Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-08-05


BRITISH SERVICE DEsCRIBED-CoFFEE POTS.
EGG CUPS AND MUFFIN PLATES-BREAKFASr
PARTIES.
From the Ny Times
America may be emphatically called the land
of breakfasts. Whether it is in advance OF other
Countries in the details and appointments of the
breakfast table is a question well worthy OF con-
sideratiOa. Heavy breakfasts are by no means
unknown in other countries, but it may fairly be
asserted that taking society class by class. from
the highest TO the lowest grade. more conSidera-
tion IS bestowed upon the question here than
anywhere else. 1t il a matter OF no little sur
prise that the prevailing estheticsm of the day
has not invaded the early morning hours and re-
placed beefsteah ana outlets by more ethereal
food. and 80 fac as we can ascertain. the pro-
phet of reform has not uttered any protest
against the Injuries Of hot bread griildlr cakes
or biscuits, but has devoted al the energy which
lecturin@ and an appreciation OF the inartistic
Development OF the ordinary mind have left him
to a consideration of the hideous forms imposed
upon the equipage oI the table by modern cup
a2d saucer pUryeyors
Fashion. tnat great man of the mountain IN =
Ger whose IRON rGie we anguish must be held
Responsible for such sins against taste and re-
nnement "a perverted milk Jugs and dslocatel
cream pitchers, to say nothing OF fiat tea-pots
ami lncbriated COFFEE higgins; but fashion, so
lar has not laid deterrent finger upon the
grid-ITOn or the steW-pan They if inartistic
are equal to the demands made upon them. and
There II no evidence. even among the worn out
ultra fa>hi0nabieS at Newport or Saratoga, of
that Inability 10 do Justice to q good breakfast
which Is characteristic of the rich-bFed English
woman SO far. at AL events. the attractions of
@ meal consisting 81 lrT toast and tea. OF light
boiled egg. or a Tasher of bacon da!nty rep0s-
Inc upon spris OF parsley, are confined to those
enyiable persons VINO. III spite of the possibility
OF being PTussiaIS. Arabs. or Italians, are Brit
n. fn,Ih hon for Sha1r srn
found at John Bulls breakfast table. and the
Odor of hot bread is unknown, except upon
MONDAY morning. when the neighbors would
certainly think il odd if the baker left no hot
rolls at the basement door. None the less, how
ever. the English breakfast table in a comfort
able home Is a pleasant sight to see The
ethereal nature of the food supply is counter
balanced by the dantiness aud nicely of the la
Die appointments. Nowhere else in modest
homes are such breakfast sets to be seen: no
matter how inexpensive how unasSuming.
the cups the plates. the utensils generally will
be OIL such shape and design that William Nor
lis himself could eat without having his teeth
set on edge This fact. and it will readily be
admitted. is due in M small measure to that
great reformer in the realm of pottery, Josiah
Wed9ewoOd. He gave it as his decided Opln
Ion that. all else being equal cups and SauctrS.
jugs and pitchers, might as well be of good form
and shape as not and divided his attention be-
tween the perfectng of glaze and celebrating
designs of which should fulfill the requirement
to the British propensity to copy everything
manutacturedin handsome style in some inferior
material. every china store in London will furn-
Ism cheap limitations of Wedgewood's master
pieces. and MntOn's last efforts will be re-
produced. at considerable distance. it is
true. in common pottery. If cultured taste
calls for plates with deep-tOned borders
initiative emulation will at once pro-
duce stone china with an unadorned sur
face and deep-re1 line. There is a reason for
this "a for most other things. which lies below
the surface. The average English mind has no
Independence. 1t is sufficient that cup or
plate, a jug or glass, has obtained the patron
age OF royalty or OF some supposed authority
upon the subject to make it an absolute neces-
sity OF domestic peace and that that style and
that shape shall adorn the table of the modest
villa And there is one obvious advantage in
thlS-when the upper classes happen to be cul-
tured in art and capable of recognizing correct
form and design the taste spreads not because
The masses are educated up to the necessary APP
PROBATION of the fact, but because it is gen.
ulne article of faith with them that what is 1.-THE
thing" in the rank above them is the thing to be
initiated. This We know is true of more i'm
portant things than china in the same way.
And. excepting in the comparatively small
circle which comprises the fashionable world
of large cities land fashionable circles are the
ZANE here and there.) in those art circles
where all that is old and foreign is ranked as Of
necessity better than that which is genuinely
American the spirit of the people of this cOun-
try asserts itself. The average American is
rarely swayed in his choice OF cups and saucers
BY the fact that one enjoys the approval of the
President and another does not and as the av-
craze American is not highly cultivated i'm art
principles. in spite of tremendous efforts upon
the part of lecturers and decorative agents, he
Is apt to buy the cup saucer. or milk which
VIII stand the most wear and tear or which
OOmmends itself TO his individual taste. The
result is prevalence Of white china for ordi-
nary use unequaled except In France and Ger
many.
With dinner sets we have at present nothing
TO do. or we might pass reflection upon the
extraordinary persistence with which white
dishes appear upon the scenes at boarding
houses and smaller hotels. How ugly they are.
The blue and white def ware of England, be it
only in the humble Humphrey clock" or will
low pattern is a thousand times better Who
IN the length or breadth of the British Uses
would have white dinner service? Occasion
ally. but very occasionally, wife breakfast
ware is seen. but more usually it has a gilded
rim. or that solitary flower upon the center
which IL iHseparable from our re objection OF the
breakfast set in lodging houses in London.
Brighton. or any other popular resort Its
great merit. which conmends the unbiusiling
white ware to the American housekeepcr lies
In the fact that il is so easily matched, We
should say it is-easily matched in material but
perfectly unmatc!.able in hiieCus ugness.
There Is some compensation in France and Ger
many for unganly thick white cups in the
flavor and aroma of the coffee the; contain; one
Is even recOnciied TO the absence OF all order i'm
the appointments Of the table in consideration
OF this fact, but certainly if the prevalence of q
thinner variety of the same in America is due to
the tide of German immigration that Is
we:ghty reason for discountenanc :lg it, The
German Propagation OF the white ware of his
native land is as Injurious to tie interests of
trade as the Chnanan' S delight in the wash-tub.
80 far. then. as cups and saucers are con-
cerned. We hail with delight the statement that
they must soon be beaten from the field Within
the last ten years the pOtteries of America have
made great strides 1t may reasonably be pre-
dicted that designs OF original merit will find
their way into the market. There is no reason
why American porcelain should not far Outrival
that of foreign manufacture in cheapness for
within the vast area of the states every ingre-
dient necessary for the manufacture of the most
delicate and expensive china of Europe or the
east can be found and certainly there no longer