Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1876-02-25

Us perils and privileges. But since the
Cabinet young ladies" in Washington
have set the example of honoring the oc-
cssion by ball, leap-year Germans will
vary the mOnotony of kettle drums and
The glare ofpublic balls.
KETTLEDRUM IN NEW YORK
Did 1 hear a quiet old lady mot 10
mention young one) say tn at she would
like TO know what is meant by q kettle
drum2 With all the pleasure in life. It
is an English custom of inviting ones
acquaintance TO a fashionable five
o'clock tea. to which the L - - sn
their han7ets. TO gossip ag iosr wita
CPS q tea 80 iheF sens s,lih
a'1iiE -
aStiietoa b. ra.e,. .-s- many per-
suus s- - see each other often are got
together, and an hour is made to do duty
for good deal of civllitY. Fur the coun-
try, the old fashioned ea-drinkings are
in better taste, and are given with zest
by ladies in suburban towns, who like
TO play at being neIghborly in the. old
way.
Did ever mention the friend who
used TO call his wife's kettledrums Beech
er parties, for he declared their sole pur-
pose WAS TO get her friends. together in
their best bonneIs, to talk oyer the lates:
Of the Brooklyn scandal. That was long
ago. however. Att a kettledrum to-day,
like that to which my pretty neighbor
has gone this afternoon, one will meet
dozen magazine people, with their brs
manners on, and their prettiest things to
say, two dozen handsome, rich women
who pet the literary ones, and laugh at
their nice things. one or two leading
women afflicted with desire-to be man
aging something, and who are stirring
their acquaintance upjn the mOmentous
question of having WOmen's banner at
lne Centennial exhibition. as fit were
The original matter Of difference with
King George. They Will get what they
want; there isn't one of their friends
who wOuld't give them a subscription
for banner for the moon, TO get rid of
them Besides these, few young men.
who are at leisure because they can't get
anything to do, and parlor philosoph
er or two will drop in to be the lemon in
the tea. You know the fashionables
porfess themselves unable to drink tea
without slice oflemon in it, in the Rus
sian manner.
OLD CHINA.
Fine ladIss are getting as fond of old
china as they were in AddisOn's day.
But the difference is, that instead of fill
ing their rooms with Chinese monsters,
and dragon tea cups, they have taken to
making historical collections of the Va RI
GUS pOrcelains and potieries of the world.
A plate OF real Majnlica. or cup and
saucer of royal seVres gives one esteem
among connOisseurs. as one who "has
the right feeling for Art" in this direc-
lion, but one who would win renown
among amateurs must hs We at least one
hroken-nosed specimen. of all the wares
from the time of SOlonaon down. Cabi-
nets, carved and velvet lined, are con
srcrated TO thfse treasures, where the
r1yal blue and gold of true sevres and
The splendpIs of Dresden are surrO unded
hy gsudV Hungarian war e. in red, green
aud yellow. HideOus Ma.dOnnas in Maj
OLGA, ugly as the painted plaster parrots
Yankee peddlers used I o carry round,
together with every sp ecies of old En-
glish delf known to the top shelves of
kitchen closets. Alive, to this increasing
passion, an enterprisirIg speculate or has
been securing New E ngland villages and
South Carolina homesEteads for treasures
of this sort, of whose value their owners
never dreamed before. The sight at the
SomerVille auction rooms where they
were sold this week WsIs very funny. 1t
looked as it all the property of u coun-
try village was there for vendue. Sets
upon sets of blue East India china, and
odd pieces Of cracked cream-colored
wedgewOod with black tracings, frAg-
ments Of old English tea SETS of pretty
chintz patterns, scaramouch Holland
painted ware, and English blue dinner
services. rehearsing he history of DR..
Syntax on their pictured sides, or scenes
rom the war of Independence, including
portraits of George washington. were
mingled in a sort OfindigesIion of china.
The ugliest old pots and basins were
there, with snn.s really superb Stafford
shire and handsome bits OF Flemish pot
terry, loug.necked, siraightsided pitchers
and Jars embossed IN indigo blue. was
shown yelIowish wedgewood pitcher,
MS common looking as the cheapest
kitchen ware OF to-day, the mate 0f
which brought $25 90 at Yesterdays sale.
Let me warn all readers who think OF
selling t1eIr grandfalhers furniture, or
their grandmOthers' crockery for old rub
bish, 10 be careful what they are about.
for they may be throwing away a small
fortune. If the man who had half =
dozen silk Washingtons TO sell happens
TO have any old tea sets or odd pieces,
(the more iorlorn the beIterD he wf1nIs 10
trade, will be happy to talk with, him.
BUSY WOMAN.
II any Of the girls who read this have
an ambition to dabble in literature, 1
hope they may prove as capahle OF work
and have as pleasant credit Eor 1t as Miss
Glider, the literary editor of New
York Herald, who besides drsmsiizing
DR.. Hollands novel OF "SsVenoaks," has
written a play Of her owA. which is soon
10 be brought out at the Brooklyn
Yi.ss're' Aips- uiiasE haa. had = 5aiE