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ROBERT WILLIAMS BUCHANAN (1841 - 1901) |
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THE LITERARY LADIES’ DINNER
Harriett Jay attended the first ‘Literary Ladies’ Dinner’ at the Criterion Restaurant, London on May 31st 1889. The Daily Telegraph (24 May, 1889 - pp.4-5) WHAT is called without much felicity of phrase a “literary lady dinner” is announced to take place at the Criterion on the last day of this month. We wish it every success, although we hardly see the necessity of this separatist system in public festivity. No doubt the idea may have been started by way of revenge. Men at their public dinners exclude women, as a rule, although there are a few happy exceptions. Many reasons, no doubt, exist for this ungallant custom. In the first place, few ladies are so fond of a very good dinner and first-class wines as to pay a guinea or a guinea and a half for the elaborate feast set before the guests on the occasion of charity or commemoration banquets. Then they hardly have the patience to sit through the long meal, tasting dish after dish. A third reason for their absence is the extension of smoking. There was a time when, after men had dined, as many as liked adjourned to another and smaller room to smoke; now the smoking often commences immediately after the cloth is removed, and it is not every lady who can stand the ordeal of two or three hundred gentlemen smoking at once. These are put forward not as reasons why ladies are not usually invited to public dinners, but as excuses more or less legitimate for the fashion of the day. We fail to perceive, however, why the authoresses should dine by themselves. Were they all young mothers, anxious to compare notes as to baby’s first tooth or the comparative merits of rival infant foods, we could understand why the presence of men might prove a hindrance to the ample discussion of these really great questions. A féte of fashionable women might also find gentlemen in the way, for the details of dress can never be comprehended by men; they simply, as husbands, know the cost, or as admirers note the general effect. The authoresses, however, who are to assemble at the Criterion on the 31st are not all young mothers. Some of them are unmarried ladies, and “the children born of them” are essays, pamphlets, articles, and books. Then, as persons of high intellect, they are above the frivolities of the costumier or the milliner, preferring severe simplicity to the newest gown or hat from Paris. Why, then, are men to be excluded from this feast of reason and this flow of soul? One exception is made: there are to be male attendants, not waitresses. Is not this a slur upon the softer sex? Besides, who is to guarantee the conclave from the intrusion of all the authors of Great Britain, disguised as waiters, and anxious to gaze upon their fair rivals assembled around the board? ___
Pall Mall Gazette (29 May, 1889 - p.7) THE LITERARY LADIES’ DINNER. Much interest is being manifested in the literary ladies dinner which is to be held at the Criterion Restaurant on Friday. The number of guests is to be thirty, and the affair is to be strictly feminine, although on this point there has been some protest. One lady, indeed, who declined the committee’s invitation because she was going into the country, added that she would come to town for the dinner if the brethren of the craft were invited to share the feast with their sisters. But the committee stood firm, and even resisted the plea of seven gentlemen novelists who offered to come as waiters since they were not to be admitted as guests. When these were rejected, Mr. Robert Buchanan and Mr. Roden Noel asked if they might not come, being “only poets.” But even this plea failed. Miss Olive Schreiner will occupy the chair, and among the guests expected are Mrs. Humphry Ward, Mrs. Lynn Linton, and Mrs. Mona Caird. The idea of the dinner, which it is hoped will draw literary women into closer union, originated with Miss Honor Morten, a niece of William Black, and the beautiful wretch who is the heroine of one of his stories.—Manchester Examiner. ___
The Daily Telegraph (1 June, 1889 - p.5) Last night in the Prince’s Room of the Criterion Restaurant twenty-two of the fair sex sat down in solemn state to consume what was described on the menu (may we say ungrammatically?) as a “Ladies’ Literary Dinner.” The bill of fare in question may in itself be termed a quaint work of art, for it had on the one side a portrait of the King of Hades, with motto “Copy please,” and on the other, two cats, presumably females, disputing the possession of a small mouse of the masculine gender. The appropriate quotations were: “They could not sit at meals but feel how well it sooth’d each to be the other by,” and “Her ’prentice han’ she tried on man, and then she made the lassies, oh!” It must be admitted that the dainties consumed were not extravagant. “Consommé Sarah Bernhardt,” salmon, whitebait, filets of beef, roast duckling, and ices are not expensive articles of food. Nor can the literary lady be blamed for qualifying the solids with dry champagne, claret, and sherry, or finishing up with black coffee and liqueurs. The table was arranged in horseshoe shape, Mrs. Mona Caird taking the chair. Special instructions were issued to prevent the intrusion of man, except in his capacity of waiter. Indeed, the banquet, from the jealous way in which it was watched, might have been a feast of the favourites of the Seraglio. In default of a real guard of the Harem, the defence of the repast was left in the hands of M. Négro, who performed his duties most efficiently. It cannot be said that there were any beautiful dresses; rather be it recorded that the costumes were æsthetically comfortable, the silken blouse being especially conspicuous. After dinner there was speechmaking, less in denunciation of the old Adam and his descendants than in praise of the new Eve and her ways. There was a piano in the room; there were players and singers present. There was scope for recitation; Miss Harriett Jay is a dramatist and actress. The dinner at the Criterion was clearly a step further towards the goal of Woman Franchise. And like a votive offering, the fumes of cigarettes ascended to the shrine of Pallas Athene, as the literary ladies crowned one another with flowers of speech. ___
