The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1879-12-04
8be farnt.
Republican Simplicity.

Some persons smile at the idea of an I'm
pire in America. But they are persons whs
do not know the lengths to which the
m~oney-pswer has already gone: nor of the
shoddy arristocracy that is already built up
in the great cities. Here are a few specl-
mems:
from the New YORK sum
Last Friday evening a christening Inner
was given in an uptown residence. one tea
ture of which was novel. In front OF each
of the twelve guests at table was a NINA
ture model of the font in Grace church,
with a liliputian cradle at its base. The
little font was made of wood. covered with
silk. and delicatels painted with all the
symbols. tracery. AMI even the delicate
gold lettering about the rim-ENcept a
man he born OF wafer and of the spirit he
cannot enter into the kingdom OF heaven
that appears upon the original. Natural
flowers filled the fonts. On the front OF
each small silken cradle, wrought in fanci-
full gold letters amid foliage and blossoms.
appeared the name of the baby, Ethel,
and the date of her birth. Attached to
each cradle was a silken ribbon, upon
which was painted the name Of one of the
guests. After the dinner these pretty
hings were carried off by those before
whom they were placed as souvenirs of the
OCCASION. 1uc COSl u tGCu was gu.
The taste tor artistic novelties in dinner
adornment is growing year by year. 1t is
no longer sufficient to dine and to wine
ones friends. 1t is necessary to surprise
them and delight their aesthetic tastes. SO
the dinner-giver, as a rule, no more pre-
tends to be his own artist than his own cook.
1t is not difficult to achieve mere novelty.
That was attained in the barbaric magnii-
cence of the bills Of fare Of a certain San
Francisco dinner a year or more ago. They
were solid slabs of silver, which the guests
were expected to carry away with them,
and which were good to melt or pawn upon
occasion. But they would have been just
as novel if they had been Of sole-leather or
sandstone. and SO far as value is concerned,
the delicately painted things not infre-
quently ordered for such occasions really
cost more than did these specimens of
bonanza fruit. Artistic beauty is here a
consideration paramount to mere novelty.
\ prominent member of the Coaching Club
of this city not long ago contemplated Civ
ing a dinner to his associates. and ordered
for the occasion twenty-four bills of fare.
The dinner was at the time postponed. hut
his not been abandoned, for the gentleman
named has sent back from Europe word
that it may be looked forward to as a thing
of the near future. The bills of fare have
been already finished. They are of Bristol
board, each about ten by fifteen inches in
size. and are all handsome water-color
paintings. Each represents some memoir
able incident in the individual career of
some member, or an adventure of the club
collectively, and their cost is estimated at
500 each.
Last season a party OF twenty ladies and
as many gentlemen dined together prior to
attending a bal mdsQuc. From the chande-
lier in the centre of the dining-room de-
pended twenty scarfs of gros grain ribbon,
each three and a half yards long and nine
inches wide, heavily fringed and richly
adorned at both ends with paintings Of
flowers and foliage. These scarfs are so
arranged in canopy fashion that an end Of
each came down TO the place one of the Ia
dies was to occupy at table, and care was
taken in their selection to have colors har-
monizing with the coEipleXions of the Ia
dies for whom they were severally intended,
as shown by the names printed in gold
among the flowers. The gentlemen were
supplied with menus painted in water col
ors, upon which the floral decorations cor
responded with those upon the ladies scarfs.
After the dinner the ScirfS were worn to
the ball and retained by the ladies ~
souvenirs. The entire cost was between
5000 and 500.
For a breakfast. To tc given before long,
which will be participated in almost eXclu-
sively by artists, Egyptian fashions are to
prevail-in everything except the viands.
Tie table service will he i'll Egyptian style
rs well as the decorations, and each guest
will be supplied with Il fan, delightfully."- ar
tistic and Egyptian, but of very weak wind
compelling power. \ number Of them
have been already completed-strangc-
looking things, with long, thin, polished
maple handle supporting semi-circular
forms, quilted silk on the other studies in
%colors, intricate in design, and of great va
riety. Half a dozen silk tasscls dangic
from the straight side Of each scmi-circle.
They are quaint and pretty, as $l2 fans for
Il single breakfast should be.
Speaking of fans, one is preparing to be
sold at the forthcoming Seventh regiment
fair, which will be unique. 1t has twenty
three sticks, each of which bears a painting
in oil by some well-known New York artist.
LN~-I- 49,