The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-09-30
TEA TABLE GOSSIP.
Ideas Advanced by Many People.
Miscellaneous Topics Handled by
an Appeal Reporter.
Follies and Fashions of the World
Plainly Referred to.
Paludial Melodies and How They
Are Appreciated by Experts.
Business and Current Events, Local and
Otherwise--A Touch Of Ancient
History, Together with Items
OF Modern Amusemonts.
"Mir,h Is the medicine Of life;
ID cures is ills and Gains It's STRIFE.
il softly smoothes the brow OF care =,
And writes a thousand graccs there"


And writes a thousand graocs there"
In these autumnal evenings, when the
parti-colored leaves are falling from decid-
nous trecs-when the cotton harvesters
are hard at work, and the heat and hui
midity, which gives such fecundity to our
fields, is sweeping OIL over the soft luxu-
RANT landscape toward the equator, before
the crisp day and health laden borean
breezes so welcomed by everybody, oven
though they are here away ahead Of their
usual coming--in the season, as IL were,
between the iced tea and the fresh browed
beverage piping hot, il is delightful to sit
at table with genial company to drink in
little OF the same and chat over the cur
rent events OF the day. Let US, therefore,
Join in with a party OF our admiring
friends, whose fashion is to meet together
once OF twice every week TO enjoy them
selves after the manner Of the tea party
Dickens tells us about in his Old Curiosity
Shop, and who relate all sorts Of things,
gay and grave, lively and severe, a fashion
usual on such occasions, rarely, however,
retailing anything but pleasant gossip.
%.
Last winter, il will be remembered by
those who kept the run OF things, there
was n lavender tea coterci and they had u
Jolly good time The participants, IL in
well known, were rs clever ~ they were
Jolly. As nearly every one Of those laven-
der tea parties was reported in the fashion
notes OF the daily papers, the aiorcmcn-
TONED participants, Individually and collcc-
lively, were pretty we'll advertised. The
tender hearts of the iairer members were
In more than one instance laccptcd and
their minds were 20 torn, that they cried
their eyes half out NJ the notoricty thus
achieved through the literary efforts oi sew
eral oycrzcalous but doubtless well mean.
ing friends. Aud. 10y the way, il is part
OF the pleasant gossip Of this autumnal
time, that more than one OF the brilliant
widows of that lavender club Of last win.
ter have found congrnal companions, or
are likely 70, with whom they will mate erc
We reach the midwintcr holidays. Thts,
widows, when they met together, held
high carnival for the nonce, and in their
gay attirc langushcd aud smiled ~ they |
slipped the swcctcncd beverage but not ~ |
those OF whom W. now write There are
widows in the set, II IN true aud good and
true ones they are, too. A couple Of these
have reared nearly dozen Of the most
charming Of the housewives among ms
ladies' who, when they were maidcns,
drew n host "a the fashionable men OF their
day, finally picking n husband IRON tho |
Inst, and now they prcuAdo M ma'rons
over h-pry hsar ',oids. ihcsc widows
wear their white, irillcd caps aud preside
with dignity, hut do not irown when the
hilarious manifestations Of the remainder
Of the sct, which includes at times n hand
tomc.widow oftho lavender throng, together
with a most lovely MAIDEN, who, in neat
fitting tea gown-a perfect type Of Hcbc 10
gaze upon, while still another Ii made up
alter the stately Juno, aud there are more
charmcn Ia the list beside.
The individual members Of this ani.
mated tea set shall be permitted 10
remain incogniio, or at least no names
will be reported, hut their tahlc-talk will
be spread forth Tor the public dclcctntion.
There IN n guodly company Of men In the
party Who are fond Of stimulating
their mental activity over n cup Of good
tea. and, ~ they deem II much moro
healthiul than malt or other inspiring
beverages, they naturally sympathizc 20
some extent With those who would like 10
zee the temperance cause q greater success
than II IA nj present That, however, has
nothing 20 do with the case In point
The malo members Of our set include
pair OF writers, lawyer, n doctor, and
several representatives Of the mercantile
and financial circles Of our city. The
conversation or tea-talk naturally coycr. a
wide range, aud much Of Il Will 10 sure 10
prove ediiying.
Tea parties, Il may not be improper 90
note, have long been popular, aud the sit.
uaiion nj present indicates ruyiyal of the
conyiyialitics they Afford. In the October
number OF n. Niohoids there IL q couple of
hundred lines about tea, very clearly cm-
bclishcd, aud II tells ever ~ many enter.
tanning things about the "camelia thea.
its botanical name. and IL original home
IN India Less than three centuries ago,
o. abou, 1902 tea was ilrsi introduced into
flropc, and ior long timc II was sold at
70 pound, while the fragrant herb was
worm 30 pound 100 ycan after that.
VOW We s9lacc our evening meal with the
PAlAiaolo beverage At a cost Of less than 80
Vehw y lound' Mat price supplying a very
excellent sample. Tho proplc oi th.s.
United States uso about Il. lot. 600 pounJs
OF tea annually or one pound and a omar.
ter per capita, aud this Is about one f9urth
OF all the tea consumed IN IA.
rope and America. The pcople of
England use double the ouantity
used In the United States, aud the aver.
age consumption per capita Il i've pound.
per hnnum. In these DAYS Of Mise saws
anu modern Instances IL seems rather olI
mat The people Of the civilized world knew
uttle or nothing about tea for morn than
hundred ycan after thO Discovered Amer.
lea by Columbus. Now II IL difficult IA
Imagine anything mor delightfully."- enjoy.
able than pUlty cup Of well made tea.
garnished with sweet cream and a connie
OF blocks OF white sugar I, h really nice
10 I've In these happy times, where we
drink 10 palaiable, w inspiring and so
harmless beverage In the presence of our
congcnial friends. The description OF lea
In the magazine alluded 20, closes with a
charming bit OF rhyme. beginning with:
.hArs Angelina aid 10 me
lets havc al csihsiio sOclock ia,
Well wear faint lilies
AMI danod0wndillios,
And lAngui,h aud smile al the company"
All OF the foregoing camo out nj the tea
party held last evening and much more.
Ever 10 many good things were told. n
goodly portion Of which will be related,
though much that was said will never a
lalo unfold In print. Speaking Of Dickens,
however, u Ia well 10 say that nj last even.
lng's tea one Of the elderly widows mon.
TONED the TACT that about decade ago We
bad a reading club hero known as the
Dickens club, that included q very largo
circle oil our bee, read people. Tho meet. |
lngs were always entertaining, and one Of |
NE rules Of tho club was that something