New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-02-11
THE FLORAL ADORNMENT.
HOW THE ROOMS WERE MADE BEAUTI-
Full FOR MRS. MARTINS GUESTS.
DEIICAcY AND IIGaTNEss THD PREVAILING
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHEME

DEIIcAcY AND ILGaTNEss THD PREVAILING
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHEME
OF DECORATION.
Mrs Bradley Martins taste directed and pervaded
the entire scheme OF floral decorations. the DISPOSE
ton Of which not left to the whim Of the florist
but the result Of careful thought and anxious
elaboration The plan as at first made was an
nOunced yesterday morning In The Tribune but
there were son'e changes made at the last moment
II should be said at the outset that the plan Of deco
ration was a consistent whole and the result re-
Elected the highest credit upon the hostess and the
agents she employed in carrying out her Ideas
The guests alighting at Mr.. Boldts private en-
trance in Thirty-thirdst.. passed dill ecty through
the curtains held by two attendants into private
hall at the foot OF winding staircase Here was
elevator for the Of the elderly persons among
the guests Most Of the invited thousand. however.
mounted the staircase, the ratings Of which were
swathed lightly In Florida smilax. The ceiling over
the staircase was also dressed in the same becom-
ing material while In the hall the largest and rarest
OF palms and other tropical plants grew from their
individual soils to the ceiling The long hail. running
clear - the Fifthave side of the hotel showed the
green bower, and the dressing rooms were
gracefully bedecked in a like In the dress
ing-rooms aid the hall that ran between them there
were no flowers Towering plants whatever. All
the decorations here green and quiet. The
mems dressing rooms. thirty-ive in number. were
the north side OF the hail. and the women's
dressing room on the southern side. Midway OF the
length OF the hall another spiral staircase that
led 10 the reception room. This staircase was
swathed in clemats and powered in palms. Half
way down was wide landing. where one Of the two
Hungarian bands was stationed
THE RECEPTION ROOM
At the foot of the stairs a small anteroom.
and to the right the wide door that led
directly into the small ba room whore Mrs. Martin
stood to receive her guests they entered. The
hostess stood at the right OF the door, under the
balcony from which came the strains OF weird
gypsy music. There dias or. raised plat
form. had been prophesied. Immediately over
Mrs. Martins head the balcony blossomed forth
with innumerable roses the lons-stemmed Amer
lean Beauties dropping their luxurious heads from
a bank OF mmosa above and below their more
modest, but more numerous, La France sisters
All the flowers seemed to creep into view from
background OF delicate Virginia ivy. The balcony
the northern side OF the room was another
bower OF American Beauty roses banked In hum
dreds OF yards OF Virginia ivy, while over the big
mirror at the western end OF the room an endless
chain OF Ivy again twned among the heads OF the
deep red roses. The entire scheme OF color mar
monized admirably with the dark richness of the
heavy carpet, and contrasted with equal taste
with the delicacy OF the lighter shades OF the
graceful Louis XVI furniture and the rare old
tapestries that almost covered the walls
Passing westward through the reception-room
the guests came at into the large ballroom
there all the dancing took place II was here that
the floral entity found It's elimination. The aspect
Of the room light. graceful. airy ana DAINTY
If the flowers In the reception-room had been lux
urious and rich, here they were ethereal ana ilght
as air Pink was the prevailing color. The most
delicate vine that grows the asparagus was loopeu
in thousands of dainty yards across the great mir
rors that run from ceiling 20 floor at the northern
side OF the lofty room. while at intervals In their
farylike eXpanse were straw pockets from whlch
tumbled hundreds of La France roses which
seemed to be trailing In their own folage from
their sources 10 the floor without ever quite reach
ing IT, The dainty asparagus vines ran all around
the walls in graceful tiny loops. studded here and
there with III. s?me pink roses that tumbled from
the straw pockets to the polished moor.
At the brackets there delicate clusters OF
the vine and the roses intertwined with pink RID
bon of shining satin The long balcony opposite the
mirrors was entirely concealed in the twining ivy.
from which sprouted nnumerable bridesmaids, whose
delicate heads hung not droopingy, but coquettish
ly, toward the floor just clearing The heads OF
the promenaders beneath. Pink were the roses
and pink the ribbons that twined through
them. Pink too. the ribbon that ran through
the four small brass rods that marked of the
space In the middle of the floor in which the
Quadrilles were danced. the space thus inclosed
being about twenty-five feet square.
In the big balcony above the moor were the TWO
orchestras that furnished the dancing music.
Hungarian orchestra occupied the eastern end OF
the balcony and each one of the musicians wore
old-timc white wigs for the first time in his gypsy
life. The musicians of the 22d Regiment Band. who
sat al the other end of the balcony, wore brand
new uniforms that had never been put on before
In the balcony. too, the dancers In the quadrilleS
met and formed for their march onto the floor.
Beneath the balcony number of retired
grottos, rooted with the Florida smilax.
through which shone the subdued glow of hun
dreds OF many-coored tiny electric lamps.
AMERICAN BEAUTIES on THE TABLES.
The supper-rooms tastefully and elabo-
ratey decora ted as the ballroom Both the mems
cafe and the winter garden were closed TO the
guests Of the hotel at 10 o'clock. heavy tapestries
shutting them off from the view of those who
passed through the lobby. In these two large
rooms there 125 tables. every one Of which was
decked with American Beauty roses. The walls
we're hung with the choicest tapestries. and about
the ceiling and the pillars crept the omnipresent
Virginia ivy. while the rarest and most exquisite
Of spring flowers forsythia, tulips bonganvillia,
mignonette, lacs and jonquils smiled from every
corner and sprang from every pillar.
The comparative simplicity of the floral decOra-
ton was doubtless a surprise TO many persons
who expected that its prevailing characteristics
were TO be prodgality and profuseness. but, II
So It must have been the most pleasant sort or a
surprise. There no lack of plenty In the whole
scheme OF decoration. but the rooms were not
swamped in flowers. nor was the atmosphere OPP
pressIve with heavy perfume. Delcacy. lghtness:
daintiness these pervaded every room, soothed
every nerve delighted every sense