, 1881-04-01
TEA-TaLES.

The Russian gentlemen drink their tea
out of glasses; the ladies out of china.
There is an amusing legend attached to
this custom The first tea-cups (for
Russial were made at Cronstadt, with
view of that city at the bottom of the
cup 1t often happened that the pro-
prietors of the cafes did lot make the tea
so black AZ was desirable, from motives
of economy, and transparent liquor
was the result. Whereupon waGSlsh
customer summoned the proprietor, and
pointing to his cup exclaimed: Il see
Cronstadt" The saying passed into a
proverb, and SC as to prevent their Gus
toners from ''seeing Cronstadt any
more, glasses were introduced, at the
bottom of which they could see nothing.
No article on tea could omit mention
of Dr. johnson and his great partialttv
for that beverage In his review OF
Hanway's Tea and its Pernicious Con
sequences" he proclalms himself as "a
hradened and shameless tea drinksr, who
has for many years diluted his meals
with only the infusion of this plant, whose
kettle has scarcely time to cool; who
with tea amuses the evening, with tea
solaces the midnights, and with tea well
comes the morning" The quantities
that his nerves must have been uncom-
monty strong not to have been extreme
ly relaxed by such an Incorporate use
of it. 1t is related of him, but not by
Boswell, that whilst on his Scotch tour,
the Dowager Lady Macleod, having re-
peatedly helped him, until she had pour
ed ont sixteen cups, then asked him if Il
small basin would not be more agreeable,
and sate him trouble. Il wonder, mad
am, ," he answered roughly, why all the
ladies should ask me such questions. 1t
Is TO save themselves trouble, madam,
and not me-" On another occasion he
said: What delightful beverage must
that be that pleases all palates at time
when they can take nothing else at break
! fast" Croker mentions that the doctor $
| teapot held two quarts.
! Five o'clock tea is 10y no means a mod
ern invention. 1t is of Swiss origin, and
| is mentioned in the "Almanach des
| Commands" about , o'clock in the
! evening the lady of the house makes her
self in the middle of the drawing-room
some very strong tea, softened by few
! drops of rich cream; slices of bread and
butter are served with it. Such is the
! Swiss tea in all its simplicity; but IN rich
| houses there are added cakes, preserved
! fruits, and even ices 1t Is served every
day, and it is the only meal to which
strangers are invited" The well-known
| stinginess of the Swiss renders this ex-
! tremely probable. 1t is to be hoped that
/ the tea was better in those days than it
! is now, or short time ago. One shud-
ders on recalling to mind the appalling
mixture contained in the hotel tea pots.
Let us end with a statement of Bal
zac's. We cannot pretend to know
whence he derived it. The English
! Government (date not mentioned) al
! lowed three criminals, condemned to
! death, to choose between being hung, or
to live exclusively on tea, coffee, or
chocolate, without adding any other
nourishment whatever. or being permit
ted to drink any other liquid. They ac-
cepted and drew lots for the drink. The
one who lived on chocolate died in eight
months. The one who lived on coffee
! lasted two years. But the man of tea
enjoyed existence for three years. Bal
zac adds details of the particular way in
which each died; but they would hardly
be welcome at the dinner or breakfast
! table London Globe.