Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-03-20
DINNER TABLE.
Some Simple Advice AZ to Table
Furniture,

Some simple Advice AZ TO Table
Furniture.
With the household column 1t IL today an era
OF questions, and this tendency seems to be on
the increase ''Can any one give the descrip-
party7" TO reply to this the utmost scope is
necessary. We 90 not bubble over what Is
meant by fashionable. Lady Morgan, who was
slightly snoDoish expatiates over dinner given
to her In France by some great banker, where
all the service was Of Sevre, and the wealth of
the giver of the feast was more remarkable by
the exquisite wares placed on the table than by
the silver. Fashions vary as much In table fur
nfture as In dress. A table may be overdressed,
and an enabdrrds de ,fcheSse may make it vul-
gar. In the literary columns OF the Times the
description Of dinners, where the romancer has
full license. Balzac wrote about feast in the
zaa de ds nGhagn that has no equal
end ct gush is permissible Let us try and be as
sober as possible In telling how table should
az S 3u rss f mat means are ample
table look handsome 1t is a question Of esthet-
les. Good taste will do what too much money
would spoil First, the linen must be perfect.
able. A center figure is excellent, with small
pattern following as to the border Small nap
kins are shabby things. Very generally In the
napkin Is large enough to cover the knees. OF
course, You do not want to tuck it around your
neck, but you might do so If you wish to- and it
nom being soiled. Red monograms on napkins
recalling clots Of blood, are ugly. Too much
embroidery on napkin is in bad taste. Such
when it is paraded. A nice thing-nice is exclu-
sively feminine In this sense-is to place on the
wood OF the table a covering Of Canton flannel
or dses and ead soft
6y hot dish. Table mats are de ' rtg,ts nr.
Prernaps the most approved are made of
ones are apt to clatter, and to become soiIed
but it is that noiseness In folding up which IS
fhs volume Tsed night be written on
tain parade sets, which were only brought for
ward on state occasions, but these, mostly o.
elaborate design and gorgeous decoration, are
OUT 1l dasnIo toda gay clear white china
enough. Monograms on china are not In good
taste. All these letters stuck on plates are
as fne BY hotel as by
gance OF ch1nre seen under gravy is never very
startling. Glass! why only have the plainest.
Cut-glass, with sharp points all over It like
things to handle. We have before this inveighed
against the littering of the table with too much
glass. A goblet, one wine glass, one small COB:
ready, with their round bases, take up fully -
square inches II more glasses are wanted.
fresh ones should be brought AS to cutlery
SILL SILL x Wy nanueS are only permissible
d1nerences OF taste. Remember that we
iead the world now IN our silver furniture.
You can have spoons and forks OF Japanese or
etruscan, Russian or other patterns as you want
them. The old paddle pattern is now In the
background. Still, we have sneaking passion
for the old order Of things. Any day you may
dozens on dozens of plain, honest old spoons and
forks going into the melting-pot to be born
again in the newer style. 1t is true that In
many ma ny Of OF the spoons on the lefthand side,
at1onS OF soup-eaters, the silver has been worn
to knifeedge. In the forks the tangs are at
tenuated; of course, they are useless now, but
wares. Not more than one spoon and fork, with
knife, should be placed before each plate We
write this, because there is sometimes seen a
"doupnng-up" process, 50 that the table recalls
table is another mooted point. The French
Garage system seems la mode. In New York
there Is regular business done in having water
frozen In GARAGES for dinners. The Ice pitcher,
winch has to be carried around as glasses are to
be replen1shed, is inconven1ent. Or Salt-cellers.
one small one before each guest is excellent.
American caster is an abominatton, and should be
hurled from our dinner tables. On the sideboard
II has It's place. Did 1t ever strike you that peo-
dinner party? 1t is the center Of the table, and
III decoration. where good taste is wanted. We
have before this written in regard to the false
taste displayed In the epergne business. How
these most ungainly things, worse in style, more
shocking in taste than the typical flremans
horn OF 40 years ago, are often to-day placed on
table: There are works Of art, which are in
the possession OF some few people which are
delights to look upon, but they are exceptional
II In q handsome salver. in large, ample vase.
there De a wreath OF flowers. the effect fscharm,
containing fruit. On a French table, the cake.
the dessert, is often placed where it remains In
permanence during the dinner. In France they
nave, TOO, at times, a habit of making an Inn
the table. There is butter, radfshes pickles,
anchov1es, olives, funny, caviare, and no end
OF things. It Is In bad taste, and confuses the
symmetry Of the table. Returning to center
pieces, lofty structures in sugar candy are abom-
nations. sometimes these edificeS have such
height and breadth that they act as barriers to
conversation, for you cannot see the person
who Is opposite to you, and may be talking to
you, We don't want hole knocked through
the dining-room ceiling so that your nougat
all good enough for supper party-they are
soon knocked to pieces; but to see one at long
dinner party rearing its ugly head aloft during
whether lamps with tnted Shades are as sTer
used at dinner" We never heard of such
thing. Fancy an odor OF kerosene or Of best
sperm, on ningling with the fragrance Of
roast canvas back, or the lustre OF blue or pink
lights making spinach look purple, and the
stewed celery like beets! Some people escheW
gas, and will not dine comfortably unless in
This Is remnant of that protest which the
candle-makers threw down fifty odd years AGO
to the gas companies. There IS q fragment ~
some Lille good sense about this cahdle-light
II not as brilliant as gas, candle-light gives out
a purer- colored flame. There Is yellowish
tlnge ABOUT gas which mars delicate COM
plexlon. Our sex is not as handsome by gas
light as by candle light. For long time, peo-
pie who gave feasts kept on burning their can
dies at dinners, and some do it to this day. But a
Well-lit gas chandelier, nicely hung, well shaded,
has, even among the most prejudiced. long ago
Supplanted candles. AS TO menus to be set be-
fore each guest, though stationers have endeav-
ored to urge this fashion, it has been coldly re-
ceived, because 1t gave the dining room restau-
rant appearance; and the idea is Just one. 1t
would be uncomfortable to have ones guests
more engaged in rading their bills of fare than
In general conversation. But cards, with the
names OF the guests, placed alongside of each
plate, are necessities Flowers may or may not
be distributed: but to hand them about after
dinner, demolish1ng the centerpiece is rarely
done: A pretty little bouquet beside each lady
guest may be an elegant compliment; but still,
boquet at dinner table is rather in the way
than not. AS to to the wines at table, that will
occupy the attention of the household column at
some later period.-N. Y. Times.
I'm the Wilds Of Guiana.
After passing the Rappu Rapids we saw our