Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1885-07-30

Some Minute Directions of Interest
TO Housekeepers- Rival Pre-
duets OF India and China.

10 the origin OF the Tea plant tells Ms
that the first tea oush sprang up from
the spot where ConfuciuS had thrown
his eye lids, which he had cut off in
anger secause sleep had overtaken
him when he had vowed to keep
awake. Humanity owes an enormous,
an incalculable debt of gratitude TO
those eyelids, aud one which is &C
knowledged by young and old, rich
and poor, statesman and pauper,
duchess and dairymaid Many of us
would be but poor creatures without
our tea Were we deprived of that
wonderful little leaf what could we
| fall back upon as substituted Coffee
rs the next best beverage, but co flee
in some temperaments induces sleep.
| Without tea the weary watcher oy
the sick bed would fad her task a
| doubly heavy one. Without it che
/ brain worker would be still more
heavily handicapped than he already
is IN world o. dreary noises" How
many examinations would have been
missed" but for the refreshing and
stimulating properties Of the fragrant
evergreen; how many chances lost;
how much work ill-dune Have ne
the poets sung of tea in lines too often
quoted to bear repetitionl Could we
but trace the inspiration to It's source
we should probably find that their
| happiest phrases, their most neatly
turned couplets, are due to the magic
infusion. Do we not all, thinkers,
toilers, oilers, fly to cup of tea when
we want to make any unusual eXer-
ton, intellectual, physical, or merely
frlvolous} And yet the curious point
is that out of the millions who use
this valuable beverage and ac
knowledge its mighty influence, but
a small proportion understand now to
prepare it, while many abuse the gift
by INDUCING in il too freely, or by
drinking 1t under condi tons that not
only deprive it of its value, but ron~
der it absolutely harmful. Few per
sons can with IMMUNITY drink tea
twice a day; and not the toughest
constitution ia the world can fail to
be eventually injured by constantly
i'm bIbing tea that has been overdrawn.
Yet this latter is the usual condition
in which it is parJaken. The water
in which the leaf is infused should
not be allowed to boil for more than
a minute before being poured upon
the tea. With every moment beyond
that time the property of boiling
water that acts upon the fragrant leaf
evaporates more and more, and even
tually disappears. 1t seems simple
thing enough to make the tea, and
there are persons who even allow
children and servants to perform that
important Office for them. The true
disciple of the teapot treats the art
with more respect. He has studied it
from every point of view, and in
every sage oil the process. The
Iidiosyncracy of kettle and teapot is to
him a matter of Importance. Both
must be Immediately clean and of a
shining radiance. He knows that the
little brown earthenware teapot, des-
pissed of the aesthetic of the earth be-
cause comfortably easy to live up to,
is the very flower Of teapots for his
purpose. 1t becomes thoroughly inn
pregnated with the flavor and redol-
ent of the aroma of the plant. A sill
yer teapot is next best, but there is a
natural hesitation about exposing the
precious. metal to the fire, which mill
tates against its usefulness In this re-
gard. For heat is one Of the great
essentials ia making good cup" 1t
is more important than the novice
might imagine to have the teapot
made thoroughly hot before the tea is
put into it. The connoisseur will half
fill it with hot water, put on the lid,
and set it by the fire until the handle
can be touched with impunity from
heat. After this has been carefully
attended TO good tea can be produced
from less quantity of the leaf than
if thorough heating of the recepta~
Gle had been neglected. Opinion is
divided as to the precise number Of
minutes which should be devoted 10
the process Of drawing" Some au-
thorities say FIVE minutes, others
seven. A few even go 50 far as to
recommend ten. 1t is, however, a
matter that depends in great measure
on the quality of the tea, and even
more upon that of the water. Only
experience can afford a safe guide.
ms sllgnbCoL bdsSbJ "a BlNALl lCob Eldf
be accepted as a sure Indication Of
overdrawing, a condition that renders
tea alike hurtful to the nerves and di~
gestive organs. Cozies are dangerous,
II occasionally articles. Their MISSION
| is misunderstood Originally intend
ed to keep the teapot hot during the
process OF drawing, they have been
utilized for maintaining the tempera>
ture during the greater part of an af-
ternoon. The facilities they offer are
but temptations to avoid the trouble
of making fresh tea for every fresh set
of callers, and the wise man and pru
dent woman will do well to beware of
the tea that comes from under a cozy.
tits almost certain to be overdrawn
Indian tea is both fuller and purer
in flavor than Chinese. Two spoon
fuls OF the former make a stronger
infusion than three Of China. An
unanswerable proof Of the superiority
Of that which comes from Hindustap
IS found ia the fact that ii sells at a
much higher price than Chinese at the
4 London tea auctions 1t is nearly all
bought up by tea>desiers to rai8 wiuA