Evening star., 1896-12-12
CHRISTMAS DECORATION.
A Scheme for BenutifyinE the House
on the Festive Occasion.

Scheme for BenutifyfnE the House
On the Festive Occasion.
From Harpers Bazaar.
While the rich green Of hemlock and
holly and the bright red berries Of the
latter fill the body of the church with
CHEEKY warmth. household decoration
should be entirely different in character,
and a great mistake is made when ever
green's are thrust into every available cor
ner and lavishly wreathed about chande-
liers and pictures.
The mistletoe bough is allowable on
Christmas eve, and where there are little
people the time-honored Christmas tree in
one corner Is pretty sight; but while the
whole house should be at it's freshest and
brightest and exhale the very atmosphere
of good cheer and hospitality, it is not
desirable to hang it with wreaths and ropes
of green like public hall.
The Christmas dinner table should be the
central point of decoration, and this can be
carried out with very moderate amount of
trouble and expense On the fine damask
table cover should be laid central strip Of
sash-curtain silk in scarlet or old red, ex-
tending from end to end, and bordered all
around with guipure lace. A strip of any
other material in rich coloring may be
substituted for the silk. only heavy lace
would be appropriate, and narrow fringe
could be used instead of lace.
The central ornament of flowers is placed
on this strip. and great white chrysanthe-
NUNS. frightened with holly berries and
leaves, are particularly in harmony with
the season. The shy Christmas rose which
Is really more Of an anemone than q rose,
can sometimes be found, but it is not pro-
ltfic and Its delicate beauty is lost when
mixed with other flowers.
A ruby-tinted long-stemmed glass with
spreading top displays this shy blossom to
the best advantage, and the only foliage
used should be the daintiest of ferns or the
delicate tendrils of the graceful maurandia
Such decoration on either side of the
chrysanthemums and holly berries would
please the eye with a sense of harmony.
Or crystal bowl of crimson roses would
also be appropriate and a wreath of holly
leaves about the edge Of 1t might be used
effectively. Glass candlesticks at each cor
ner Of the cloth would be pretty with red
candles, the receptacles being wreathed
with smilax.
This delicate vine should also drape the
chandelier overhead, with small clusters of
holly berries arranged so that the smilax
will look as though caught up here and
there with careless grace
red rose with tiny ferns for each lady,
and holly and mistletoe for the gentlemen
would make appropriate boutonnieres
To carry out the scheme thoroughly the
Viands dispensed at the Christmas board
should, as far as possible, represent the
colors Of the season. Thus the SOUP might
be spinach. asparagus or mock turtle with
plenty OF the green coloring, while the blue
points could be served on individual blocks
of ice wreathed with smilax The trencher
containing the turkey should be wreathed
with holly. and all sorts Of pretty and ap-
propriate dishes scattered about would help
to make the table attractive.
Molds Of cranberry jelly trimmed with
little tufts of mistletoe; Spanish cream COL
ored with pistache, and wearing a necklace
OF holly berries; small glass corner dishes
of strawberries made of almond paste.
shaped and colored in exact imitation of
the fruit; diminutive tarts, with green fill
ing that proves to be of the same material.
but colored with pistache, and the ineyita-
BILE plum pudding decorated with a bright
central cluster Of holly-are all in char
acter.
The hostess would look Christmasy and
attractive iE gown Of red silk with much
soft lace at the neck and sleeves soft
white dress trimmed with green and bright
ened with red roses would be equally ap-
propriate.