The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1891-05-24
Their Advantages as a
Means Of Entertain
ing Friends.
THE CUSTOM SOMETIMES ABUSED.
how Such Gatherings May Be Made
Pleasant and Satisfactory to
Guests and Hostess-The
Wholesomeness Of the
Cheering Cup.

Jonas Hauney wrote a treatise against
tea drinking in Johnson's time, and that
vast Unsuitable and shameless tea drinker
took up the cudgels Tor tea. On the
strength of it Goblet wrote against its
use by the laboring classes. and the Edin-
burg ReuteO endorsed his arguments,
stating that prohibition absolute and
uncompromising of the noxious b eYerage
was the first step toward insuring health
and strength for the poor and asserting
that when laborer faneled himself re-
freshed with mess Of stuff, sweetened
with the coarsest brown sugar and by
azure blue milk it was only the warmth
Of the water which consoled him for the
moment"
CoDbett claimed that the tea table cost
more to support than would keep two
children at nurse
The Quarterly ReUteqv, in an article
written perhaps by the most famous
C. smist of the day, said that s.tea relieves
the pains Of hunger by mechanical
distention rather than by supplying the
waste OF nature by adequate sustenance,"
but claimei for it the power OF calm,
placid and benignant exhilaratIon, great
ly stimulating the stomach when fatigued
by digestive exertion and acting as an ap-
propriate dilutept Of the chyle More
receut inquiries into the qualities of the
peculiar power OF tea have tended to
raise it in popular esteem, although no
one has satisfactorily explained why it
has become so universally necessary to
the human lace.
Tannin. the astringent element in tea.
is bad for delicate stomachs and seems to
ruin appetite. Tea, therefore, should
never be allowed to stand Hot water
poured on the leaves and poured Off into
u cup can hardly afford the tannin time
TO get out. Some tea-drinkers even put
the grounds in g silver ball perforated
and sling this through q cup of boiling
water. Thus is produced the most DELI
cate cup of tea.
The famous Chinese lyric which Is
painted on almost all the Chinese teapots
OF the empire Is highly poetieal.
ION slow fire set tripod, fill 1t with
clear rain water. Boil it as long rs 1t
would be needed to turn fish white and
Holsters red Throw this upon the deli
cate leaves Of choice tea, let 1t remain as
long as the vapor rises in cloud At
your ease drink the pure liquid, which
trouble.
The s'tea Of the cells of the dragons, !,
the purest Peko from the leaf buds of
three-year-old plants, no one ever sees in
Europe.
But we have now secured many brands
the famous Indian tea brought In by the
great exposition in Paris in 1889 is fast
gaining an enviable reputation. 1t has a
perfect bouquet and flavor. Green tea,
beloved by our grandnothers and still q
favorite with some connofsseurs, has
proved to have SO much theme, the ele-
ment of intoxication in tea, that it is for
bidoen TO nervous people. It is this ele-
ment which makes tea save food by its
action In preventing various wastes TO
able to elderly perscns--to the tired labor
ing woman. Doubtless Mrs. Camps
famous teapot with which she entertained
Betsy Prig contained green tea.
But there is an unusually large amount
of nitrogen In theme, and green tea pos
sesses so large a proportion of 1t as to be
positively dangerous. In the process of
drying and roasting this volatile oil is en-
gendereu. The Chinese dare not use it
for ayear after the leaf has been pre-
pared. and the packer and unpacker of
the tea suffer much from paralysis. The
tasters of tea become frequen thy invalids,
unable to eat.
THE LEGEND OF TEA.
More consoling is the legend of the orr
gin of the plant A drowsy hermit, after
long wrestling with sleep, cut off his eye
lids and cast them on the ground. From
them sprang ashrub whose leaves, shaped
like eyesids and bordering with fringe
of Iashes, possessed the power of warding
off sleep. This was in the third century
and the plant was tea
But what has all this to do with that
pleasant vision or a steaming Kettle boil
ing over a blazing alcohol lamp, the sill
yer tea caddy, the padded coy to keep
the teapot warm, the basket Of cake, the
thin bread and butter. the pretty girl
presiding over the cups, the delicate
these elements 60 TO make up the after
noon tea, now used as the method of in
Producing daughter, etc, and as the or
binary way Of entertaining everybody.
The primal idea was good one. Peo-
pie who had no money for grand spreads
were enabled to show TO their more opu-
lent neighbors that they, too, had the
spirit OF hospitality. The doctors discoy-
cred that tea was healthful English
breakfast tea would keep nobody awake.
The cup of tea and the sandwich at FIVE
would spoil nobody's dinner. The ladies
who began these entertainments receiv-
ing modestly in plain dresses were not
out Of tone with their guests who came
In walking dresses.
But, then the other side" was this
Ladies had to 60 to nine teas of an after
noon. perhaps taste something every
where. Hence the new disease, delirium
s'trcmens.n 1t was uncomfortable to as
sist at a large party IN heavy winter
garment of velvet and fur The afternoon
tea lost its primitive character and be-
came an evening party in the day time
with the hostess and her daughters in
fun dress and her guests In walking cos
tune.
The slipping of so much tea produces the
nervous PRESERVATION, the sleeplessness, the
nameless misery of our oyerWrought
women, and thus healthful, Inexpensive
and most agreeable adjunct to the art of
entertaining became the large gaslighted
ball at five O'Clock where half the ladies
were ia decollete dresses. the others in fur
tippits. II was a breeder of induenzas
and the high road to headache
If lady can be at home every Thurs
day during the season, and always at her
position behind the blazing urn, IL she
Will have the firmness to continue this
practice, she may create salon out OF her
teacups
AFTERNOON TEAS
In giving a large afternoon tea for
which cards have been sent out, the
hostess should stand by the drawing
room door and greet each guest, who,
after few words, passes on 1n the adj
joining room, usually the dininp-room,
large table Is spread with white cloth,
and at one end is tea servicewlth Kettle
of water boiling over an alcohol lamp,
while at the other end Is service fer
chocolate. There should be flowers on
tho table and dishes containing bread
and butter cut as thin as shavlngs.