 CHAPTER XVI. Grand Banquet to a Bride-elect — She sat in a bank of Roses wi't/t Fountains playing around her — An Anec- dote of Alinack's — The way the Duke of Wellington introduced my Father and Dominick Lynch to the Swells — I determine to have an Americaft Almacks' — The way the " Patriarchs'" was foutided — 77/,? One- man Power Abolished — Success of the Organization. The two young women of the most dis- tinguished bearing in my day in this country were, in my opinion, the one the daughter of our ex-Secretary of State and ex-Governor, the other the daughter of my friend, the Major. They both looked as born of noble race, and were always, when they appeared, the centre of attraction. When the engagement of the Major's daufjhter was announced, one of her ad- mirers asked me to qto with him to Charles Delmonico, as he was desirous of o jvinof this fair lady a Banquet, to commemorate the initial step she had taken in w^oman's career. In the words of the poet, she was then " A thought matured, but not uttered, A conception warm and glowing, not yet embodied." 207 2o8 SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. Now, all was to expand into noble woman- hood, and she must needs put away child- ish things and bid a sweet farewell to all who had worshipped at her shrine. This worshipper wanted to make this an occa- sion in her life, as well as his ; so with Del- monico's genius we were to conceive a ban- quet for this fair maid, at which, like a Queen of May, she was to sit in a bower of roses. And this she literally did, placed there by her host, a scion of one of New York's oldest families, whose family was in. terwoven with the Livingstons, and by mar- riage closely connected with the great Rob- ert Fulton. It was the first of these lavish and gorgeous entertainments, known as Banquets. Fifty-eight guests dining in Delmonico's large ball-room ; the immense oval table fillinor the whole room, and covered with masses of exquisite flowers. There were three fountains, one in the centre, and the others at each end of the table, throwing up a gentle spray of water, but always so planned that nothing on the SOCIAL LWITY. table in any way impeded the sight ; one from all sides of it could see over these beauliful tlower-beds and throui^h the S[)ray. A cotillion followed the dinner, and then back all returned to the dining- room and supped as the early dawn crept on us. Close association at a small watering- place naturally produces jars. People cannot alwa}"s agree. When )ou become very rich and powerful, and people pay you court, it follows in many cases that you become exacting and domineering. It soon became evident that people of moder- ate means, who had no social iK)wer to boast of, must needs be set aside and crowded out if the one-man power, or even the united power of two or three colossally rich men, controlled society. One reflected that that would not \vork. The homa^re we pay to a society leader must come from the esteem and admiration which is felt for him, but must not be exacted or forced. It occurred then to me, that if one in any 2IO SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. way got out with the powers that be, his position might become critical, and he so forced out of the way as to really lose his social footing. Where then was the remedy for all this ? How avoid this con- tingency ? On reflection I reached this conclusion, that in a country like ours there was always strength in union ; that to blend together the solid, respectable ele- ment of any community for any project, was to create a power that would carry to success almost any enterprise ; therefore, returning to New York for the winter, I looked around society and invoked the aid of the then quiet representative men of this city, to help me form an association for the purpose of giving our winter balls. As a child, I had often listened with great interest to my father's account of his visit to London, with Dominick Lynch, the greatest swell and beau that New York had ever known. He would describe his going with this friend to Almack's, finding them- SOCIAL UNITY, 211 selves in a brilliant assemblage of people, kno\vin<'- no one, and no one deifrninsj' to notice them ; Lynch, turning to my father, exclaimed : " Well, mv friend, oeese in- deed were we to thrust ourselves in here where we are evidently not wanted." He had hardly finished the sentence, when the Duke of Wellington (to whom they had brought letters, and who had sent them tickets to Almack's) entered, looked around, and, seeing them, at once approached them, took each by the arm, and walked them twice up and down the room ; then, pleading an engagement, said " good- ni<;ht " and left. Their countenances fell as he rapidly left the room, but the door had barely closed on him, when all crowded around them, and in a few minutes they were presented to every one of note, and had a charmino; evenino-. He described to US how Almack's originated, — all by the banding together of powerful women of influence for the purpose of getting up these balls, and in this way making them 212 SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. the greatest social events of London society. Remembering all this. I resolved in 1872 to establish in New York an American Almack's, taking men instead of women, being careful to select only the leading representative men of the city, Avho had the right to create and lead society. I knew all would depend upon our making a proper selection. There is one rule in life I invariably carry out — never to rely wholly on my own judgment, but to get the advice of others, weigh it well and satisfy myself of its cor- rectness, and then act on it. I went in this city to those who could make the best analysis of men ; who knew their past as well as their present, and could foresee their future. In this way, I made up an Executive Committee of three gentlemen, who daily met at my house, and we went to work in earnest to make a list of those we should ask to join in the undertaking. One of this Committee, a very bright, SOCIAL UNITY. 213 clever man, hit upon the name of Patri- archs for the Association, -which was at once adopted, and then, after some discus- sion, we Hmited the number of Patriarchs to twenty-five, and that each Patriarch, for his subscription, should have the right of invitinir to each ball four ladies and five gentlemen, including himself and famil)' ; that all distinguished strangers, up to fifty, should be asked ; and then established the rules £rovernin While we give them, let us make them the great social events in New York society ; make our suppers the best that can be given in this city ; decorate our rooms as lavishly as good taste permits, spare no ex- pense to make them a credit to ourselves and to the great city in which they are given." The social life of a great part of our com- munity, in my opinion, hinges on this and similar organizations, for it and they are organized social power, capable of giving a passport to society to all worthy of it. We thought it would not be wise to allow a handful of men having ro}-al fortunes to have a sovereign's prerogative, i.e. to say whom society shall receive, and whom so- SOCIAL UXITY. 217 ciety shall shut out. We thought it better to tr\- and place such power \\\ the hands of representative men, the choice falling' on them solely because of their worth, respect- ability, and responsibility. A GOLDEN AGE OF FEASTING. 2ig CHAPTER XVII- A Lady who has hd Society for many Years — A Grand Dame indeed — The Patriarchs a great social Feature — Organizing the F. C. D. C. — Their Rise and Fall — The Mother Goose Ball — Afy Encounters with socially ambitious Workers — / try to Please all— The Famous " Szvan Dinner" — It cost $10,000 — A Lake on the Dinner-table — l^ie Swans have a mortal Combat. As a rule, in this city, heads of faniiHes came to the front, and took an active part in society when they wished to introduce their daughters into it. The first Patriarch Balls were given in the winters of 1872 and 1873. ^"^t '^^"''^ period, a great personage (representing a silent power that had always been recognized and felt in this community, so long as I remember, by not only fashionable people, but by the solid old quiet element as well) had daughters to introduce into society, which brought her prominently forward and caused her at once to take a leading 2 22 SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. position. She possessed great administra- tive power, and it was soon put to good use and felt by society. I then, for the first time, was brouoht in contact with this grande dame, and at once recognized her ability, and felt that she would become society's leader, and that she was admirably qualified for the position. It was not long before circumstances forced her to assume the leadership, which she did, and which she has held with marked ability ever since, • having all the qualities necessary, — good judgment and a great power of analysis of men and women, a thorouo-h knowledge of all their surround- ings, a just appreciation of the rights of others, and, coming herself from an old Colonial family, a good appreciation of the value of ancestry ; always keeping it near her, and brinoinsf it in, in all social mat- ters, but also understanding the importance and power of the new element; recogniz- ing it, and fairly and generously awarding to it a prominent place. Having a great A GOLD EX AGE OF FEASTING. 223 fortune, she had the ability to conceive and carr}- out social projects ; and this she has done, al\va\s \vith success, ever ready to recoofnize abilit\' and worth, and oive to it advice and assistance. Above all things, a true and loyal friend in sunshine or shower. Deeply interested in the welfare of this city, she lent herself to any undertaking she felt worthy of her support, and once promising it her aid, she could be always relied on and always found most willing to advance its interests. With such a friend, we felt the Patriarchs had an additional social strength that would give them tlie solidity and lasting powers which they have shown they possess. Whenever we required advice and assistance on or about them, we went to her, and always found ourselves rewarded in so doing by re- ceiving suggestions that were invaluable. Quick to criticise any defect of lighting or ornamentation, or arrangement, she was not backward in chiding the management for it, and in this way made these balls 224 SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. what they were in the past, what they are in the present, and what we hope they may be in the future. The Patriarchs, from their very birth, became a great social feature. You could but read the list of those who gave these balls, to see at a glance that they em- braced not only the smart set, but the old Knickerbocker families as well ; and that they would, from the very nature of the case, representing the best society of this great commercial city, have to grow and enlarge. Applications to be made Patriarchs poured in from all sides ; every influence Avas brought to bear to secure a place in this little band, and the pressure Avas so great that we feared the struggle would be too fierce and engender too much rancor and bad feeling, and that this might of itself destroy them. The aro^Liment against them, the one most strongly urged, was that they were over- turnino[- all old customs ; that New Yorkers had been in the habit of taking an active A GOLDEN AGE OF FEASTING. 