Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-10-21
neutrality-suspicious.
Necessary for Every Well Regulated
Dining Table.
SOME ARTISTIC TOUCHES,
The Effect ofAppropriately Blended
Colors.
TO DECORATE THE WALLS,

Written for The Evening Star
The first thought Of the hostess who yishes
to make her entertainments attractive goes
out to the floral decoration of her hons.
and her table. and II is there that her taste
and originality can be asserted with the
greatest success. In fact, table decoration
is growing year by year Of more impor-
lance, and the homes are neglected and
oehindhand where flowers and foliage do
not form an appreciable feature Of the daily
dinner table
III is not necessary TO spend very much
money neither is it advisable to have one
sihai pot OF ferns do duty for weeks at q
time. A feasible plan is to choose a pretty
willow basket and have it fitted with a tin
lining. In this can be placed little lars Of
growing bulbs. tulips, hyacinths or mar
cissus, as they come into bloom. Twies az
vines can be twisted about them ana droop
gracefully over the side here and there
concealing the pots. The tin lining admits
OF watering and drainage. Thus a pleasant
variety ana succession can be had in
oennltely at modest outlay. A large how
or ribbon of a shade suitable for the mowers
enhances the beauty of the basket and
helps to vary IL. To tie the handle OF a
BASKET is the only appropriate purpose for
ribbon on dinner table. Bread tied with
ribbons, cup handles sporting ribbon bows.
candelabra defaced with bow knots-it is !.
very fussy fashion.
AT dinner on a recent occasion. other
wise In excellent taste. the banana ice
cream was served in banana skins. That
would have been a pretty little surprise IL
these bananas had been allowed TO remain
In their realistic condition; but each one
was tied with big yellow satin bow-at
least, 1t was proportionately big-and after
IL had been poked about with the fork, in
order to get at the ice cream, and the ice
cream had oozed out on the ribbon. 1T was
in very sorry condition. far from appetiz-
ing. Really, the decorations of some din
ners and luncheons would lead one to think
that the hostess has been or should have
been a milliner.
Artistic Touches.
To arrange tasteful, graceful floral groups
is. in a measure. a natural gift. but II the
novice will bear in mind that simplicity Is
the best policy. and use only one kind of
flower for her first attempts, the effect will
be fair. and with greater practice will come
greater skill.
Those who can have the services of a
professional florist can be saved much anx-
iety, but comparatively few can do this. and
individual taste can be quite as successful
as the most expensive arrangements II IL
is sufficiently exerted.
Although the fashions in floral decorations
vary almost as frequently as in gowns and
hats. ii is not best to hold to hard and fast
rules. When light, fragile grouping is the
prevailing mode. one would not be wise to
erect heavy, massive structures of bios
SONS and foliage. but the family decora-
tor should aim at originality of taste, in
stead of allowing her achievements to set
tie into mere replica Of other peoples de-
signs.
can work lovely wonders. The final ad-
ditional manipulation. the merely decorative
finish. cannot be so safely intrusted TO
any but the hostess own hand; a real lady
oil
II she is willing to undertake the trouhao
that IL entails.
In these days Of color schemes the cook
and mistress can work in sympathy with
each other and produce effective, novel re-
suits. For instance, when yellow and gold
are the colors chosen the following sugges-
ton, description of a recent dinner table
arrangement may be of service. Nothing
lights up better than yellow. and profess
sional decorators have discovered the value
of black to heighten its effectiveness. They
use the black crum lily for this purpose.
1t is a striking and uncommon flower. of
great artistic value. The center of the
table In question was adorned with yellow
roses-a basket of delicate Florentine iron
work filled with these lovely blossoms. A
silver salver. spread with orange leaves and
orange baskets OF cream, was at one end
of the table, and at the other an orange
salad in a yellow crystal dish placed on q
salver arranged with sprays Of pretty
green
oFunBes
For making these bask IT'S, large thick
skinned oranges should he chosen. With
a sharp penknife cut nearly a half circle
about the middle of each orange: on the up
per half cut strip for a naadle: then cut
away all the remainder IF that half. thus
leaving the rind in the shape of a basket
with a handle. Before removing the in
terror cut diamonds in the remaining half
OF the rind. to simulate wicker work, then
carefully remove all the pulp OF the orange.
little experience will enable any lady to
make these baskets with ease. Then beat
to a stin froth a pint Of good cream and
add to IL the whites of two eggs stiffiy
whipped. two tablespoonfuls OF confection-
ers sugar and a wfneglIssful Of the ex-
pressed juice of the oranges. Fill The bas-
kets with it
For orange salad make a clear strip ty
boiling half a pound of graduated sugar
with a wineglassful of water in an enam-
eled sauce pan. Separate two or three
oranges into their natural divisions and re-
move the pips as much possible. Drop
each division into the polling strip. cook
them for two minutes drain them and lay
them in the dish Cook for q few minutes
i'm the same strip half 4 iozen slices of
pineapple and few peaches and arrange
them with the oranges. Canned peaches
and pineapple may be Used. Cut the rlnd
of one orange into thin long strips and boil
them for five minutes: lay these over the
top of the fruit. Then add a wineglassful
OF Dranuy 10 the Slrup. let IL Doll up TO
thicken it, and when IL las cooled a little
pour il over the fruit
mauve table is very delicate and ex-
tremely pretty IL the color is rot carried
beyond flowers. but mauve ribbons and
mauve food are too grievo1s White and
purple lilac blossoms are lovely in old sill
yer bowls, and iris in brass bowls are
charming and dangerous rIvai to orchids,
but these flowers. as. In Iced. most flowers
never look their best with any foliage but
their own. Ferns for foliage seems TO be
the one idea of the shopman he carnot
concede that nature has Irraased that mat
ter better than he.
Foliage tables are decidedly a pretty
change and look refreshingly springlike but
their arrangement requires great skill
Fruit tree flowers have great charms
Apple blossoms, for instance can make a
perfect vision of fresh loneliness Large
branches of nuts, Towering grasses and
scarlet berries can be used very effectively
in tall vases for autumn decorations: bur
do not use too many glasses and small
receptacles. The effect in that case is sure
to be poor and "spotty."
A Model Room.
1t is not possible for everyone to have ,
dining room that lends itself to decoration
as one completed at Newport early this
season, and which made a charming i'm
preston on a visitor who described II az
having walls and ceiling Immediately white
the dazzling effect softened by a thick sur
face coat of enamel The floor is carpeted