The critic. (Washington, D.C.) 1890-1891, 1891-01-13
A FIVE O'CLOCK TEA AT HARVARD.
How the students Tender Their Hospi-
tniity to Female Friends.


tniity to Female Friends.
When Harvard man wishes to show
his appreciation for the social kindness
extended to him by his Cambridge Boston
and suburban friends he gives an after
noon tea III his college room and several
rooms borrowed for the OCCASION A tea
ut such place Is naturally attractive TO u
girl, for II gives her an opportunity TO
enter the college yard, to see the students
rooms and to meet as many young men as
any girl would wish 10 meet in a single
afternoon.
Every Harvard dormitory is divided
into two or three sections, the sections
being devoid Of any indoor communica-
ton with one another. The buildings are
from four to five stories high, each section
having about six rooms upon lloor.
With six large rooms ut his disposal u man
can entertain with comfort about $50
persons.
The host asks some lady well known in
social circles to receive FOR him, and finds
no difficulty in getting several 6f his class
mates to act as tishcrs. The position that
these men hold is known by the dark
carnaton worn in their button-holcs. The
two rooms nearest the stairs are reserved
for dressng-rooms, and are shown you by
u servant in full dress The fellows stay
in their drcssing-room merely long
enough to remove their wraps and TO
before being pTesonted: but the urls slinrer,
ror o,.ar,,,5;na tho,, zoo 4. NOV, to ,is,,,
md nrn;,scs their cnriositv and admir-.
tinn aud makes thcm long In he Harvard
students in order to have rooms such as
this one. But girls fascination for the
room quickly turns to desire to leave 1t
when she hears dozen or more men
leave their room and mass down the hall.
As She comes ont with her mother. two
ushers stcp I'm, asl, their names and then
escort them to the recciying-room where
thov arc formally, nrosentod3o tbe bostoss
This room is not apt TO bc crowded Int
the host Is there during the early part of
his tea and sees that several students are
introduced to each one of his lady guests,
Tho girl. with two mon beside her. is
sboNn into one of tbe otber rooms where
some unusually attractive girl Is pouring
chocolate, The table over which she
presides has been set and ornamented bv
some caterer from Boston who has fur-
nished the cakes. candies and ices. Every-
thing on the table looks inviting. while
the room itself, with its trophies hune
here and there, at once arouses the girls
as her guides, both only too happy to ex.
plain ali the things which are new to her.
She % wanders about sazine at tbe us picture., IRE,
of COLLEGE crews f6othaSl md hasehaii
teams and college tbcatrical uro,,ns and
here perbaps. she stons and lsuyl,s when
she recogniles some friend dressed like n
society Sirl Tencing foils oars Ti,h
shin;Sy hladee ,,non which arc na;ntod
the dato Of The racc and the name Of the
man who nulled thc oar. tennis and la
crnsse roct cta hoying "inves and cans aro
Lnns, ar,;st;coil,, ,,,pos the walls ,rho
honf cases aro bllodP ~; v.;,i, Iool,S o,d ti,o
nontoI'oco L a,r'doi iii a,,u v;,e WY
ind. II ,,,';,o ,,arn ,i'ora
nrn ',;,n o,,,' %re i;n,',u nv t'iS .,i
gr;ends IDS 0"i' '"Pio'''i's p'''''ie' VI 6'i'
While ,,,o civ, 20 oa,,,;r;no, ou ,l,oso
a.; my .i'S S,,i 10 wii,ili ~ .ncsc ,.',
on,,, "nu oIs at ,a,'. ~ nrr W.
Who Soon Load bor ofp mt nnothar rno,,, ,nr'
,ir w,o sV1 ILL., ,vu o, n., o.o i,i.O ahoIIes I'LL
;s aro,i,nr taiio n oop,f,ii,, sot os s'iv,o az
nya;,, ~ Grot rno oo ,,d ny, sSt no w Wy
,nctod bnif doyou s,'dorta % ooci' ~ o;,;,,c, M
his t,rn 70 recotua c,,n ns pS coas "aS t,",n,,Ss
fro from nrottv girl who ' sarves p a iGWi;1 XIX opso
anJ anc srave anu 3. wn3 s,,I,csi hin perhaps ~
"Tba man J Who 9 ncc,,n;ns 'iI this poo,o -
soys orn nun Wo tho ;np. oe;G1pcs s; .h,s H. ro8 s,
snIrintor In collegee ovnr tborn on thc
,famtlen;ecc oud Iool cages ,,n', oa, 0 sno soo
HE nr;1es !, 0''' ''' '"' Wv
snl;nterpr osks tbe o;,, so,,owbot
npzzlcd "'"' '"' s"'' 'o'''" nav
"Oh. no--sprinter y saystbe other guide.
excbang;n, am;Ioa viii III. cios5S,noto'
"a snrintar Is n short distance rnnnrrn
Tbe thrcc worl, their wav SLOWLY 70 tho
long sent hcfore the bovsy,ndow which
ofrnrds tbe o;rl n gooI outlool, ;ntn Tho
college room and nm cxceilcnt rlace far
iusnect;no The room and ,vatcb;no Tho
necnIe nassinc in and ont After n iittic
time The three mss into the last of the siS
r,o,ns, m, is room is handsomcr than anv
o's'- 80 ''''y