225 part in society only when they had daugh- ters to bring out, laiicdc-inq- their daugh- ters, and they themselves taking a back seat. But that here in this new associa- tion, the married women took a more prominent place than the }-oung girls ; //icy were the belles of the balls, and not the young girls. This was Europeanizing New York too rapidly. Hearing all this, and fearing we would grow unpopular, to satisfy the public we at once got up a new association, wholly for the young girls, and called it The Family Circle Dancing" Class. Its name would in itself explain what it was, a small gathering of people in a very small and intimate way, so that unless one was in close intimacy with those getting up these dances, they would have no possible claim to be in- cluded in them. Any number of small subscription parties had been formed, such as " The Ancient and Honorables," " The New and Notables," " The Mysterious," and " The Fortnightlies." All had been 2 26 SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. most enjoyable, but short-lived. The F. C. D. C's. were to be, in fact, "Junior Patriarchs," under the same management, and were to be cherished and nourished by the same organization. They were given at first in six private houses. The first was held at Mr. William Butler Duncan's ; the second at Mr. Ward Mc- Allister's ; the third at Mr, De Lancey Kane's; the fourth at Mr. William Astor's ; the fifth at Mr. George Henry Warren's, and the sixth at Mr, Lewis Colford Jones's. I gave mine in my house in West Nine- teenth Street, and then saw what it was to turn a house inside out for a ball, and how contracted everything must neces- sarily be in a twenty-five foot house, to receive guests in it, give them a salle de danse and a supper room, and then concluded that we must oo in most cases to a good-sized ball-room to give an enjoy- able dance. From the first, these dances were very popular. They gave the Patriarch balls A GOLDEN^ AGE OF FEASTING. I 227 the relief they required, and were rapidly growing in favor and threatened in the end to become formidable rivals of the Patri- archs. The same pains were taken in getting them up, as were given to the Patriarchs. We had them but for one season in private houses, and then gave them at Dodworth's, now Delmonico's. Later on, w^hen this house changed hands and became Delmonico's, we gave them all there, with the exception of one w'inter wdie'n we gave them in the foyers of the Metropolitan Opera House. We made the subscription to them an individual subscription, each lady and gentleman subscribing $12.00 for the three balls. One of them at Delmonico's we made a " Mother Goose " Ball. It was a spe- cies of fancy dress ball, powdered hair being de riguciir for all ladies wdio did not wear fancy costumes, and the feature of the occasion was the " Mother Goose " Quadrille, which had been planned and prepared with much skill and taste. This 228 SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. Quadrille was made up of sixteen couples and was danced at eleven o'clock. As those who danced in it passed you as they marched from the hall into the ball- room, }-ou found it a beautiful sight truly. Many of the men wore pink. Some of the characters were droll indeed. Amonof others, " Tom, Tom, the Piper's son," with his traditional pig; "A man in the moon, who had come down too soon "; one lady as " Twinkle, twinkle, little star "; " Mother Hubl^ard," in an artistic costume of scar- let chintz ; " Mary, Mary, quite contrary "; " Little Bo-Peep," " The Maid in the gar- den hanging out the clothes," " Punch and Judy"; "Oranges and Lemons"; while M. de Talleyrand appeared as a inignon of Henry the Second. "Mother Goose" herself was also there. The feature of the evening was the singing of the nursery rhymes. The second was the " Pinafore " Quadrille introducing the music of that operetta. All the men who danced in it were in sailor's dress. Then followed a A GOLDEN AGE OF FEASTING: 229 Hunting Quadrille, in which every man wore a scarlet coat. I little knew what I was undertaking when I started these F. C. D. C. Balls. From the giving of the first of these dances, out of a private house, to the time of my giving them up, I had no peace either at home or abroad. I was assailed on all sides, became in a sense a diplo- mat, committed myself to nothing, promised much and performed as little as possible. I saw at once the rock on which we must split : that the pressure would be so great to get in, no one could resist it ; that our parties must become too general, and that in the end the smart set would give up o^oinor to them. I knew that when this occurred, they were doomed ; but I fought for their existence manfully, and if I could here narrate all I went through to keep these small parties select, I would fill a vol- ume. My mornings were given up to be- ing interviewed of and about them ; mothers would call at my house, entirely unknown 230 SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. to me, the sole words of introduction being, " Kind sir, I have a daughter." These words were cabalistic ; I would spring up, bow to the ground, and reply : " My dear madam, say no more, you have my sym- pathy ; we are in accord ; no introduction is necessary ; you have a daughter, and want her to 2^0 to the F. C. D. C's. I «_> will do all in my power to accomplish this for you ; but my dear lady, please under- stand, that in all matters concerning these little dances I must consult the powers that be. I am their humble servant ; I must take orders from them." All of which was a figure of speech on my part. " May I ask if you know any one in this great city, and whom do you know ? for to propitiate the powers that be, I must be able to give them some account of your daughter." This was enough to set my fair visitor off. The family always went back to King John, and in some instances to William the Conqueror. " My dear madam," I would reply, " does it not sat- A GOLDEN AGE OF FEASTING. 231 isfy any one to come into existence with the birth of one's country? In ni)- opin- ion, four Q;enerations of grentlemen make as o^ood and true a oentleman as forty. I know my EngHsh brethren will not agree with me in this, but, in spite of them, it is my belief." With disdain, m\' fair visitor would reply, "You are easily satisfied, sir." And so on, from da\' to day, these inter- views would cro on ; all were Hucruenots, Pilgrims, or Puritans. I would sometimes call one a Pilgrim in place of a Puritan, and by this would uncork the vials of wrath. If they had ever lived south of .Mason and Dixon's line, their ancestor was always a near relative of Washington, or a Fairfax, or of the " first families of \'ir- ginia." Others were more frank, and claimed no ancestry, but simply wished to know " how tlie thing was to be done." When our list was full, all comers were told this, but this did not stop them. I was then daily solicited and prayed to give • them the first vacancy. I did the best in 232 SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. my power, found out who people were, and if it was possible asked them to join. The little dances were most successful. Year by year they improved. They were handsomer each season. We were not con- tent with the small buffet in the upper ball- room at Delmonico's, but supped, as did the Patriarchs, in the large room on Fifth Avenue and Twenty-sixth Street, and liter- ally had equally as good suppers, leaving out terrapin and canvasback. But when the ladies organized Assembly Balls, we then thought that there would perhaps be too many subscription balls, and the F. C. D. C. was given up. At this time, when the F. C. D. C.'s were in hio-h favor, I received the follow- ing amusing anonymous lines of and about them : He does not reign in Russia cold. Nor yet in far Cathay, But o'er this town he's come to hold An undisputed sway. When in their might the ladies rose, " To put the Despot down," A GOLDEN' AGE OF FEASTING. 233 As blandly as Ah Sin, he goes His way without a frown. Alas ! though he's but one alone, He's one too many still — He's fought the fight, he's held his own, And to the end he will. — From (I Lady after the Ball f/" 25M February, 1884. Just at this time a man of wealth, who had accumulated a fortune here, resolved to give New Yorkers a sensation ; to give them a banquet which should exceed in luxury and expense anything before seen in this country. As he expressed it, " I knew it would be a folly, a piece of unheard-of extravasfance, but as the United States Government had just refunded me $10,000, exacted from me for duties upon importa- tions (which, being excessive, I had peti- tioned to be returned me, and had quite unexpectedly received this sum back), I resolved to appropriate it to giving a banquet that would always be remem- bered." Accordingly, he went to Charles Delmonico, who in turn went to his cuisine classiqne to see how they could 234 SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. possibly spend this sum on this feast. Suc- cess crowned their efforts. The sum in such skillful hands soon melted away, and a banquet was given of such beauty and magnificence, that even New Yorkers, ac- customed as they were to every species of novel expenditure, were astonished at its lavishness, its luxury. The banquet was given at Delmonico's, in Fourteenth Street. There were seventy-two guests in the large ball-room, looking on Fifth Avenue. The table covered the whole length and breadth of the room, only leaving a passageway for the waiters to pass around it. It was a long extended oval table, and every inch of it was covered with flowers, excepting a space in the centre, left for a lake, and a border around the table for the plates. This lake was indeed a work of art ; it was an oval pond, thirty feet in length, by nearly the width of the table, inclosed by a delicate golden wire network, reaching from table to ceiling, making the whole one grand cage ; four superb swans, brought A GOLDEN AGE OF FEASTING. 235 from Prospect Park, swam in it, surrounded by high banks of flowers of every species and variety, Avhich prevented them from sphishing the water on the table. There were hills and dales ; the modest little vio- let carpeting the valleys, and other bolder sorts climbing up and covering the tops of those miniature mountains. Then, all around the inclosure, and in fact above the entire table, hunor little sfolden caches, with fine songsters, who filled the room with their melody, occasionally interrupted by the splashing of the waters of the lake by the swans, and the cooing of these noble birds, and at one time by a fierce combat between these stately, graceful, gliding- white creatures. The surface of the whole table, by clever art, was one unbroken series of undulations, rising and falling like the billows of the sea, but all clothed and carpeted with every form of blossom. It seemed like the abode of fairies ; and when surrounding this fairyland with lovely young American womanhood, ) ou had in- 236 SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. deed an unequaled scene of enchantment. But this was not to be alone a feast for the eye ; all that art could do, all that the cleverest men could devise to spread before the guests, such a feast as the gods should enjoy, was done, and so well done that all present felt, in the way of feasting, that man could do no more ! The wines were perfect. Blue seal Johannisberg flowed like water. Incomparable '48 claret, superb Burgundies, and amber-colored Madeira, all were there to add to the intoxicating delight of the scene. Then, soft music stole over one's senses ; lovely women's eyes sparkled with delight at the beauty of their surroundings, and I felt that the fair beinsf who sat next to me would have graced Alexander's feast " Sitting by my side, Like a lovely Eastern bride, In flower of youth and beauty's pride." ENTERING SOCIETY. 