Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-01-24
An Esthetic Yea.

A@ciANhNAA SNAN''
Let it not be lightly supposed that
an esthetic tea merely means few
friends, little warm water, and some
teacups. 1t is a far more sacred affair
a kind of agape or loye-feast. 1t is
given by the elect to the initiated, and
one discordant element would break
the magic circle. The rooms are al
ways shaded. Sweet scents, also, must
pervade the air, for smell is the sense
specially cultivated by estheticism,
the influence Of odors on the nervous
system being branch of physiology
highly entertaining to those who have
pursued it, Then, again, the tones
must be low, subdued, and sad harsh
loud laughter and buoyant spirits are
vulgar. A kind Of suffering melan-
choly hangs over the guests, as if they
were rather assembled to mourn the
dead than rejoice over the living.
Music, of course, is permitted, but it
must be Of the modern order-passion-
ate, soul-stirring, incomprehensible
the reciting of SWinburne's or Roset-
it's poetry, or even that of some in
spring, long haired, taper-fingered,
waxy -complexioned member OF the
party may be INDUCED in, but the
poetry must never incline to gaiety OF
even to satire; it must be slow, sweet
and solemn, a ripping over OF the
hearts desire.
And the women? What is to be
said of them, with their marvellous
color combinations and their pic
turesque appearance, and the virginia.
downcast style Of look which has come
in with tight-cut flowing garments,
and the penthouse-roof style of tam
gled eye-darkening locks? Here is a
girl in chromatic scale of burnt
sienna drapery. Several different tints
blend and mingle and cause her to re-
semble living, walking cup Of rhu-
barb and magnesia, like what the
nurses of our childhood inflicted ON
our shrinking selves, as we sat up in
bed shivering in our nightgowns, and
listened to the gentle tinkling OF the
teaspoons that heralded the nauseous
draught. This grand creature is the
goddess Juno, with suavely flowing
robes of grass-green, bordered at the
edge with golden tracery, and q bon
net lis it bonnet Or is it rather the
nimDus of the gods?) all studded with
big ox-eyed daisies. How majestical-
" she moves! WHO is she? She was
once little barefooted model running
nudely in the mud now she has mar
ried great painter, whose ideal is
Greek, so his wife wears Juno's dress,
and looks monstrous we'll i'll it too, by
Jove. Here comes, surely, our lady
Of despair, who has eaten of Dead
Sea fruit. and has found it calcined
with bitterness and salt tasting tears.
Her brow is sad, her eyes are wide
and dark trimmed; her face is long and
angular; her garments are sad colored,
and might be stained, from her ap-
pearance, with the dcWs and tolls of
travel-green that has turned blue,
pink that has faded into yellow, white
that has merged into pale gray-these
are the tints that she affects; her hands
are white and Worn-in ole she carries
u lily, for she is an admirer of Rurne-
Jones; and her husband keeps large
draper's shop i'll the city.
10 what does all this vapid senti-
ment tend? Why do we play part
and dress to fit it? Are we really more
unworldly, more spiritual, more up
ward striving? Or is it not rather a
kind Of unhealthy craving after some
morbid sensations that the ordinary
grooves Of life cannot give us?