The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-05-03

on In the adjoining room. usually the
oinlng-room. = large table Is spread with q
white cloth. and at one end IS tea service
with kettle of water boiling over an aico-
mol lamp, while at the other end Is . service
ior chocolate There should be flowers on
tne table and dishes containing bread and
Dutler cut IS thin IS . shaving. Cake and
strawberries are always permissible. One
or TWO servants should be in attendance "a
carry away soiled cups and sucers and 70
keep the table looking fresh, but for the
pouring of the tea and chocolate there
snouid always be a lady who. ike the
hostess, should wear q gown closed TO the
throat. tor nothing Is worse form nova
days than full dress before dinner; and, OF
course. without bonnet
When tea Is served every afternoon Al
o,clock whether or no there are visitors,
As Is often the case IN many houses. the
servant. who. If woman, should always
In the afternoon wear plain black gown
with . white cap and apron. should place
a small, low table before the lady OF the
house and lay pretty white cloth upon Il.
She should then bring IN . large tray,
upon which are the tea service and q
plate OF bread and butter, or cake. or both,
and place il upon the table and then re-
tire. but 10 remain within call though out
OF sight IN case she should be needed. The
$3.50 4xE A9z &x1SA&UE lC3 ~ SEc QAG I8$lf-
Toned one -One tezSpoonfCi for each
person and one for the pot" The
Pot should first be rinsed with hot
water, then the tea put In. and
upon it hot water enough to cover the
leaves poured, which is At the moment
boiling This should stand for FIVE min
ntes. then MI up the pot with more boil.
ing water and pour it Immediately Some
persons prefer lemon In their tea to cream,
and IL vzs1v 40 . h -
slices cut for the purpose in pretty little
dish on the tray A bowl of cracked ice
IS also pleasant addition in summer, iced
tea being most refreshing drink in hot
weather Neither plates nor napkins ever
appear at this informal and coxy meal
A guest arriving At this time In the after
noon should always be offered q cup of tea
Afternoon tea In small cities or In the
country, In villages and academic towns
can be made most agreeable and ideal
entertainment for the official presentation
OF daughter or for the means of seeing
ones friends. But in the busy winter sea-
son of large city Ii should not be made
the excuse for giving up the evening party
or the dinner, lunch or ball. 1t is not all
these, it is simply ITSELF" and it should
be refuge for those women who are tired
of balls. OF over-dressing. dancing, visiting
and shopping. 1t IS also very dear 70 the
young who ind that convenient tea table
good arena for dirtations-
IL Is form Of entertainments which al
lows one TO dispense with etiquette and 10
save time.
A lady or gentleman who receives an in
vitat1on TO an afternoon tea. and makes his
done his duty: he need not make another
call the acquaintance Is established
Nor need 3 lady do more than leave her
card on the day of the tea; her duties are
then over for the season, unless . dinner
invitation follows. This IS a great boon 10
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
III other eatables are offered the tea be-
comes reception.
There is high tea which takes the place
of dinner on Sunday evenings IN cities,
which Is very pretty entertainment
In small rural cities, In the country,
they take the place of dinners. They were
formerly very fashionable in Philadelphia-
1t was the opportunity TO offer hot rolls
and butter, scollopped oysters, fried
chicken, deiicately sliced cold ham, waf-
hes and hot cake 'spreserves"-aias since
the days of canning who offers the deli
cious preserves of the past.
The hostess sits behind her silver urn
and pours the hot tea or coffee or choco-
late, aud presses the guests 10 take another
waffle. 1t is delightful meal, and has no
prototype In any country but our own-
Il is doubtful. however, whether the
high tea viii ever be popular in America.
in large cities at least With the custom Of
O'Clock dinners People find them .
violent change of living, which is always q
challenge 10 indigestion. Some wit said
that he always liked ito eat hot mince pie
Just before he went to bed. for then he al
ways knew what hurt him. Ifanyone
wishes to know what hurts him, he can
take high tea ON Sunday evening, after
having dined all the week at O'Clock, and
a pain in his chest viii tell him that the
hot waffle, the cold tongue, the peach
preserve and that last cup of tea mean
mischief
Oliver Cromwell is said to have been an
early tea-drinKer; 50 was Queen Elizabeth.
Elaborate old teapots 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 any
thing less strong than brown stout. Litera-
ture owes much TO tea From Covper TO
Austin Dohson the poets have had their
fling at it. And what could the modern
English novelist do without it? 1t has been
in politics as all remember who have seen
Boston harbor, and il goes into all the bat
ties. and climbs Mont Blanc and the
Mafterhorn The French who despised is
are beginning to make good cup of tea, /"
and Russia battles in it, The samoyar
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 cup
of tea excepting in SPAIN There II IS next
81 sal ~roSo
snpersedes it. If one gets cup of tea in
Spain there is no cream 70 put in IT, 1t is
ruined with goats milk
In fact, the poor tea drinker is hard to
please anywhere There are 80 the critic
only one or two houses Of ones acquain-
lance where IS O'Clock ties" is perfect.