237 CHAPTER XVIII. Hcnu to iritroduce a youvg Girl into Society — / make the Daughter of a Relative a reigning Belle — First Of- fers of Marriage generally the Best — Wives should flirt with their Husbands — Hciv to be fashionable — " Nobs " and " Swells " — The Prince of Wales's Aphorism — The value of a pleasant Manner — How a Gentleman should dress — I might have made a Fortune — Commodore Vanderbilt gives me a straight " Tip." I WOULD now make some suggestions as to the proper way of introducing a young girl into New York society, par- ticularly if she is not well supported by an old family connection. It is cruel to take a girl to a ball where she knows no one, " And to subject her to The fashionable stare of twenty score Of well-bred persons, called the world.' " Had I charged a fee for every consulta- tion with anxious mothers on this subject, I would be a rich man. I well remember a near relative of mine once writin^r me from 230 240 SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOL'XD IT. Paris, as follows : " I consign my wife and daughter to your care. They will spend the winter in New York ; at once s:ive them a ball at Delmonico's, and draw on me for the outlay." I replied. " My dear fellow, how many people do you know in this city whom you could invite to a ball ? The funds you send me will be used, but not in griving a ball." The girl beinor a beauty, all the rest was easy enough. I gave her theatre party after theatre party, followed by charming little suppers, asked to them the jcuiicssc dorcc of the day ; took her repeatedly to the opera, and saw that she was there always surrounded by admirers : incessantly talked of her fascina- tions ; assured mv vouno^ friends that she was endowed with a fortune equal to the mines of Ophir. that she danced like a dream, and possessed all the graces, a sunbeam across one's path ; then saw to it that she had a prominent place in ever} cotillion, and a fitting partner : showed her whom to smile upon, and on whom to EA'TERIXG SOCIETY. 241 frown ; gave her the entree to all the nice houses ; criticised severely her toilet until it became perfect; daily met her on the Avenue with the most charming man in town, who by one pretext or another I turned over to her ; made her the constant subject of conversation ; insisted upon it that she was to be the belle of the com- ing winter; advised her parents that she should have her first season at Bar Har- bor, where she could learn to flirt to her heart's content, and vie with other sfirls. Her second summer, when she was older, I suggested her passing at Newport, where she should have a pair of ponies, a pretty trap, with a well-gotten-up groom, and Worth to dress her. Here I hinted that much must depend on her father's purse, as to her wardrobe. As a friend of mine once said to me, "Your pace is charm- ing, but can you keep it up?" I also advised keeping the young girl well in hand and not letting her grive offense to the powers that be ; to see to it that she 242 SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. was not the first to arrive and the last to leave a ball, and further, that nothing was more winning in a girl than a pleasant bow and a gracious smile given to either young or old. The fashion now for women is to hold themselves erect. The modern manner of shaking hands I do not like, but yet it is adopted. Being interested in the girl's success, I further impressed upon her the importance of making herself agreeable to older people, remembering that much of her enjoyment would be derived from them. If asked to dance a cotillion, let it be conditional that no bouquet be sent her ; to be cau- tious how she refused the first offers of marriage made her, as they were generally the best. A word, just here, to the newly married. It works well to have the man more in love with you than you are with him. My advice to all young married women is to keep up flirting with their husbands as much after marriage as before ; to make ENTERING SOCIE T V. 243 themselves as attractive to their husbands after their marriage as they were when they captivated them ; not to neglect their toilet, but rather improve it ; to be as co- quettish and coy after they are bound to- o^ether as before, when no ties held them. The more they are appreciated by the world, the more will their husbands value them. In fashionable life, conspicuous jealousy is a mistake. A woman is bound to take and hold a high social position. In this wav she advances and streno^thens her husband. How many women we see who have benefited their husbands, and secured for them these advantaofes. A young girl should be treated like a bride when she makes her dclnU into society. Her relatives should rally around her and Q^ive her entertainments to wel- come her into the world which she is to adorn. It is in excessive bad taste for such relatives to in any way refer to the cost of these dinners, balls, etc. Ever)' one in society knows how to estimate such 244 SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. things. Again, at such dinners, it is not in good taste to load your table with bonhonnieres and other articles intended to be taken away by your guests. This reminds me of a dear old lady, who, when I dined with her, always insisted on my putting in my dress coat pocket a large hothouse peach, which never reached home in a perfect state. The launching of a beautiful young girl into society is one thing; it is another to place her family on a good, sound social footiuCT-. You can launch them into the o social sea, but can they float ? " Manners maketh man," is an old proverb. These they certainly must possess. There is no society in the world as generous as New York society is ; " friend, parent, neighbor, all it will embrace," but once embraced they must have the power of sustaining themselves. The best quality for them to possess is modesty in asserting their claims ; letting people seek them rather than attempting to rush too quickly to ENTERIXG SOCIETY. 245 the front. The Prince of Wales, on a charming American young woman express- ing her surprise at the cordial reception given her by London societ)', replied, " My dear lady, there are certain people who are bound to come to the front and stay there; you are one of them." It requires not only money, but brains, and, above all, infinite tact ; possessing the three, your success is assured. If taken by the hand by a person in society you are at once led into the charmed circle, and then your own correct perceptions of what should or should not be done must do the rest. As a philosophical friend once said to me, " A gentleman can always walk, but he can- not afford to have a shabby equipage." Another philosopher soliloquized as fol- lows : " The first evidence of wealth is your equipage." By the way, his defini- tion of aristocracy in America was, the possession of hereditary wealth. If you want to be fashionable, be always in the company of fashionable people. As 246 SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. an old beau suggested to me, If you see a fossil of a man, shabbily dressed, rely- ing- solely on his pedigree, dating back to time immemorial, who has the aspirations of a duke and the fortunes of a footman, do not cut him ; it is better to cross the street and avoid meeting him. It is well to be in with the nobs who are born to their position, but the support of the swells is more advantageous, for society is sustained and carried on by the swells, the nobs look- ing quietly on and accepting the position, feeling they are there by divine right ; but they do not make fashionable society, or carry it on. A nob can be a swell if he chooses, i.e. if he will spend the money; but for his social existence this is unnecessary. A nob is like a poet, — nascitiir non fit ; not so a swell, — he creates himself. The value of a pleasant manner it is impossible to estimate. It is like sunshine, it gladdens ; you feel it and are at once attracted to the person without knowing ENTERING SOCIETY. 247 why. When you entertain, do it in an easy, natural way, as if it was an everyday occurrence, not the event of your life ; but do it well. Learn how to do it ; never be ashamed to learn. The American people have a greater power of " catching hold," and adapting themselves to new surround- ings than any other people in the world. A distinguished diplomatist once said to me, " The best wife for a Diplomat is an American ; for take her to any quarter of the globe and she adapts herself to the place and people." If women should cultivate pleasant man- ners, should not men do the same ? Are not manners as important to men as to women ? The word " gentleman " may have its derivation from gentle descent, but my understanding of a gentleman has al- ways been that he is a person free from arrogance, and anything like self-assertion ; considerate of the feelings of others ; so satisfied and secure in his own position, that he is always unpretentious, feeling he 248 SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. could not do an ungentlemanly act; as courteous and kind in manner to his in- feriors as to his equals. The best bred men I have ever met have always been the least pretentious. Natural and simple in manner, modest in apparel, never wear- ing anything too voyant, or conspicuous ; but always so well dressed that you could never discover what made them so, — the good, quiet taste of the whole producing the result. Here, all men are more or less in busi- ness. We hardly have a class who are not. They are, of necessity, daily brought in contact with all sorts and conditions of men, and in self-defense oftentimes have to acquire and adopt an abrupt, a brusque manner of address, which, as a rule, they generally leave in their offices when they quit them. If they do not, they certainly should. When such rouoh manners be- come by practice a second nature, they un- fit one to go into society. It pays well for young and old to cultivate politeness and EXTERIXG SOCIETY. courtesy. Nothing is gained by trying roughly to elbow yourself into society, and push your way through into the inner circle; for when such a one has reached it, he will find its atmosphere un- congenial and be only too glad to escape from it. A short time ago, a handsome, well- dressed Englishman, well up in all matters pertaining to society, went with me to my tailor to see me try on a dress coat. I was struck with his criticisms. Standing before a glass, he said, " You must never be able to see the tails of your dress coat ; if you do, discard the coat." Again, he advised one's always wearing a hat that was the fashion, losincj sifjht of the becom- insj, but alwavs followingr the fashion. "At a glance," he said, " I can tell a man from the provinces, simply by his hat." If you are stout, never wear a white waist- coat, or a conspicuous watch-chain. Never call attention by them to what you should try to conceal. In going to the 250 SOCIETY AS I HAVE EOUXD IT. opera, if you go to an opera box with ladies, you should wear white or light French gray gloves. Otherwise, gloves are not worn. A boiitoiinicrc of white hyacinths or white pinks on dress coats is much worn, both to balls and the opera. My English friend was very much struck with the fact that American women all sat on the left side of the carriao;-e. the opposite side from what they do in Eng- land. " Ladies," he said, " should always sit behind their coachman, but the desire to see and be seen prompts them here to take the other side. In this. city some half a dozen ladies show their knowl- edge of conventionalities and take the proper seat." I think the great secret of life is to be contented with the position to which it has pleased God to call you. Living myself in a modest, though comfortable little house in Twenty-first Street in this city, a Wall Street banker honored me v/ith a visit, and exclaimed against my surroundings. ENTERING SOCIETY. " What ! " said he, " are you contented to Hve in this modest httle house ? Why, man, this