The daily gazette., 1881-03-29
LUNCH. .ONS AND TEAS.

FASHIONABLE FEATURES OF AFTER-
NOON ENTERTAINMENTS
From Harper's Bazaar.
Round tables, holding twenty-elght.
at which the company seated can see
each Other and talk across" have
been hastily improvsed this winter.
The table is brought in two pieces by
the caterer and fastened together in the
house. 1t is then laid on top of the
ordinary extension table and covered
with red cloth. Over this is thrown
white damask cover, or one of The
new open-work momie-cloth table
covers, or Dresden made cloth, criss-
crossed, with open insertion of lace or
embroidery. fhis allows the red TO
show through the lnterstices and has a
beautiful effect, such as we see in the
pictures of banquets by Gerome and
Vibert, who devote much attention to
elaborate table cloths in their pictures.
The table is then laid with all the best
china and glass and silver and with
magnificent flowers as a centre. piece /;
also with a bouquet for each lady,
with long ribbon attached, on which
is painted her name in full, with little
re icules of silk, highly ornamented,
containing bonbons, and often with
fans or little Japanese caskets, also
hol ling boubons, are added These
gifts are to be taken home and are
laid at each plate. Oysters on the
halt she'll, followed by bouillon, are
served then crab or lobster croquettes,
bouchess la refine, sweetbreads, Rlet
de bguf, mushrooms on toast, or kim
dred luxuries, followed by delicious
sorbet or Roman punch, which is serv-
ed in little pink slippers, or boats, or
roses, made of china. These are
sometimes given TO the guests as well
as the fans and bouquets they have
to be taken out and washed first, how
ever, and brought back. Canvas back
duck or some sort of game follows the
sorbet then salad, cheese, ices, fruits
always Including strawberries in early
spring If they eau be bought.) Coffee
Is served III the drawing ROOM The
wines, which are FIRE ly poured out, are
Chateau Yquem with the fish cham
pagne and clareL and sherry. These
are seldom drunk. As women caunot
drink much wine, particularly in the
middle of the day, no doubt the wine
which is poured general becomes the
perquisite of the walters.
The meal thus becomes dinner in
the middle OF the day and is very
heavy and luxurious. The luncheon
occupies from one o'clock to half-past
three, and ladies vie with each other
~ fn sal. oh N ffix 4I.a Ia
faVors and flowers One or two ladies
this winter presented baskets of field
flowers, clovers, daisies, lilies Of the
valley, grasses and daffodils, which
was the height Of luxury in February.
The daisy now ranks as an exotic, al
though it is the pest of the farmer in
July. However, it must be observed
that the splendid roses of the present,
Jacsueminot, Cornell Cook, Marshal
Neil and Gloire do Paris, are very fa-
vorite offerings. Nothing can exceed
the luxury of New York winter flowers.
At one luncheon lady offered the
old-fashioned palm-leaf fan, with roses
fastened on the fiat surface. Every
flirt of the fan brought breeze laden
with perfume. Bauds are often sta
toned in the halls to play for these
luncheon eaters, SO that every sense is
gratified.
Ladies wear always bonnets and
street dresses and generally dark ones,
at these lunches. The brocaded vel
vets have been favorite luncheon
dress this winter. The lady of the
house wears very handsome dark
dress, high in the throat, with long
sleeves. There is no limit as to ex-
pense in dress, but light silks would
be in bad taste, and while bonnets have
not not been much in favor at these
morning parties, although SO fashiona-
BILE last winter. Jewelry of a sober
pattern alone is admissible. Diamond
solitaires only of the diamond tribe
are considered in order in the day