Southwest-sentinel. [volume] (Silver City, N.M.) 1883-189?, 1895-06-04
THE 0 O'CLOCK TEA TAeLE.



able rlimeni.
A correspondent asks for information
concerning tho proper Citing oi o 0
o'clock tea table.
beginning with tho tabio ITSELF it
may be a small oval. circular or hexagtn
shape Any enc of these Is preferable TO
n square ono. Tables arc shown in shops
that are PROVIDED with small leaves, or
arms, few inches wide, % open cut il
all directions. Such are not especially
commended Their effect Is not as gonl
as pieces of furniture. and they perform
their Office in rather an uncertain man.
nor. Even four or iivo persons surround
ing such a iablo endangor its freight, q
slight josllo teing sufficient to overtugn
a cup or plate on one OF It's irailly sup
ported rrn.
If tho surface Of tho table is highly
polished, aud IL IS preferred not TO cover
it entirely. a handsome square Ok round
ccrtcrricco dolly, which 10 only dim
nor centcrpcco, is used, q q toacloih a
yard square may pretHly ard wholly
veil it. Tho Dresden designs arc not SO
much in vogue ns they wcro Oar un-
hapry fashion Of doing everything to
death. whether it DO Dresden. Trilhy CT
empire effects, has worked its inovita-
bic reaction, and tho powdcring Of lineu
with gay lttlo blossoms is not much
countenanccd. Anything that Is well
done, however, remains beautiful aud
those who Lave fino pieces Of such nee
diowork should let them sec tho light
f-,1rrrff,- Ia ,,1-,,f...r , s,o,.s rf,f,
some later design may be employed
For the actual in1pcdimerta Of tho ta-
bio thero Que required ten caddy, hot
wator kettle, q coy, a wafer or cracker
dish, two or three pretty cups and sau-
GERS, cream jug and sugar bowl.
A flagon for alcohol is sometimes
enumerated, but this and a spoon basket
arc like the tables with loavos-olabo-
rating q function whose s,mplioityi its
warrant Tho alcohol should beiput in
the lamp ont OF tho room. It is often
attended with little spilling. and it
is much better to have the lamp ready
for lighting beforehand. The tea caddy
ought to bo Of silver; on n handsome
table it is. Ii should havo a measuring
cover, this little distinction being one
that those "in tho know" insist upon.
To measure tho tea with spoon is not
considered quito so correct and SO rcd
olent OF tho old time flavor as to uso
the cup cover Of the caddy, Zone I'll to
brew. A glass mat may be provided
to set tho hot teapot upon, and the
spoons are laid loose upon the table
These, by the way, rs we'll as the cups,
should bo usablo ones. In the days Of
souvenir spoons tho rage for variety be-
got some curious travesties of these USE
full table implements. Ono felt grateful
if one was not offered q perforated bowl,
SC twisted and grotosque nrd abnormal
wore tho changes rung upcn tea and
coffee spoons. Cups should hold mere
than an actual thimbleful, though they
need not hold pint, and should bear
sone rotation TO the laws of gravitation
In their poise upon tho saucer They
should have a smooth rim. A huted
edge is most uncomfortable nnish for
q drinking vessel Tho wafer basket
may he silver china or cut glass. with
again preference FOR silver. A tiny or
namental vase CT dish may hold matches.
~ htNhlo tAlitNnt hN~NtA~ao ~ "NN AH1
caution that o parlor tea table should
ba kept in state Of irreproachable
oleanliucsF, but tho oxporionoa, onco OF
twice encountered. of having q scum Of
dust rise on tea offered during call OIL
another than tho hostoss' regular day OF
home aroused the suspicion that some
parlor tea tables are kept like soino par
lor o-a-byao--dustod only On company
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