will never do ! The first thing you must have is a fine house. I will see that you get it. All that you have to do is to let me buy ten thousand shares of stock for you at the opening of the Board ; by three I can sell it, and I will then send you a check for the profit of the transac- tion, which will not be less than ten thou- sand dollars ! Do it for you ? Of course 1 will, with pleasure. You will run no risk ; if there is a loss I will bear it." I thanked my friend, assured him I was wholly and absolutely contented, and must respectfully decline his offer, A similar offer was made to me by my old friend, Commodore Vanderbilt, in his house in Washington Place, I was a great admirer of this grand old man, and he was very fond of me. He had taken me over his stables, and was then showing me his par- lors and statuary, and kept all the time callino;" me "his boy." I turned to him 252 SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. and said, " Commodore, you will be as great a railroad king, as you were once an ocean king, and as you call me your boy, why don't you make my fortune?" He thought a moment, and then said, slapping me on the back, " Mc, sell everything you have and put it in Har- lem stock; it is now twenty-four; you will make more money than you will know how to take care of." If I had followed his advice, I would now have been indeed a millionaire. One word more here about the Com- modore. He then turned to me and said, " Mc, look at that bust," — a bust of him- self, by Powers. " What do you think Powers said of that head ? " "What did he say?" I replied. " He said, ' It is a finer head than Webster's ! ' " ENTERTAINING 253 CHAPTER XIX. Success in Entertaining — The Art of Dinner-giving — Selection of Guests — A happy Mixture of Voung Wometi and Dowagers — The latter more Apprecia- tive of the Good Things — Interviewing the Chef — "Uncle Sam" Ward's Plan — Mock Turtle Soup a Delusion and a Snare — The Two Styles of cooking Terrapin — Grasshopper-fed Turkeys — Sottrbet should not be flavored with Rum — Nesselrode the best of all the Ices. " We may live without love, — what is passion but pining ? But where is the man who can live without dining ? " — Owen Meredith. The first object to be aimed at is to make your dinners so charming and agree- able that invitations to them are eagerly sought for, and to let all feel that it is a great privilege to dine at your house, where they are sure they will meet only those whom they wish to meet. You can- not instruct people by a book how to en- tertain, though Aristotle is said to have applied his talents to a compilation of a code of laws for the table. Success in 255 256 SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. entertaining is accomplished by magnetism and tact, which combined constitute social genius. It is the ladder to social success. If successfully done, it naturally creates jealousy. I have known a family who for years outdid every one in giving exquisite dinners — (this was when this city was a small community) — driven to Europe and passing the rest of their days there on find- ing a neighbor outdoing them. I myself once lost a charming friend by giving a better soup than he did. His wife rushed home from my house, and in despair, throwing up her hands to her husband, exclaimed, " Oh ! what a soup ! " I re- lated this to my cousin, the distinguished gourmet, who laughingly said : " Why did you not at once invite them to pork and beans ? " The hio^hest cultivation in social man- ners enables a person to conceal from the world his real feelings. He can go through any annoyance as if it were a pleasure ; go to a rival's house as if to a Jl ENTERTAINING. 257 dear friend's ; " Smile and smile, yet mur- der while he smiles." A great compli- ment once paid me in Newport was the speech of an old public waiter, who had grow^n gray in the service, when to a con- frere he exclaimed : " In this house, my friend, you meet none but quality." In planning a dinner the question is not to whom )'Ou owe dinners, but who is most desirable. The success of the dinner depends as much upon the company as the cook. Discordant elements — people in- vited alphabetically, or to pay off debts — are fatal. Of course, I speak of ladies' dinners. And here, great tact must be used in bringing together young woman- hood and the dowagers. A dinner wholly made up of young people is generally stupid. You require the experienced woman of the world, who has at her fin- gers' ends the history of past, present, and future. Critical, scandalous, with keen and ready wit, appreciating the dinner and wine at their worth. Ladies in beautiful 25 3 SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. toilets are necessary to the elegance of a dinner, as a most exquisitely arranged table is only a solemn affair surrounded by black coats. I make it a rule never to attend such dismal feasts, listening to pre- pared witticisms and " twice-told tales." So much for your guests. The next step is an interview with your chef, if you have one, or cordon bleu, whom you must arouse to fever heat by work- ing on his ambition and vanity. You must impress upon him that this particu- lar dinner will give him fame and lead to fortune. My distinguished cousin, who en- joyed the reputation of being one of the most finished gourmets in this countr)', when he reached this point, would bury his head in his hands and (seemingly to the chef) rack his brain seeking inspiration, fearing- lest the fatal mistake should occur of letting two white or brown sauces fol- low each other in succession ; or truffles appear twice in that dinner. The distress that his countenance wore as he repeatedly ENTER TAINING. 259 looked up at the chef, as if for advice and assistance, would have its intended effect on the culinary artist, and his brain would at once act in sympathy. The first battle is over the soup, and here there is a vast difference of opinion. In this country, where our servants are oftentimes unskilled, and have a charming habit of occasionally giving ladies a soup shower bath, I invariably discard two soups, and insist to the protesting chef that there shall be but one. Of course, if there are two, the one is light, the other heavy. Fortunately for the period in which we live, our great French artists have invented the Tortue claire, which takes the place of our forefathers' Mock Turtle soup, with forcemeat balls, well spiced, requiring an ostrich's digestion to survive it. We have this, then, as our soup. The ^//^ here exclaims, "Monsieur must know that all petites bonchdes must, of necessity, be made of chicken." We ask for a novelty, and his great genius 26o SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. suggests, under pressure, mousse aux jam- bon, which is attractive to the eye, and, if well made, at once establishes the repu- tation of the artist, satisfies the guests that they are in able hands, and allays their fears for their dinner. There is but one season of the year when salmon should be served hot at a choice repast ; that is in the spring and early summer, and even then it is too satisfying, not sufficiently delicate. The man who gives salmon during the winter, I care not what sauce he serves with it, does an injury to himself and his guests. Terrapin is with us as national a dish as canvasback, and at the choicest dinners is often a substitute for fish. It is a shell- fish, and an admirable change from the oft repeated filet de sole or filet dc bass. At the South, terrapin soup, with plenty of eggs in it, was a dish for the gods, and a standard dinner party dish in days when a Charleston and Savannah dinner was an event to live for. But no French- ENTER TAIXING. 261 man ever made this soup. It requires the native born culinary genius of the African. Now when we mention the word ter- rapin, we approach a very delicate sub- ject, involving- a rivalry between two great cities ; a subject that has been agitated for thirty years or more, and is still agi- tated, i.e. the proper way of cooking ter- rapin. The Baltimoreans contending that the black stew, the chafing dish system, simply adding to the terrapin salt, pep- per, and Madeira, produce the best dish ; while the Philadelphians contend that by fresh butter and cream they secure greater results. The one is known as the Balti- more black stew ; the other, as the Tren- ton stew, this manner of cooking terra- pin originating in an old eating club in Trenton, N. J. I must say I agree with the Philadelphians. And now, leaving the fish, we come to the piece de resistance of the dinner, called the relcv<^. No Frenchman will ever will- t 262 SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. ingly cook a ladies' dinner and give any- thing coarser or heavier than a filet de boeitf. He will do it, if he has to, of course, but he will think you a barbarian if you order him to do it. I eschew the mifshroom and confine myself to the truffle in the treatment of the filet. I oftentimes have a filet a la mcelle de boeiifi. or a la jar- dinih'e. In the fall of the year, turkey poiLlts a la Bordelaise, or a la Toulouse, or a saddle of Southdown mutton or lamb, are a good substitute. Let me here say that the American turkey, as found on Newport Island, all its feathers being jet black and its diet grasshoppers, is excep- tionally fine. Now for the entrdes. In a dinner of twelve or fourteen, one or two hot entrees and one cold is sufficient. If you use the truffle with the filet, making a black sauce, you must follow it with a white sauce, as a riz de veau a la Toiiloitse, or a siipreuie de volaille ; then a e/iaud-frold, say of pdtd de foie gras en Belleviie, which simply EN TER TA INING. 263 means pdt^ de foie gras incased in jelly. Then a hot vegetable, as artichokes, sauce Barigoiilc, or Italiciinc, or asparagus, sauce Hollandaise. Then your sorbet, known in France as la sjirprise, as it is an ice, and produces on the mind the effect that the dinner is finished, when the grandest dish of the dinner makes its appearance in the shape of the roast canvasbacks, woodcock, snipe, or truffled capons, with salad. I must be permitted a few words of and about this sorbet. It should never be flavored with rum. A true Parisian sorbet is simply pimcJi a la Toscane,'' flavored with Maraschino or bitter almonds ; in other words, a homoeopathic dose of prus- sic acid. Then the sorbet is a digestive, and is intended as such. Granit, or water ice, flavored with rum, is universally given here. Instead of aiding digestion, it im- pedes it, and may be dangerous. A Russian salad is a pleasing novelty at times, and is more attractive if it comes in the shape of a Macedoine de legumes, 1 264 SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. Camembert cheese, with a biscuit, with which you serve your Burgundy, your old Port, or your Johannisberg, the only place in the dinner where you can introduce this latter wine. A genuine Johannisberg, I may say here, by way of parenthesis, is rare in this country, for if obtained at the Chateau, it is comparatively a dry wine ; if it is, as I have often seen it, still lusciously sweet after having been here twenty years or more, you may be sure it is not a genu- ine Chateau wine. The French always give a hot pudding, as pudding stiedoise, or a crotitc an Madcrc, or ananas, but I always omit this dish to shorten the dinner. Then come your ices. The fashion now is to make them very ornamental, a cornucopia for instance, but 1 prefer a ponding Nessclrode, the best of all the ices if good cream is used. MADEIRAS. 