The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-05-03

over an alcohol lamp, while a. tne 0ther
should DO flowers on the table and disliea
containing bread and butter cut as thin hs
a shaving. Cake and strR wherries ars III
ways permissible. One or two servanta
should be In attendance TO carry away
soilod cups and snucsrs and TO keep ths
of tho tea aud chocolate there should al
ways he q lady who, like the hostess, should
wear q gown closed TO the throat, for moth
ing il worse form nowadays than full dress
before dinner; and, OF course, without n
bonnet.
When tea ia served every afternoon mt
fvs O'Clock whether or M there are visi-
tors, "a is often the case In many houses,
the servant, who, II a woman, should al
ways In the afternoon wear q plain black
gown with a white cap and apron, should
place a small, low table before the lady of
the household and lay a pretty white cloth
/ Epon II. She should then bring In q large
tray, upon which are the tea service anda
plate Of broad and butter, or cake, or both,
but to remain in call though out Of sight,
in case she should be needed. The best
rule for making tea is the old fashioned
one: "One te%aspoonful for each
person and ono for the pot" Tn
pot should first be rinsed with hot water.
enough to cover the leaves poured, which is
at the moment boiling. This should stand
for five minutes. then fill up the pot with
more boiling water and pour it immedi-
ately. Some persons prefer lemon in their
tea to cream, and it il a good plan to have
pretty little dish IN the tray. A bowl OF
cracked ice is also a pleasant addition in
summer, iced tea being a most refreshing
drink in hot weather. Neither plates nor
napkins ever appear at this informal and
CoZy meal.
.,n,k nr,:,;x. - AL;, A;~,o -. Arr actar
noon hould always be offered q cup of tea.
Afternoon tea IN small cities or in the
country, i'll villages and academic towns
can be made a most agreerble ideal en-
t~ertainment for the official presentation of
a daughter, or for the means of seeing one's
friends. But in the busy winter season ola
large city 1t should not bs made the excuse
for giving up the evening party or the din
ner, lunch or ball. 1t is not all these, it Is
simply ~"itself,'' and it should be a Iefugs
for those who are tired of balls, of over
dressing, dancing, visiting and shopping.
that convenient tea table a good arena for
firtations.
1t is a form of entertainment which al
lows one to dispense with etiquette and to
save time.
A lady or a gentleman who receives an
invitation to an afternoon tea, and makes
his visit, leaving his card behind him, has
done his duty; he need not make another
call, the acquaintance ia established.
Nor need a lady do more than leave her
card on the day Of the tea; her duties ate
then over for the season, unless a dinner
an over society woman, who cannot get
around to make all her calls.
Five O'Clock teas should be true to their
NAME, nor should any other refreshment be
offered than tea, thin bread and butter and
little cakes.
IL othar aofobIau ara ofTara1 tho tao ba-
comes a reception.
There is a high tea which takes the place
of dinner on Sunday evenings in cities,
which is a very pretty entertainment.
In small rural cities, in the country,
they take the place of dinners: Trey
offer hot rolls and butter, scoiloped
oysters, fried chicken, dellcately sliced cold
ham, waf1ies and hot cake 'preserves''-
alas, since the days Of canning who offers
the delicious preserves of the past?
The hostess sits behind her silver urn and
pours the hot tea or coffee or chocolate, and
presses the guest to take another waffle. 1t
1s a delightful meal, and has no prototype
in any country but our own.
1t is doubtful, however, whether the high
tea will ever be popular in America, in large
O'Clock dinners. People find them a violent
change of living, which is always a chal-
lenge to indigestion. Some wit said that
he always liked "to eat hot mince pie just
before he went to bed. for then he always
knew what hurt him." If anyone wishes to
now what hurts him, he can take high tea
OH Sunday evening, after having dined all
the week at seven O'Clock, and a pain in his
chest will tell him that the hot waffle, the
cold tongue, the peach preserve and that
last cup of tea meant mischief.
Oliver Cromwell is said to nave been an
early tea drinker; 30 was Queen Elizabeth.
Elaborate old tea pots are sold in London
with the cipher of both. But the report
lacks confirmation. We cannot imagine
Oliver drinking anything but ~verjuice nor
the Lion woman as sapping up anything
less strong than brown stout. Literature
owes much to tea. From Cowper to Austin
Dobson the poets have had their fling at it.
And what could the modern English no vel
ist do withou lit? Ii has been in politics, as
all remember who have seen Boston har-
Dor, and it goes into a. the battles and
climbs Mount Blanc and the Matterhorn.
The French. who despised it, are beginning
to make good cup of tea"
var cheers the long journeys across
these dreary steppes, and forms again
the most luxurious ornament of the palace.
On all the high roads OF Europe one can
get a cup of tea excepting in Spain. There
it is next to impossible. The universal
chocolate supercedes it. If one gets q cup
of tea in Srain there is no cream to put in
it. 1t is ruined with goats milk.
In fact, the poor tea drinker is hard to
please anywhere. There are to the critic
only one or two houses OF ones acquain-
tame where Give o'clock tea is perfect.
M. +. w. SHERWOOD.