Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1894-05-03
A CUP OF TEA.
How to Make It and How to Serve 1t on
State Occasions.

State Occasions.
The old saying, ''The cup that cheers,
but not inebriates, " which has been re-
peated in season and out until it has be-
come dull platitude, must now be rele-
gated entirely to the past, with its deli
cate blushing maidens and prim and
ancient spinsters Old maids are no
more, and The gay girl bachelor favors
the cheering cup with whatsoever bever-
age she likes best. Not that it has ever
been known TO exert any disquieting in
huences. Still it has possibilities of a
distinctly bohemian tendency.
''Shall l give you just wee drop?"
''Oh, you needn't trouble to measure
it. .
81 wouldn't give anything for cup
Of tea without a little rum in it. -
There was bevy of bright women
gathered in the large light room. In one
corner the first speaker, an artist, had
made little nook for herself Just at
one side Of the great fireplace, where,
dressed in a soft silk japanese costume,
she made little housewifely trips from
the kettle hanging over the bright Goals
to the little table from whence she dis
pensed the sreaming beverage in the
daintiest of japanese cups The second
speaker was charming matron, lit
erary woman with successful book out,
and the maker of the third somewhat
startling remark was also a literary
woman, tall and stately, blond and
beautiful The ''wee Drop was in a
small bottle by the side Of the artist and
took upon itself no undue prominence.
That was one pretty tea, and it shows
the tendency of the times. But there
are teas and teas The little black bottle
is not by any means a necessary accom-
paniment, and pretty and dainty acces-
sories are. The idea Of the prettiest seen
this winter evolved from a green and
white tea cozy. The cozy is not very fire.
quently to be found at the 5 o'clock tea
table, often for lack of room, but it is an
9sthetical and practical improvement
The sides Of this one were Of white
linen, sprayed with maidenhair fern
and embroidered in wash silk. Sewed
around the curve of each of the two
sides were rings, buttonholed with
white, and through them narrow white
ribbon was laced back and forth over
putting Of light green silk. The effect
was exceptionally dainty and fresh. Fol
lowing this came a teacloth of plain
white linen with similar sprays Of the
fern. They can be bought for $40, but
the material hardly costs an eighth of
that sum Green is the predominating
color i'll the newest designs i'll china
this year, and tea set shaped like those
of our grandmother days, low and OBJ
long square, with green and gold dec
orations and here and there pink rose,
is quantity pretty enough for queen
There is an old fashioned tea caddy
exactly the shape Of our grandmother
with cover holding ju-t drawing of
tea for one person. 1t is ii the same co.
ors in the old imperial ware copied from
the Dresden, with a Vatican decora-
tion. There are the prettiest little cups
imaginable, with designs Of the maiden
hair, but every one has cups and Of all
shapes and patterns. There is an endless
variety to be bought, and at all prices.
The most exquisite are of the first en-
pire design, with charming portraits of
Josephine Bonaparte, Mime. de Stael
and other first empire celebrities adorn-
ing the sides. In shape they are tall,
like the chocolate cups, but at the price,
SO apiece, no one would hesitate to take
either tea or coffee from them
In viands for the tea table there is
but little variety, but the owner of the
green and white table has made an in
novation. She has loaf Of bread steam
ed instead of baked until it is thorough
ly done. Slices are cut of waferlike
thickness, made into sandwiches with
delicious pate de fol gras filling, then
rolled-the bread being little tougher
than when baked-and tied with mar.
row green ribbon that exactly matches
the rest Of the decoration.
These ideas could be carried out i'll
other colors, for there are charming tea
sets with dull gold edge and a border Of
blue forgetmenots that would give the
motif for blue tea table and still others
though not so pretty-strewn with
violets. There are odd little tea sets in
pink, heart shaped, and the handles
forming figure five. With them are
cups and saucers to match, eRd III the
center Of eaoia saEoox il t. iAce Of a
clock with hands pointing to 5. They
are culions-yes, and pretty-but curl
osities are not always in good taste and
soon become wearisome.
NJ. A. TAFT
New York.