265 CHAPTER XX. Madeira the King of Wines — // took its Name from the Ship it came in — Daniel Webster and " Butler l6 " — How Philadelphians "fine" their Wines — A Southern Wine Party — An Expert's shrewd Guess — 77^1? Newton Cordons — Prejudice against Malmsey — Madeira should be kept in the Garret — Some famous Brands. Having had your champagne from the fish to the roast, your vin ordinaire through the dinner, your Burgundy or Johannisberg, or fine old Tokay (quite equal to any Johannisberg), with the cheese, your best claret with the roast, then after the ladies have had their fruit and have left the table, comes on the king of wines, your Madeira ; a national wine, a wine only well matured at the South, and a wine whose history is as old as is that of our country. I may here say, that Madeira imparts a vitality that no other wine can give. After drink- ing it, it acts as a soporific, but the next 267 268 SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. day you feel ten years younger and stronger for it. I have known a man, whose dinners were so famous by reason of his being always able to give at them a faultless Madeira, disappear with his wine. When his wine gave out, he col- lapsed. When asked, "Where is Mr. Jones?" the ready answer w^as always given, "He went out with his 'Rapid' Madeira." Families prided themselves on their Madeira. It became an heirloom (as Tokay now is, in Austria). Like the ele- phant, it seemed to live over three score years and ten. The fine Madeiras were fine when they reached this country. Age improved them, and made them the poe- try of wine. They became the color of amber and retained all their orio^inal flavor. But it is an error to suppose that age ever improved a poor Madeira. If it came here poor and sweet, it remained poor and sweet, and never lost its sweet- ness, even at seventy or eighty years, MADEIRAS. 269 while the famous Madeiras, dating as far back as 1791, if they have been properly cared for, are perfect to this day. W e should value wine like women, for ma- turity, not age. These wines took their names generally from the ships in which they came over. There is no more sensitive wine to climatic influences. A delicate Madeira, taken only a few blocks on a cold, raw day, is not fit to drink ; and again, you might as well give a man champagne out of a horse bucket, as to give him a Ma- deira in a thick sherry or claret glass, or a heavy cut glass. The American pipe- stem is the only glass in which Madeira should be given, and when thus given, is, as one of our distinguished men once said, " The only liquid he ever called wine." This ouofht to be o-iven as was done by the Father of the Roman Lucul- lus, who never saw more than a single cup of the Phanean wine served at one time at his father's table. 270 SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. A friend of mine once gave the pro- prietor of the Astor House, for cour- tesies extended to him, a dozen of his finest Madeira. He had the curiosity years after to ask his host of the Astor what became of this wine. He replied, ^Daniel Webster came to my house, and I opened a bottle of it for him, and he remained in the house until he had drunk up every drop of it." This was the famous " Butler 16." As in painting there are the Murillo and Correggio schools, the light ethereal conceptions of womanhood, as against the rich Titian colorincr ■ so in Madeira, there is the full, round, strong, rich wine, liked by some in preference to the light, delicate, straw-colored, rain-water wines. Philadelphians first took to this character of wine. They judiciously " fined " their wine, and produced simply a perfect Madeira, — to be likened to the best Johannisberg, and naturally so, it having similar qualities, as it is well known that MADEIRAS. 271 the Sercial Madeira, the " king pin " of all Madeiras, was raised from a Rhine grape taken to the Island of Madeira. And here let me say, that "fining," by using only the white of a perfectly fresh egg and Spanish clay, is proper and judicious, but milk is ruinous. The eggs in Spain are famous, and are thus used. In Savannah and Charleston, from 1800 up to our Civil War, afternoon wine parties were the custom. You were asked to come and taste Madeira, at 5 P.M., after your dinner. The hour of din- ing in these cities was then always 3 p.m. The mahogany table, which reflected your face, was set with finger bowls, with four pipe-stem glasses in each bowl, olives, parched ground nuts and almonds, and half a dozen bottles of Madeira. There you sat, tasted and commented on these wines for an hour or more. On one occasion, a gentleman, not having any wine handy, mixed half " Catherine Banks" and half "Rapid." On tasting 272 SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. the mixture, a great wine expert said if he could beheve his host capable of mix- ing a wine, he would say it was "half Catherine Banks and half Rapid." This was after fifteen men had said they could not name the Madeira. A distinguished stranger having re- ceived an invitation to one of these wine parties from the British Consul, replied, " Thanks, I must decline, for where I dine I take my wine." The oldest and largest shippers of Madeira were the Newton Gordons, who sent the finest Madeiras to Charleston and Savannah. From 1791 to 1805, their firm was Newton Gordon, Murdock, & Scott. One hundred and ten years ago, they sent five hundred pipes of Madeira in one shipment to Savannah. These wines sent there were the finest Sercials, Buals, and Malmseys. All those wines were known as extra Madeiras. The highest priced wine, a Manigult Hey ward wine, I knew forty years ago ; it was MADEIRAS. 273 ninety years old — perfect, full flavored, and of y^ood color and streno^th. In Charleston and Savannah from 1780 to 1840, almost every gentleman ordered a pipe of wine from Madeira. I know of a man who has kept this up for half a century. There is a common prejudice against Malmsey, as being a lady's wine, and sweet ; when very old, no Madeira can beat it. I have now in my cellar an "All Saints" wine, named after the famous Savannah Ouoit Club, imported in 1791 ; a perfect wine, of exquisite flavor. My wife's grandfather imported two pipes of Madeira every year, and my father-in-law continued to do this as long as he lived. When he died he had, as I am told, the largest private cellar of Madeira in the United States. All his wines w^ere Newton Gordons. He made the fatal mistake of hermeti- cally sealing them in glass gallon bot- tles, with ground glass stoppers, keeping 274 SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. them in his cellar ; keeping them from light and air, preventing the wine from breathing, as it were. It has taken years for them to recover from this treat- ment. Madeira should be kept in the garret. A piece of a corn cob is often a good cork for it. Light and air do not injure it ; drawing it off from its lees occasion- ally, makes it more delicate, but, if done too often, the wine may spoil, as its lees support and nourish it. The sfreat New York Madeiras, famous Avhen landed and still famous, were "The Marsh and Benson, 1809," "The Coles Madeira," " The Stuyvesant," " The Clark," and "The Eliza." In Philadel- phia, " The Butler, 16." In Boston, The " Kirby," the " Amory 1800," and "1811," "The Otis." In Baltimore, "The Mar- shall," the "Meredith," or "Great Un- known," " The Holmes Demijohn," " The Mob," "The Colt." In Charleston, "The Rutledge," " The Hurricane," "The Earth- MADEIRAS. 275 quake," " The Maid," " The Tradd- street." In Savannah, "The All Saints" (1791), "The Catherine Banks," "The Louisa Cecilia" (1818), "The Rapid," 18 1 7, and "The Widow." CHAMPAGNES AND OTHER WINES. CHAPTER XXI. Br lit Champagne — Another Revolution in treatment of this Wine — // must be Old to be good — '74 Cham- pagne worth $8 a bottle in Paris — How to frappi Champagne — The best Clarets — Ei^en your Vin Ordi- naire should be Decanted — Sherries — Spaniards drink them from the Wood — / prefer this way — The "famous Forsyth Sherry" — A Wine-cellar ttot a Necessity. The fashionable world here have ac- cepted the Briit champagne, and avoid all other kinds; ladies even more than men. But another revolution is to occur in this country in the next five years in the treat- ment of this wine. W e will soon follow the example of our English brethren and never drink it until it is from eicjht to ten years old. A year or two ago one of the most fashionable men in London asked me to assist him in orderingf a dinner at Del- monico's. When we came to ordering the wines, he exclaimed asfainst the cham- pagne. "What!" said he, "drink a cham- 279 28o SOCIETY AS I HAVE EOUND IT. pagne of 1880. Why, it is too absurd!" I told him it was that or nothing, for we were far behind them in England, drinking new champagnes and having no old ones. The idea is prevalent that champagne will not keep in this climate. After a few years one will always order his supply from abroad yearly, keeping his champagne at his London wine mer- chant's or at the vineyard. To evidence the improvement in champagne by age, I can only cite that the champagne of 1874 has sold in London at auction for $7 a bottle, and now in Paris and Lon- don you pay $8 a bottle for a '74 wine at a restaurant, and $6 for an 1880 wine ; at the vineyard itself $45 a dozen, and hard to obtain at this price. If you once drink one of these old cham- pagnes you will never again drink a fresh wine. In England they now drink no Madeira ; it is never served. At their dinners they pride themselves on giving 1874 champagne. If they can give this ClIAMPAGXES AND OTHER WINES. 281 wine, with a Golden Sherry and a fine glass of Port, they are satisfied. It will be well to remember that cham- pagnes are now known to connoisseurs by their \'intage. Wines of some vin- tages do not keep at all. In keeping champagnes, keep onl\', or order kept for you, the champagnes of the best vintages. Of course, there is much risk in keeping any champagne ; but what all strive for, is to possess something that no one else has ; that is not purchasable, I mean, in any quantity, and this now is 1874 champagne. To properly fyappd champagne, put in the pail small pieces of ice, then a lajer of rock salt, alternating these layers until the tub is full. Put the bottle in the tub ; be careful to keep the neck of the bottle free from the ice, for the quantit\' of wine in the neck of the bottle beine small, it would be acted upon by the ice first. If possible, turn the bottle every five minutes. In twenty-five min- utes from the time it is put in the tub, 282 SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. it should be in perfect condition, and should be served immediately. What I mean by perfect condition is, that \vhen the wine is poured from the bottle, it should contain little flakes of ice ; that is a real frappe. It is often a mistake to frappe, for it takes both flavor and boch' from the wine, and none but a very rich, fruit)' wine should ever be /rapped. My theory is that for ordinary cooling of wine, it is not necessary to use salt, unless you are in a hurry. The salt intensifies the cold and makes it act more quickly. You get a speedier result. I should simply use above formula, omitting the salt. Champagne should not be left in a re- frioferator for several hours before being: served, as it takes away its freshness. In servinof it, for one who likes it cold, the wine should be cooled sufficiently to form a bead on the outside of the glass into which it is poured. It is pretty, and the perfection of condition. CHAMPAGNES AND OTHER WINES. 283 In regard to champagne of excellent years, we begin with 1857, as there were no first-rate vintages of this wine between 1846 and 1857. The great years were: 1834, 1846, 1857, 1858, 1861, 1862, 1865, 1868, 1870, 1872, and 1874, the last ex- ceptionally fine and keeping well ; 1878, 1880, and 1884, fine wines; 1885 is fair, but not to be classed with the 1884. The Romans noted the years of the celebrated growths of their wines, marked them on their wine vessels, when Rome was a Re- public, with the Consul's name, which in- dicated the vintage. A celebrated vintage was that of the year 632, when Opimius was Consul. It was in high esteem a century afterwards. In clarets, we also make a mistake; we cling to them when by age they become too thin and watery. One fills up one's wine cellar with claret, and then tena- ciously holds it, until it frequent!