Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-01-20
THE STEAMING KETTLE
Five O'Clock Tea May Be a Pleasant
Feature of the Day.
Written for The Evening Star.

Written for The Evening Star.
The lovers of the cup that cheers en-
braces all classes and conditions of human
lily, from the celebrated Mrs Camp and
her familiar Betsy Prig down to the fire.
quenters of the tea tables Of today. Num-
erous little elegancies are part and parcel
or the ante-prandial refreshment The
foibles of women and the vagaries Of fash
ion have from time immemorial been sub
1ects or sarcasm and unkind criticism by
the masculine moralist. But as regards
the tea table fad his lips are sealed. He
enjoys the prominence given him at a tea
drinking ceremony, and approves and smiles
serenely. From the time when Adam
transferred all the blame of a certain
crooked little transaction to Eve until now
women have tried to make their brothers
or some other woman's brother happy by
an appreciation of his many sterling quail
tiles of head and heart.
She makes him happy by fattery and
smiles and by being good listener. And
now comes tea, an invaluable aid in the
performance.
1t is night. Numerous silk and lace petit
coated lamps shed a soft mellow light
through the room and over the little tea
table and its mistress. 1t is the golden op-
portunity for confidential gossip. 1t is the
supreme hour when friends meet in pleas
ant conclave to discuss men and books and
the events of the times. All care and
anxiety is crowded out of the mind, and
friends meet and at their best, fitting
ordinary words to easy meters, chatter
ing of themselves. There is no effort to
be instructive or sarcastic or terrible. The
latest engagement, the success of the last
german and the probable happiness or
otherwise of the recent victims of a matri-
mOnial venture. The dainty rejection
bears no resemblance to that of the
country tea, where the table is laden
with the good things found in perfection
in the country. The town tea table can
only claim a far-away relationship to 1t in
the delicious nectar both tables supply.
The Craze for Pretty Chinn.
The tea table is an aggravated symptom
of the craze for ceramics, that has the
women of today in it's clutches. The forti-
tude and endurance of the early Christian
martyrs could not have been more pro-
nounced than that of the nineteenth CEN
tury woman in the exercise OF her greatest
pleasure. shopping for odd china. The
thought of finding something absolutely
unique. is like the scent of powder to a
veteran war horse For odd, ugly and
beautiful china women Will sell their souls
go mad
When the fragile cups and saucers are
found and purchased the fever RACES and
pangs of anxiety are suffered until the
treasures are displayed to enviouS friends.
There is positively no limit to l.ss styles in
table decorations. Specimens of crown
Derby, royal Worcester, Sevres and Limo
ges meet and fraternize in the symposium
of today. And more delicious than the
nectar of the gods is the fragrant tea
slipped by a china collector from a cup of
which she proudly assures her friends
there are no duplicates
At the tea table madam reigns supreme
She is happier than empress, for she
knows her subjects are loyal. A woman's
hand moves in and out among the tea
things. arranging her cups and the shining
urn She pours the bubbling water into the
Mandarin tea pot, 1t is low and dumpy, and
it has tiny bit knocked off its priceless
nose. The tea is caravan tea, brought
dampness on shipboard. From the tea pot
the tea is poured into tiny cups. blossom
irg all over with little pink flowers, the
leaves parted under each handle to let a
Paul and Virginia pass through. Square
humps of sugar are taken up by the claw
shaped tongs and transferred to the cups.
Cream is poured into the cups from little
squatty pitcher and the tea is handed
around to the guests. who stir 1t with
little souvenir spoons picked up in far dis
tant lands; waters and tea biscuits COM
plete the enchantment of the fairy-like
repast.
An Attractive Picture.
The tea caddy over which much gray
one of the essentials of a well-equipped ia
BILE. Vases of long-stemmed roses add to
the tout ensemble. A wood fire glowing
on the tiled hearth adds to the beauty of
the scene; 1t is charming and withal SO fit
full, so changing. The flames curl and
sparkle and die The red Goals wink and
glimmer and gather white robes of ashes
about them. and sputter and sigh II en-
downed with life.
The tea cloth is an important feature of
the outfit, and 1T Is susceptible Of many va
riations. 1t may be white or cream col
ored, of satin, silk or sheer white linen,
embroidered in silks, in designs of trailing
roses, violets or carnations, to harmonic
with the decorations of the china. II the
financial depression is not too keenly felt
he cloth may be bordered with old rose
point lace, and be gorgeous as a cath.-
dral altar cloth.
Then there is the tea coZy a sort of wad-
ded nightcap, to cover the teapot. 1t is
made of velvet satin and a monogram
embroidered on Ii. 1t Is very ugly, but that
is forgiven, because by it's use the tea is
kept steaming hot. Amid all this array of
beautiful china and warmth and color the
hostess wears a tea gown, wonderful Gre
alton Of clinging draperies and cascades of
creamy lace and ribbons-anu the suplupa-
ton of man Is complefa