Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1890-03-05
HOUSEHOLD

| hOOSEdOLD
! TABLE DECoRATIoNS.-Th Lon
Ion Queen says table decoration is
recognized fashion now, and great tast'
md ingenuity are expended on il. 1
s easy enough to make a table look al
;ractive with lighthouses at command
put when materials are scarce an
means limited, it is a matter of diff
:uliy. Most ingenious devices aIt
I):ten rescrted TO, and very successful
mes sometimes. Asparagus, paisley
oeetrOot leaves, CARROT tops, and even
mall cabbage leaves dIScolored by
rost are all brought into use; while
llnything that can be culled from
hedges and bitches. garden, or wood.
and is hailed as treasure by the enter
1rising decorator. Ferns that have be-
come bleached with frost, especially
0racken, can be pressed between blot
aing-paper under heavy weights, and
brought ont later ON for dinnertable
Jrnamentation. Tt ey look beautiful
arranged with red berries, or flowers.
They should be removed from the ef-
iect of gas as soon as the entertain
| nent is over, and will then last con-
siderable time. They are used also for
Wall receptacles, lightly put in, with
.eathery grass and the brilliant orange
,olOred Cape gOoseberrles, which are
low SO much grown and dried for win
Jer decoration. They a'so look effec-
i've with green ivy. Parsley that is a
jale biscuit-color from frost is very
pretty arranged around and dropping
over the edges OF low receptacles, with
any towers, or upright clusters of
:ipe red rose pods, or hips. A few
small branches of tue feathery aspaI a.
gus, put in here and there, soften the
whole. This asparagus can be pressed
and kept for laying on the tab e, or ar
ranging with other things. 1t then
looks exactly like the refined kind
grown under glass by florists, and put
into bouquets. Tinted strawberry
leaves are very effective with VIII te,
yellow, or red flowers, and are shown
up by beetroot leaves put in beneath.
Any leaves can be preserved intact 10y
pressing them under very heavy Ell y Is
III b'ottiEg-paper, aud then VAN Sh H.,
the acks to keep them stiff, aylng an
XiTa quantity where the stalks JON.
They should be kept pressed about TIVE
weeks. Dry grasses are often arranged
with green winter foliage, also grain,
especially oats that have been cut
green, and kept At harvest home,
ripe grain was arranged with the flow :
ers, and very small lunches, tied with
red ribbon, were scati cred about the
table, still smaller ones being made Up
as buttonholes, and laid in every plate.
Most of these were taken home, and
kept as souvenirs of the occasion.
Circular willow fruit bask. ts, some
in their natural colors, others peeled.
and "A few gilded, have adorned many a
fashionable dinner table, sunk In b /.
lows OF soft silk. At one dinner par y
the baskets were brown, the silk vel.
low, while rich-hued Virginia creepel
ten Irils strayed over the folds. The
lInps and candle shades were yerow
with a spray of the creeper laid o.
each. On another table rich led
brocade cloth was laid down the centre
embroidered in shades of old gold, will
clus ters of red cactus dahlias, surroun1.
ed with autumn-tinted leaves placed al
distances. four larger ones being at the
corners Tie tints Of the flowers and
leaves corresponded exactly w tn those
Of the brocade aud embroidery. The
lamp and candle shades were red.
Small fretwork wheelbarrows, fitted
with tins and filed with flowers, are
sometimes seen at the four corners of a
centre cloth; and if this latter is oi
gold-colored plush, pushed or wrinkled
up in the centre, and the flowers ye--
low, the effec is remarkably good. The
folds in the plush throw up all its rich
luStre. At an autumnal dinner party,
In wild, mountainous, wooded dist
rict, layer of moss was laid down the
centre of the table, into which fungi OF
the brightest hues were put, as If grow
Ing out of it. In the centre was large
china bowl, filed with fern and grasses,
The country around was barren OF
flowers, and the hostess liked yar'e'y.
The effect was most successful. Mus
lin, with a silver or gilded design, is
sometimes ''ruffled up" down the cen.
tire of the table, with single flowers,
such as pansies, chrysanthemums, ala.
manders, etc, scattered over, aud sill.
yer or gilt spoons and ornaments al
ranged about the table and edges of the
muslin.