Pall Mall Gazette (1 June, 1889) WOMEN WHO WRITE. THE LITERARY LADIES’ DINNER. [BY OUR LADY REPRESENTATIVE.] They say—— What do they say? Well, broadly, this—that there never was and never is, and never will be, a more insipid and uninteresting assembly than that at which “women only” gather together for social purposes. And yet, with the dread possibility of a failure before our eyes, a failure which would be reported the next morning as surely as we saw the gentleman of the Daily News (I abstain in mercy from mentioning his name, though I could if I would) lounging round the doors of our antechamber when the clock was pointing towards 11 P.M., we entered the portals of the Criterion last night with the consciousness that we would be a party of women only. Eight o’clock was the dinner hour, and at eight we filed into our temporary drawing-room, most of us strangers to each other, but all of us eager to be strangers no more, but to do our “level best” for the establishment of a sisterhood of letters. Who knows not the subdued agony of the mauvais quart d’heure before a dinner party? But so resolved were we all to smooth matters over that in less than five minutes after entering the room, each guest was engaged in conversation with another guest, an entire stranger hitherto. A group of lively, laughing girls sat in a corner; a stately brunette leaned against the mantel-piece, intently studying a mysterious plan, together with a cheery, bright-eyed matron; a young Greek goddess in draperies of rosy pink stooped gracefully down to a bevy of ladies discussing some interesting topic, and ever and again a dark-haired girl in a gown of soft grey and vieux rose darted from group to group. Then dinner was announced, and presently we were (openly) studying the Mephistophelean menu. The menu was as follows:— |
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But she is not mentioned in the report below: |
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[From The Daily News (3 June 1892 - p.3).] The York Herald (4 June, 1892 - p.5) Some amusement was caused at the literary ladies’ dinner last night by the steady refusal of one of the company to give her name. The authoress of “Dr. Edith Romney,” was there, and received congratulations on the success of her new novel, but all efforts to ascertain her identity were futile. Under the circumstances, it is a matter of surprise that she attended the banquet, which appears to have been highly successful, though it was not graced by the presence of most of the best known literary ladies. ___
Harriett Jay’s attendance at the renamed Women Writers’ Dinners seems to have ended with the 1893 event, at least I have not found any further mentions of her name. A possible reason for this is the financial problems of the Buchanan household in 1894, which resulted in an appearance in the Bankruptcy Court for both Robert Buchanan and Miss Harriett Jay.
Lloyd’s Weekly Newspaper (4 June, 1893) WOMEN WRITERS’ DINNER. Under a slightly different title the “Literary Ladies” of former years met on Wednesday at the Criterion to hold their fifth annual dinner. The attendance was larger than usual, there being more than 50 guests present. Miss Mathilde Blind took the chair. The table was arranged in horse-shoe shape, and presented a very pretty sight, the bright dresses not being intermingled with black coats, as is usual at large gatherings. After dinner Miss Blind rose to propose the toast of “The Queen,” and stated that the Victorian age could boast a more celebrated roll of authoresses than all other ages put together, and this development was particularly gratifying as taking place under a woman Sovereign. In conclusion, Miss Blind suggested it would be well if Miss Christina Rossetti could be appointed Poet Laureate. The next speaker was Miss Christabel R. Coleridge, granddaughter of the poet, who took fiction for her theme. Miss Harriett Jay then gave a brief recitation, which was followed by a speech on poetry by Mrs. Hinkson, better known under her maiden name of Katherine Tynan. Mrs. Hinkson spoke with a delightful brogue. Miss Lowe, editor of the Queen, then spoke with authority on journalism, and gave an amusing account of the difficulties between lady reporters and printers. She said the only fault of the lady reporter was that she could not condense. When asked for an inch, she invariably gave an ell. Mme. Chevreur, who under the nom-de-plume of “Tasma,” has written some charming Australian novels, and who had come over from Brussels on purpose to be present, made a brief but bright speech, pleading that an International congress of women-writers ought to be held next year in Brussels. These speeches being over, it was proposed that the dinner should next year be replaced by a tea, but this feminine notion was scouted with laughter and cheers, and there seems no reason to believe that this annual feast will be abandoned. Amongst those present were Lady Lindsay, Lady Margaret Hamilton, Mrs. Molesworth, Mrs. L. T. Meade, Miss Alice Corkran, Mrs. William Sharp, Mrs. Meynell, Miss Emily Hickey, Mrs. Alfred Marks, Miss Beatrice Whitby, Mrs. Kent Spender, Miss Heather-Biggs, Miss Adeline Sergeant, Miss Mabel Collins, Miss Florence Balgarnie, and Miss Helen Shipton. _____
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