}' loses the fine characteristics of a first-class wine. The clarets of 1854 promised very great 284 SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. things, but were certainly a failure in La- tour, and in some of the other wines of that year; 1857, 1858, 1881, some were good. The claret of 1865 was an extrava- gant wine, but developed a good deal of acidity, and is not to-day held in very high esteem, but I have tasted some perfect of that year. 1868 promised much, but has not turned out as good as was ex- pected. 1869 sold at very low prices, but has become the best wine of very recent years. 1870 was a very big, full-bodied wine ; it is now very good. Of 1871, some of them are excellent (as Haut Brion, Lafitte, Latour). The 1874's were very good, Latour the best ; 1875 was very good; 1877, quite good; 1878, very good; 1879, only moderate; 1880, light and delicate, quite good ; 1881, big wines, very promising; 1884 promised well, and 1887 promised to be great wines. I do not think it is easy to be certain of Bor- deaux wines until they have been in bot- tles some years. A wine which while in CHAMPAGXES AND OTHER WINES. 285 the wood may be excellent, may not ripen the right sort of way in bottles and prove disappointing. Decant all your clarets before serving them, even your vin ordi- naire. If at a dinner you give both Bur- gu-ndy and claret, give your finest claret with the roast, your Burgundy with the cheese. Stand up both wines the morn- ing of the dinner, and in decanting, hold the decanter in your left hand, and let the wine first pour against the inside of the neck of the decanter, so as to break its fall. With Burgundy, the Clos "V^ou- oeots have run out. The insect has destroyed them. The Chambertins or Romance Conti, when you give them to those who can appreciate fine wines, have a telling effect. Table sherries should be decanted and put in the refrigerator one hour before dinner. Personall)-, as a table sherry I prefer to drink the new, light, delicate sherries, as they come from Spain, directly from the wood, before they are 286 SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. darkened by being kept in glass, and before all the water, that is always in them, has disappeared. This is the taste of the Spanish people themselves. They drink them from the wood. There is no need of having a large cellar of wine in this country, for we Americans are such Arabs, that we are never contented to stay quietly at home and enjoy our country, and our own per- fect climate. No sooner have we built a charming residence, including a wine cellar, than we must needs dash off to Europe, to see what the Prince of Wales is doing, so that literally a New Yorker does not live in his New York residence, at most, more than four or five months in the year. In the other seven or eight, his servants have ample time to leisurely drink up the wine in his cellar, bottle by bottle ; therefore, I advise against laying in any large supply of wine. Your wine merchant will always supply you with all wines excepting old clarets ; these you CHAMPAGNES AXD OTHER WINES. 287 must have a stock of ; and, as servants do not take to claret, )"ou are compara- tiveh' safe in hoarding up a good lot of it. Your old champagnes you can order from London, i.e. a winter's supply, every )'ear, for as they say it will not keep in this climate, )-ou must do so to get it of any asi'e. When sherrv becomes old and has been kept some time in glass, they then drink it in Spain as a liqiietir. If you cannot get hold of the best, the very best and finest old Madeira, give up that wine and take to sherry. I have seen sherry that could not be distin- guished from Madeira by experts. Again, I have seen a superb sherry bring a hun- dred dollars a dozen. The most perfect sherry I ever drank was the " Fors)-th sherry," given to Vice-President Forsyth by the Queen of Spain, when he was the American Minister at her Court. I grive during dinner a light, delicate, dry Mon- tilla sherry. At dessert, with and after fruit, a fine Amontillado. DINNERS. 289 I CHAPTER XXII. Assigning Guests at Dinner — The Boston fashion dying out — 77/1? approved Manner — Going in to Dinner — Time to be spent at table — Table Decoration — Too many flowers in bad taste — Simplicity the best style — Queen Victoria's table — Her Dinner served at 8:15, but she eats her best meal at 2 P.M. — Being late at Dinner a breach of good Manners — A Dinner ac- ceptance a sacred Obligation — A Visile de digestion. The Boston fashion adopted here for years, of one's finding, on entering the house in which he was to dine, a small envelope on a silver salver in which was inclosed a card bearing on it the name of the lady assigned to him to take in to dinner, though still in use, is, however, going out of fashion. We are returning to the old habit of assigning the guests in the drawingf-room. In going in to dinner, there is but one rule to be observed. The lady of the house in almost every case goes in last, all her guests preceding her, with this ex- 291 292 SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. ception, that if the President of the United States dines with you, or Royalty, he takes in the lady of the house, preceding all of the guests. When no ladies are present, the host should ask the most distinguished guest, or the person to whom the dinner is given, to lead the way in to dinner, and he should follow all the guests. The cards on the plates indicate his place to each one. By gesture alone, the host directs his guests to the dining-room, say- ing aloud to the most distinguished guest, "Will you kindly take the seat on my right ? " The placing of your guests at table re- quires an intimate knowledge of society. It is only by constant association that you can know who are congenial. If you are assigned to one you are indifferent to, your only hope lies in your next neigh- bor ; and with this hope and fear you enter the dining-room, not knowing who that will be. At the table conversation should be crisp ; it is in bad taste to DINNERS. 293 absorb it all. Macaulay, at a dinner, would so monopolize it that the great wit, Sydney Smith, said he did not distinguish between monolooue and dialooue. When the President of the United States goes to a dinner, all the guests must be assembled ; they stand in a horse- shoe circle around the salon ; the Presi- dent enters ; when the lady of the house approaches him, he gives her his arm, and they lead the way to the dining-room, the President sitting in the host's place, with his" hostess on his rio^ht. On arrivinof at the house where he is to dine, if the guests are not all assembled, he remains in his carriage until he is notified that they are all present. No one can rise to leave the table until the President himself rises. If he happens to be deeply in- terested in some fair neighbor, and takes no note of time, the patience of the com- pany is sadly tried. On entering a sahji and findino- \-our- self surrounded b)- noted or fashionable 294 SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. people, you are naturally flattered at be- ing included ; if the people are unnoted, you are annoyed. The surprise to me is that in this city our cleverest men and politicians do not oftener seek society and become its brilliant ornaments, as in England and on the Continent of Europe. Disraeli, Mr. Gladstone, Lord Palmerston, all were in society and were great diners out. In fact, all the distinguished men of Europe make part and parcel of society ; whilst here, they shirk it as if it were beneath their dignity. They should know that there is no power like the social power; it makes and unmakes. The proverb is that, " The way to a man's heart is through the stomach." Now as to the length of a good din- ner. Napoleon the Third insisted on being served in three-quarters of an hour. As usual here we run from one extreme to another. One of our most fashionable Avomen boasted to me that she had dined out the day before, and the time con- DINNERS. 295 sumed from the hour she left her house, until her return home, was but one hour and forty minutes. This is absurd. A lover of the flesh pots of Egypt grum- bled to me that his plate was snatched away from him by the servant before he could half get through the appetizing morsel on it. This state of things has been brought about by stately, handsome dinners, spun out to too great length. One hour and a half at the table is long enough. A word about the decoration of the table. In this we are now agrain runnino- from one extreme to the other, A few years ago, the florist took possession of the table, and made a flower garden of it, regardless of cost. Now, at the best dinners, you see perhaps in the centre of the table one handsome basket of flowers ; no bouquets de corsage or bouton- nicrcs : the table set with austere sim- plicit)' ; a few silver dishes with bonbons and cotnpotiers of fruit, that is all. Now, 296 SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. nothing decorates a dinner table as flowers do, and of these I think the Gloire dc Paris roses, the Rothschild rose, and Captain Chrystie's the most effective. A better result is produced by having all of one kind of flower, be it roses, or tulips, or carnations. It is now the fashion to have the most superb embroidered table-cloths from Paris, in themselves costing nearly a year's income. But it is to be remem- bered that thirty years ago we imported from England the fashion of placing in the centre of the table a handsome piece of square scarlet satin, on which to place the silver. At the dinner the eye should have a feast as well as the palate. A beautifully laid table is very effective. I have seen Her Majesty's table at Wind- sor Castle all ready for her. I have heard her footmen, in green and gold, re-echo from hall to kitchen the note that "dinner is served," and then I was told to go ; but I saw all I wanted to DINNERS. 297 see. Her six footmen placed their hands on the little velvet Bishop's cap, which covered the lion and the unicorn in frosted gold on the cover of her six entree dishes ; as dinner was announced, this velvet cap was removed. The keeper of her jewel room has a large book of lithographs of just the pieces of gold plate that are to decorate Her Majesty's table on different occasions, all regulated by the rank of her guest. Her Majesty, in the time of Prince Albert, dined at 8:15. Her head chef informed me then that her real dinner was eaten at 2 p.m., with the Prince of Wales, and it was for this he exercised his talent. At eioht and a quarter she took but soup and fish. It is to be borne in mind that a host or hostess cannot be too courteous or gracious to their guests ; and again, that guests in being late at dinner oftentimes commit a breach of politeness. Apropos of this, whilst in Paris one of our Minis- ters to the French Court related to me 298 SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. the following anecdote, illustrating true French politeness. His daughter arrived late at the dinner of a high personage. When her father remonstrated, she replied, " Did you not see that one of the family arrived after us?" The next day our Minister heard that the Duchess, with whom he had dined, had sent her daucrh- ter out of the room to come in after them, to relieve them of any embarrass- ment at being late. Another point has had some discussion. At a large dinner, where the only lady is the hostess, should she rise and receive each guest ? This is still a vexed question. Again, at a large dinner of men, is it incumbent on every one present to rise on the entrance of each guest ? On one occasion I failed myself to do this, not thinking it necessary. The distinguished man who entered said afterwards that I had "slighted him." It was certainly unintentional. In a small room, if all get up, it must create confusion. DINNERS. 