The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-12-30
DlNlNG-RooM CHINA.


Hundreds of years ago. when at King
Ahasuerus' famous feast VaShti refused
to show her beauteous face, the wine
was served in cups diverse one from an.
other. This ancient fashion of variety
in table dishes has received added i'm
petus during the last few years, and it
not only increases the beauty and
picturesqueness of a well-laid table, but
is great help to inexpensive buying,
while at the same time IL gives ample
opportunity for lavish expenditure. The
old fashion of complete set through
out for dinner, breakfast and tea has
died out, as a natural result Of the
revival of decorated china, when broken
dishes, difficult to match, would quick
ly destroy the monotonous complete
ness OF the set" In its place has
come the division into small sets, ac-
cording to use; thus, the soup set Of
tureen and dozen plates, the salad set
of bowl and plate, the oatmeal set. the
berry set. the fish set, the lunch set and
tea set (either useful for the family
breakfast and teal, and, lastly, the
roast set.
To buy all these separately and en-.
tirely gives the housewife an array OF
dishes more numerous than the old
single set, but the lunch. tea, and roast
sets can be bought to supplement each
other, and reduction in mum bers as
well as in cost easily brought about.
The conventional roast set consists oil
twelve dinner plates, twelve butter
plates, six platters, six casseroles, COW
cred vegetable dishes, six baking or
coverless vegetable dishes, and the
gravy or sauce boat This is lavish,
and the number can be lessened. OF
some of the pieces can be used for the
fish set, or at other meals besides din.
ner. The teapot, sugar-bowl. cream
pitcher, slop-bowl, and butter dish, sc
long a part of the regulation tea set,
are no longer supplied except for coun'
try trade. These are replaced either
by those alike in china, glass, or silver
plate, making tiny set in themselves,
or each can be different piece, as rare,
costly, odd, or rich in coloring as the
taste and purse of the buyer my admit.
All this makes it possible to be contin.
ually adding to ones store. 1t helps the
builder of new home to begin moder:
ately, even cheaply, without destroy.
ing the taste for harmonious furnish
ings, and gives the pleasure of treasur.
ing each fresh addition and the chance
to buy daintie- ware than a wholesale
first purchase would allow.
Porcelain" is the ware between
china and the ugly coarse ''iron-stone.'
1t is fully as durable as the iron
able, refined in tints and decorations,
and is the best and prettiest ware fol-
ordinary use. A so-called dinner set il
the cheapest grade of porcelain can be
bought for fifteen dollars. while those
IN delicate coloring and dainty shape
can be readily found for twenty-five
dollars. Such set makes an admira
bic nucleus for service which may be
extended ad infnitum.
Trenton porcelain is excellent, and
comes in all grades and shapes, both
plain and decorated in white or cream
tint. Wedgwood, en- English porce
lain, is often seen in blue and white
designs, but comes in all colors and
grades, some being highly ornamental.
while the less costly is usually beautiful
in form. Copeland-ware, another En-
glish porcelain, has a cream ground
and is generally tasteful in it's decora
tons, while its thinness makes 1t pleas
ant to touch without lessening its
strength. Thin porcelains are care
fully annealed and glazed, so that they
do not crack or break as easily as the
coarse, stronger-lool1ing earthen-ware.
To have best dishes ready for use
when company comes is not altogether
so ridiculous as it seems to those who
contend that "the best is none too good
for the family" and whats good
enough for me is good enough for my
friends" Unfortunately the saying
that the pitcher that goes often to the
well at last gets broken" is equally ap-
plicable to every dish that is in con-
slant use, and it is a comfort in any
well-regulated household to know that
there are delicate, tasteful, uncfipped
dishes ready to set before guests, which
could not be easily replaced if subject
to daily breakages. Bazaar.