Litchfield enquirer., 1875-05-20
A Martha Washington Tea Party.
NORWICH. crMax 1sth 1s7s

':Martha Washington Tea Party" in Lltcll- field H'not, your ladies should imme- diately make preparations for one, and they could not do better than to initiate the charming entertainment we have just had Tn Norwich. A brief description of it may interest your readers, so venture to give it.
 On entering the Hall, the eye was at once attracted by the beautifully decorat- ed tables on every side. On closer obser- vation we saw that each bore a banner of one of the thirteen original states, and each table was loaded with every dellcacy pe- culiar to the state it represented. For instance, our own Connecticut" beside it's 'election cake" and 'sbaked beans, |" proudly reared a monument of wooden nutmegs. ''Massachusetts" had model of Bunker Hill Monument, and the famous Tea-Ship of Boston Harbor. beside its traditional "Brown Bread and other good things too numerous to describe.
 New Hampshire's speciality was pyra- mid of maple-sugar, and beautifully ex- ecuted model of the White Mountains, true to nature as moss and stone could make it.
 Rhode Island mingled romance with reality by it's famous clans reposing peacefully on the epergue of flowers which graced the centre of the table.
 New Jersey displayed canned fruits in profusion. New York had it's traditional New Year cakes and ''olykokes." Not having attended any of the spelling matches now in vogue, do net know how to spell this word, but it means a sort of doughnut the ''Knickerbockers" used to eat
 Virginia made one's mouth water with its chicken, hot breads and hominy. Penn sylvania had, beside the dainty eatables peculiar to 1.-the useful coal which cooks them all for us.
 Delaware had its peaches, Maryland it's famous Biscuit" North and South Caro- lima, luscious strawberries and pines. Be- side these ''specialties, each table was loaded with delicious edibles, proving that good housekeeping is to be found in eve7y state.
 The floral decorations were as distlnc- tive as the dishes, from New England, with its trailing arbutus on the one ex- treme, to the hanging moss and palmet- to on the other Each table, too, dis played many quaint curiosities, rare old china and silver, pictures. and keep-sakes. One was entirely at loss what to choose where all was so beautiful Too much praise cannot be bestowed on all who planned and carried out the work. %
 The gentlemen must have appreciated Virginia's tobacco table. where "Pocahon- tas and Capt John Smith" dispensed segars to all who wished for them.
 Many of Eye fair danes" who waited on the tables, had donned the dress of ancient times, so, even before the curtain rose, We were taken wildly back to the days of the Revolution.
 At length our attention is riveted upon the stage, for To! 6 veritable Chamberlain" appears, wand in hand, and announces that the reception of Lady Washington is about to begin, whereupon the curtain rises, and on raised dais we see the stately dame, surrounded by her family.
 Directly there passes before us a bril- liant succession of ladies and gentlemen, who, with their magnificent costumes, and powdered hair, dazzle and bewiIder our eyes.
 Each has assumed an appropriate name and character, so that we are puzzled to see our every day folk, transformed into celebrities of Washington's time: John Jay. Lafayette, the Duke of Kent. etc.
 Among the crowd came Stephen Hop kins and Hannah, in their quiet Quaker garb, and in response to the stately cour- tesy of Lady Washington, they shake hands with her and with General Wash inton, touch of humor in the scene, not lost upon the audience. Stephen, by the way, carries the veritable cane his name sake Cor s'ice versa) used, when he signed the Declaration of Independence (Not to sign tt acih,-though his shaky hand writing may suggest the idea, to lean upon, as he did the deed.-
 After the reception,-the minuet was danced by the Court, |" with all the state ly grace of the good old days. Later in the evening the audience were entertained by some excellent tableaux. First, of the family at Mount Vernon, a picture familiar us to all While we were looking at this, we had some charming old songs from an amateur performer, accompanied by an ancient piano which seemed con- temporary with tine scene (if they had pianos in those times ?. Then followed two tableaux of Pocahontas and John Smith; and, afterward, we saw the '.pips of peace" smoked by the captive, his res- cuer, and the fierce savages now become his friends. Later in the evening, a very beautiful tableaux, often given believe at the Martha Washington Tea Parties, was the Republican Court" after Hunting don's picture.
 It was as much more beautiful than the reality, as nature is more prefect than art, and it was with real regret that we saw the curtain drop and knew that this was practically the end of this most delight ful entertainment. When it rose again, as the Band struck up lively waltz, we were unpleasantly reminded of the .sup- setment' as some one hascalled it, of mod ern times, by Stephen Hopkins and Han nah' then and there leading of the merry dance. The ''world's people" were not slow in following their example, and we hastened homeward, fearing to lose all memory of the beautiful past wherein we