299 If you intend to decline an invitation to dinner, do so at as early a date as possible. A dinner invitation, once ac- cepted, is a sacred obligation. If you die before the dinner takes place, your exec- utor must attend the dinner. (This is not to be taken literall)', but to illustrate the obligation.) The person to whom the dinner is given takes in the hostess, if she is present, going in first with her ; that is, if it is only men (no ladies present but the hostess). Should there be ladies, he still takes in the hostess, but then follows all the guests ; going in with the hostess after all the guests. The only exception to this rule is where the President of the United States, or Royalty dines with you. In England, in the note of invitation to dinner, you are never asked to meet any one but Royalty. The distinction of rank makes the reason for this obvious. If Royalty dines with you, at the top of the note of invitation, in the left 3°° SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. hand corner, it is written : " To meet His Ro)al Highness," or other Royalty. Our custom is otherwise. It is to invite you to meet Mr. Robinson, or Mrs. Robinson, or Mr. and Mrs. Robinson. This is accepted and approved by all in this country, for in this way you are privileged to invite, at a day's notice, any number of guests ; for one sees it is to meet a stranger, temporarily here ; a suffi- cient reason for so short a notice to a large dinner ; besides which you have it in your power to pay the stranger or strangers a compliment in a pointed way, by making them or him the honored guest of that dinner. If you propose accepting, your note of acceptance should be sent the day after the invitation has been received. After dining at a ladies' dinner it is obligatory that you leave your card at the house where you have dined, either the next day or within a day or two. This is called, by the French, a visite dc digestion. DINNEKS. 301 In England, this custom is dying out, for men have not the time to do it. I would here compare society to a series of intersecting circles ; each one is a circle of its own, and thev all unite in making what is known as general society. Meet- ing people at a large ball is no evidence of their beinof received in the smaller circles. What the French call the petit comite of good society is the inmost circle of all, but, naturally, it is confined to a very few. Meeting a person constantly at dinner, at the most exclusive houses, should be sufficient evidence to you that he or she is received everywhere, and if you find people persistently excluded from the best houses at dinners, you may be satisfied that there is some good reason for it. When you introduce a man into the sanctuary of your own family, it is sup- posed by a fiction to be the greatest compliment you can pay him ; but do not be misled by this, for there is nothing 302 SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. more trying to the guest than to be the one outsider. A friend of mine invari- ably refuses such invitations. " Why," said he, " my dinner at home is suffi- ciently good ; I am called out with my wife, — both of us compelled to don our best attire, order the carriage, and go to see and be with, whom ? A family whose members are not particularly interesting to us." Men with whom you are only on a business footing you should dine at your Club, and not inflict them on your family. COOKS AND CATERING. 303 CHAPTER XXIII. Some practical Questions ansivered — Difference be- tween Men and Women Cooks — Swedish IVomen the cleanest and most economical — My bills with a Chef — My bills with a Jl'oman Cook — Hints on Marketing — / have done tny o^tvn Buying for forty years — Mme. Rothschild personally supervises her famous Dinners — Menu of an old fashioned South- ern Dinner — Success of an Impromptu Banquet. Twenty years ago there were not over xhv&Q chefs in private families in this city. It is now the exception not to find a man of fashion keeping a first-class chef or a famous cordon b/ai. In the last six years Swedish women cooks have come over here, and are excellent, and by some supposed to be better than chefs. Xo woman, in my opinion, can give as fin- ished a dinner as a man. There is always a somethins: in the dinner which has es- caped her. It is like German and Italian opera, — there is a finish to the Italian that the Germans can never get. But 305 3o6 SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. Swedish cooks deserve special mention ; they are really wonderful — cleanliness itself. That is where the French chef fails. He must have scullions tracking his very footsteps to keep things clean, while the Swedish woman does her work without making dirt. These women get nearly as large wages as the men, — sixty dollars a month and a scullion maid. What a contrast to livinfj in France ! I had the best chef in Pau in 1856 for twenty-five dollars, and the scullion re- ceived three dollars a month. The question is often asked. What is the difference in expense to a household between a chef or a woman cook ? This question is only learned by experience, which teaches me that with a woman, my butcher's bill would be $250 to $275 a month ; with a chef, $450 to $500. Gro- cer's bill, with woman cook, say, $75 ; with a chef, $125. This does not include entertaininof. For a dinner of twelve or fourteen one's marketing is easily sixty COOK'S AND CATERING. 307 dollars, without the foic gras or fruit. An A I chef's wages is $100 a month; he takes ten per cent, commission on the butcher,, grocer, baker, and milkman's bill. If he does not get it directly, he gets it indirectly. In other words, besides his waofes, he counts on these commissions. I speak now of the ablest and best ; others not quite so capable take five per cent. Always remember that the Frenchman is a creature of impulses, and works for two things, glory and money. An every- day dinner wearies him, but a dinner privc, a special dinner, oh, this calls forth his talent, which shows that the custom some have of calling in and employing a chef to cook them a special dinner is correct. If you do not keep a cJuf out of respect for your purse or your health, it is a good plan to know of an "artist" whom you can employ on special occasions, with the express agreement that he submits the list of what he wants, and lets you 3o8 SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. make the purchases, for these gentry like to make a little economic, which always benefits themselves, and such economic gives you poor material for him to work upon, instead of good. How often have I heard a hostess boast, " I never give any attention to the details of my dinner, I simply tell my butler how many people we are to have." In nine cases out of ten this is apparent in the dinner. Madame Rothschild, who has always given the best dinners in Paris, personally super- vises everything. The great Duchess of Sutherland, the Queen's friend, when she entertained, inspected every arrangement personally herself. I daily comment to my cook on the performance of the pre- vious day. No one, especially in this country, can accomplish great results with- out orivincr time and attention to these details. No French cook will take any interest in his work unless he receives praise and criticism ; but above all things, COOKS AND CATERING. you must know how to criticise. If he finds you are able to appreciate his work when good, and condemn it when ])ad, he improves, and gives you something of vahie. Now let us treat of dinners as given before the introduction of chefs, and still preferred by the majority of people. The best talent with poor material may Qfive a fair dinner, but if the material is poor, the dinner will evidence it. For forty years I have always marketed myself and secured the respect of ni)' butcher, lettinq- him know that I knew as much if not more than he did. In selecting your shin of beef, remem- ber that a fresh shin is always the best for soup. In choosing fish, look at their gills, which should be a bright red. See your Jilct cut with the fat well marbled, cut from young beef. Sweet- breads come in pairs ; one fine, one in- ferior. Pay an extra price, and get your butcher to cut th(Mn apart and give you 3IO SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. only the two large heart breads, leaving to him the two thin throat breads to sell at a reduced price. In poultry there are two kinds of fat, yellow and white. Fowls fed on rice have white fat ; those on corn meal, yellow fat. By the feet of the bird, you can tell its age. The black and red feathered fowls are always preferred. Never take a gray feathered bird. Look at the head of the canvasback and the redhead ; see them together, and then you will readily see the birds to pick, i.e. the canvasback. Weigh in your hand each snipe or woodcock ; the weight will tell you if the bird is fat and plump. In bu}'ing terrapin, look at each one, and see if they are the simon-pure dia- mond back Chesapeakes. In choosing your saddle of rnutton, take the short-legged ones, the meat coming well down the leg, nearly reaching the foot ; a short, thick, stubby little tail ; COOKS AND CATERING. must have the look of the pure South- down, with black legs and feet. Of hothouse grapes, I find the large white grapes the best, Muscats of Alex- and ria. Parch and grind your coffee the day you drink it. Always buy green coffee. Never use the small timbalcs of pdtc de foie gras, generally given one to each guest. Always have an entire foic gras, be it large or small, for in this way you are apt to get old foie gras thus worked up. Always buy your foic gras from an A r house, never from the butcher or fruiterer. I here give as a recollection of the j^ast the MENU OF AN OLD-FASHIONED SOUTHERN DINNER. Terrapin Soup and Oyster Soup, or Mock Turtle Soup, Soft shell or Cylindrical nose Turtle.