Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-02-22
FOR s O'CLOCK TEA.
Some Points About the Latest Fashion
able Craze.


able Craze.
The proper equipage for . o'clock tea,
says the Philadelphia NelCs, is pretty
and comfortable piece Of furniture. II
consists of a low and "double-decked''
table, on the lower shelf of which stands
| the tea caddy-it may be a lacquered box
| fifty to hundred years old, or of hand
sOmely shaped or hammered metal, or one
of those tall Chinese boxes which Cali.
fornia travellers delight to bring home.
These are cuTiOusly painted towers of pa
per, tasseled with silk and filed in with
blended tea of some special preparation.
blend tea is the latest novelty from
| the Golden Gate, and the CalifOrnian's
taste in tea has in these latter days be-
come equal to any English or Russian
connOisseur's.
If you once get the ''blend" right, and
your California friends will allow you to
order their pet mixture st their grOcer's,
YOU can be as learned as a Chinese man
DARN on the subject of tea, or as those
enchanting people in TrOllope's novels
whose talk is ever of orange-pekoe.
Beside the 'dOucle-decker7 there should
be an occasional table, which may have
three or four juttisg shelves, or the tea
table proper, which has only two. These
sre covered with 1at cloth. which its
snugly at the top, and woe betsae the tea
cup whose handles get entangled in its
fringes,
The little kettle is of polished brass or
copper, with spirit lamp beneath,
Dainty cups and saucers, the more har-
leqUin the set the better, and lOsg, slen-
der-handled teaspoons complete the equip
age.
If tea-balls are used, those most pre-
ierFed are not fastened By screw, 1T
Omen IN halves, like an empty English
walnut. They are perforated balls of sill
yer. Care should be taken to fill about
halt of the under half only with tea
otherwise the water cannot percolate
through.
A chain and fnger-ball is attached to
the Sea-ball. TIE cups are filed with
boiling water from the little kettle, and
the ball is dipped and swung about in
each cup until tea of the desired strength
is drawn.
Many ladies dispense with. cream and
use in. its place lemon juice.
A bread and butter plate or a. tray for
thinnest biscuit, the sugar bowl and
tOngs, or rather scissors, for the new
the remaining pieces OF the tea service.
When the tea Is made in the kitchen
| and brought in ''coZy' is brought also
to keep it hot. This is a plush or satin
| bag, shaped like double halfamOOn, lined
| with chamois and wadded. to- cover the
| teapot and keep the heat in while draw
! ing. Il is rather a useless thing to Amer
| lean eyes, but it is pretty and shows that
| "you know"
! Pour hot water into the teapot Just a
/ few minutes before it is wanted, so as to
! have it hot and ready to receive the tea,
| and be sure that you have freshly-boiled
water 20 draw with. This oanbe secured
! of course, with the little brass or copper
/ kettls, which you attend to yourself, over
| the lamp.
! There is a growing rage for tea gowns
| this season. and most beautiful fabrics
! and combinations of color are lavisheC
| upon them. a notable one of French
manufacture was a combination of hello
troDe and sage-green satin Dreaded il
silver threads, the design being q cOnven
tionalized flower with faliage. There wa!
long Vatican plat IN the back of thu
boufant overdress, the full vest Of which
| was dexterously and gracefully held il
| place by bows Of red satin ribbon Th'
/ garniture of the dress was sage-greel
Spanish point, outlined with silve
threads. In a dimly lighted room thi
gown had most charming effect; under
fierce gas light it would have been 10
I bizarre.