* Boiled fresh water Trout (known with us at the North as Chub). * This turtle is only found in the ditches of the rice fields, and is the most valued delicacy of the South. It is too delicate to 312 SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. Shad stuffed and baked (we broil it). Boiled Turkey, Oyster sauce. A roast Peahen. Boiled Southern Ham. Escalloped oysters. Maccaroni with cheese. Prawn pie. Crabs stuffed in shell. Roast Ducks. A haunch of Venison. Dessert. Plum Pudding. Mince Pies. Trifle. Floating Island. Blanc Mange. Jelly. Ice Cream. On repeatedly visiting the West Indies, I found that two of the best CaroHna and Georgia dishes, supposed always to have emanated from the African brain, were imported from these islands, and really had not even their origin there, but were brought from Bordeaux to the West In- dies, and thence were carried to the South. I refer to the Cj-ab a la Creole, and Les Aubergines farcies a la Bordc- laise. After the grreat revolution, when the Africans of Hayti drove from the island transport to the North. I have made several attempts to do this, but invariably failed, the turtle dying before it could reach New York. Its shell is gelatinous, all of which is used in the soup. It is only caught in July and August, and even then it is very rare, and brings a high price. COOKS AND CATERING. their former masters, crood French cook- intr came with them to Baltimore, and Other parts of the South. In talking of Southern dishes, I must not forget the Southern barnyard-fed turkey. They were fattened on small rice and were very fine. In discussing Southern din- ners, I cannot omit making mention of the old Southern butler, quite an in- stitution ; devoted to his master, and taking as much pride in the family as the family took in itself. Among Southern household servants (all colored people), the man bore two names as well as the woman. The one he answered to as servant, the other was his title. Whenever, as a boy, I wanted particu- larly to gratify my father's old butler, I would ofive him his title, which was " Major Brown." tie was commonly called Nat. I remember, on one occa- sion, a cjuest at mv father's table ask- ing Major Brown to hand him the rice, whilst he was eating fish. The old ijrav- 314 SOCIETY AS I HAVE EOUXD IT. haired butler drew himself up with great dignity, and replied, " Massa, we don't eat rice with fish in this house." a Some features of the everyday South- ern dinner were pilaii, i.e. boiled chickens on a bed of rice, with a large piece of bacon between the chickens ; " Hoppin John," that is, cowpeas with bacon ; okra soup, a staple dish ; shrimp and prawn pie ; crab salad ; pompey head (a stuffed Jilct of veal) ; roast quail and snipe, and, during the winter, shad daily, boiled, broiled and baked. As there is reciprocity in everything, if you dine with others, they, in turn, must dine with you. Passing several winters at Nassau, N.P., I dined twice a week, regularly, with the Governor of the Bahamas. I suQ^g-ested to him the o <_> propriety of my giving him a dinner. He smiled, and said : " My dear fellow, I represent Her Majesty ; I cannot, in this town, dine out of my own house." COOKS AND CATERING. S^S "Egad!" said I, "then dine with me in the countr\' ! " "That will do," he replied; "but how will you, as a stranger, gef up a dinner in this land, where it is a daily struggle to get food ? " " Leave that to me," I said. The Governor's accepting this invitation, re- called a story my father oft related, which caused me some anxiety as to the ex- pense of my undertaking. A distinguished man with whom he was associated at the bar was sent as our Minister to Russia; when he returned home, my father inter- viewed him as to his Russian experience. He said, that after being repeatedly enter- tained by the ro)-al family, he felt that it was incumbent on him. in turn, to enter- tain them himself ; so he approached the Emperor's grand Chamberlain and ex- pressed this wish, who at once accepted J an Invitation to breakfast for the whole Imperial family. " McAllister," he said, " I gave that breakfast ; I was charmed 3i6 SOCIETY AS I NAVE FOUND IT. with its success, but my dear man, it took my entire fortune to pay for it. I have been a poor man ever since." Having this party on hand, I went to the chef of the hotel, interviewed him, found he had been at one time the head cook of the New York Hotel in this city ; so I felt safe in his hands. I went to work and made out a list of all the French dishes that could be successfully rechauffed. Such as cotclcttes de moitton en papillottc, vol an vent a la Jinanciere, boudins de volaille a la Richelieu, litubales de riz de veau, el quenelle de volaille ; a boiled Yorkshire ham, easily heated over, to cook which properly it must be sim- mered from six to seven hours until you can turn the bone ; then lay it aside twelve hours to cool ; then put it in an oven, and constantly baste it with a pint of cider. It must be served hot, even after being cut. The oftener it is placed in the oven and heated the better it becomes. Thus cooked, they have been COOKS AND CATERING. 317 by one of my friends hermetically sealed in a tin case and sent to several distin- guished men in England, who have found them a great delicacy. I then hired for the day for $20 a shut- up country place ; got plenty of English bunting, quantities of flowers ; saw that my champagne was of the best and well frappdd ; made a speech to the waiters and cook, urging them to show these Britishers what the Yankee could do when put to his stumps ; and then with a long cavalcade of cooks, waiters, pots, and pans, heading the procession myself, went off to my orange-grove retreat, some five miles from Nassau, made mv men work like beavers, and awaited the arrival of my sixty English guests, who were coming to see the American fiasco in the way of a country dinner and file. In they came, end great was their surprise when they beheld a table for sixty people, pieces months of confectionery, flowers, wines all nicely decanted, and a really good French 3l8 SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. dinner, at once served to them. I only relate this to show that where there is a will there is a way, and that you can so work upon a French cook's vanity that he will, on a spurt like this, outdo him- self. Marvelous to relate, the chef positively refused to be recompensed. " No, sir," he replied ; " I am well off ; I wish no pay. Monsieur has appreciated my efforts. Monsieur knows when things are well done. He has made a great suc- cess. All the darkies on this island could not have cooked that dinner. I am satis- fied." I was so pleased with the fellow, that when he broke down in health he came to me, and I had him as my cook two Newport summers. I kept him alive by giving him old Jamaica rum and milk, fresh from the cow, taken before his breakfast, — an old Southern remedy for consumption. Some of his remarks on Nassau are COOKS AND CATERING. 319 worthy of repeating. I said to him, ''Chef, why don't they raise vegetables on this fruitful island ? Why bring them all from New York?" " Monsieur," he replied, " here you sow your seed at night, by midnight it is ripe and fit to cook ; bv mornintr it has (>"one to seed. The same way witli sheep. You bring a flock of sheep here, with fine fleeces of wool ; in a few months they are goats, and not wool enough on them to plug your ears." BALLS. 321 CHAPTER XXIV. The "Banner Ball" — Hoif to prepare a Ball-room Floor — A curious Costutiie and a sharp Answer — The Turkish Ball — Indisposition of ladies to dance at a Public Ball — The Yorktown Centennial Ball — Com- mittees are Ungrateful — My Experience in this Mat- ter — / discover Mr. Blaine and introduce Myself. In 1876, asked by a committee of eighty-two ladies to act as Manager of a ball they were getting up at Chickering Hall, in aid of the " Centennial Union," to be called the " Banner Ball," I ac- cepted their flattering invitation to lead so fair a band of patriots. On examining the premises, I found that on a new floor they had put a heavy coat of varnish ; there was nothing then to be done but to sprinkle it thickly with corn ♦meal, and then sweep it off, and renew the dressing from time to time. It is well to say here that if a floor is too slippery (which it often is, if hard wood is used and it is new), there is nothing to 324 SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND' IT. be done but to sprinkle it with powdered pumice-stone, sweeping it off before danc- ing on it ; and again, if it is not slip- pery enough, then, as above, give it repeated doses of corn meal, and the roughest floor is soon put in good condi- tion to dance on. The opening quadrille of this ball was very effective. We formed in the second story of the Hall. I led the way to the ball-room with the " fairest of the fair," the dauo^hter of one of the most distin- guished men in this country (who had not only been Governor of this State, but Secretary of State of the United States). We were surrounded by a noble throng of old New Yorkers, all eager to view the opening quadrille. The ladies were in Colonial costumes, representing Lady Washington and the ladies of her court. As I walked through the crowded rooms, having on my arm one of our brilliant society women, "a flower which was not quite a flower, yet BALLS. 325 was no more a l)ucl," we met approach- ing us a lady in indeed gorgeous ap- parel — so gorgeous, that the lady on my arm at once accosted her with, " Good gracious, my dear Mrs. B , what have you got on ? Let me look at you." Her head was a mass of the most su- perb ostrich plumes Prince of Wales feathers, which towered above her, and as she advanced would bend gracefully forward, nodding to you, as it were, to approach and do her honor. Her dress, neck, and shoulders were ablaze with jewels and precious stones, and in her hand she carried an old Spanish fan, such as a queen might envy. The fol- lowing reply to the query came from this royal dame : " What have I got on ? Why, Madame, I had a grandmother ! " " Had you, indeed ! Then, if that was her garb, she must have been Pocahontas, or the Empress of Morocco ! " The war of words beginning to be a little sharp, I pressed on, only to meet another famous 326 SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. lady, whose birthplace was Philadelphia, and who had had no end of gfrandmothers. She wore a superb dress of scarlet and gold, tight-fitting, such as was worn during the Empire. Another young woman wore her great-grandmother's dress, pink and brown striped brocade, cut like Martha Washington's dress in the Republican Court, in Avhich her great grandmother figured. The wife of a prominent jurist, a remarkably handsome woman, with a grand presence and a noble carriage, repre- senting Lady Washington, wore, to all eyes, the most attractive costume there. During the winter of 1877, a Southern woman of warm sympathies, great taste, and natural ability, having married a young man of colossal fortune, was urged to take in hand the cause of the wounded Christians in the Russian-Turkish War, and raise funds to send to their relief. To do this, she formed the " Society of the Crescent and the Cross," and a ball was given under her auspices at the BALLS. Academy of Music, remembered in society as the " Turkish Ball." This lady did me the honor of making me the Chairman of the Tloor Commit- tee of that ball. Consulting with her, we selected the members of the opening quadrille, and took good care to choose the most brilliant women in this city. My partner was one of the greatest belles New York has ever had, a woman of such air and distinction, such beauty of face and charm of manner, as we read of, but rarely see. Our quadrille, formed on the stage of this large opera house, with the guests of the ball filling the galleries and look- ing down on it, was no sooner over than I found we were in this dilemma : Our little quadrille was left in full possession of the vast auditorium, and the ques- tion was, how to get the people to leave the boxes and come down to us. It was not in an)' way a full ball, and as the ladies who had danced in the c[uadrille 328 SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT. at once retired to their boxes, they left me, as it were, sole occupant of the dancin a-' 'tcv £)lcoC'Hi> % TVitf border of original is done in silver. 449 A PARIS MENU, 1890. Consomme Royal Crouslades Dieppoise Filet de Boeuf Renaissance Timbale de Supremes de Volailles Cuissot de Chevreuil sauce poivrade Salmis de Faisans et Perdrix Dinde a la Perigueux Foie gras a la Frangaise Salade de Laitue Pointes d'Asperges veloutee Glace Maltaise GAteaux Dessert Printed on a card 3% x ty%, ivitk mottled border in gold. A PARIS MENU. mil 5ii V'^ Pars %m\i:% k la gKoittegpau $M h Sauf aux Cijc^ (gimbale -de ^arclii Srup ^orl)ets au girscU gc'caKSCs i^otiw ^alade Saiaoit ycmard a la d'(DrIeatt8 getit^ goia a la Iran^aisi^ Casa^robs i'§lhicot^ gij^lflmate ^lace ®or«adoi[ (gat^aiwt |[ucqiiots gcssert RAPIDE e SUEDHOUOr The original is printed on parchment, ornament done in gold. 451 A PARIS MENU, 1890. Oytd omxruL' cu Original done on while piDx/imail, ornamenl in gold and black. 452 A NEW YORK MENU. r w O I ci'V 7Vi<> ca;