Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-12-18
NEW FADS FOR XMAS.
soyEL WAYS IN WHICH SOCIETY
FOLK WILL ENTERTAIN.
SUPPER FROM CHRISTMAS TREE.
,~,. rrsuve Feature to he Intro
a.~ed In New York-New style Oh
xux.x cotflfon-sarprfse Turkey
o.. nirrer-ChIIdren's Parties.


ers was. indeed, time of joliity. On
Christmas Eve eggnog flowed freely NOT
,nly 20 the quality" but 20 every negro
An the plantation. On Christmas morn
TAG the whole county INDUCED in a zig
COX hunt. returning home to grand
Christmas dinner In thu evening the
vide halls and parlors, gay with hoiiy
and msstletoe, rang with the MERRY
laughter of dancers and the music Oh
negro fddlers. Then. Christmas joined
hands with New Year. for the festivities
always lasted through full week. 10
dav although Christmas has lost htt'e
If ,ts toyousness. yet the fun Is little
psore subdued and formal in charactGF'
Nevertheless. the gsyety nowadays pre-
SCENTS many attractions. Novelty IN IRE
WAY of entertainment Is great oesloe-
ration OF the holiday season. Fortunate
indeed. Is the hostess who ranges IN
rursuit OF IL and rounds up variety as
we'll The combination will make her
socially famous. deservedly popular.
A supper served from a Christmas-tree
after the manner of gifts, VIII be one o.
the features OF nearby entertainment
In New York. At the usual supper hour'
after dancing. games. story-teilns, ie~'-
tations, and music, all will enter the sup
per-room. There they will find huge
Christmas-tree. gayly decorated ano iadeh
with all manner Of strange looking par
Gels, baskets. bottles. fancy boxes. berth
boned cylinders. punches Of grapes
single oranges. apples, and pears, tar
letan bags. and stockings OF candy
raisins, and nuts. The odd-loohng par
cells are so by intention. as the object Is
20. as far as possible, deceive the guests
as 10 their contents. This point viii be
appreciated when il Is understood that
personal selection is allowed In this
unique serving of supper. Salads and ices
are in fancy boxes and also In brown
paper, and sometimes a guest may reach
his CONNECTIONS while he is still supper
less. Champagne bottles will contain beer
and ginger ale while the bottles for
those democratic drinks will hold punch
and claret cup. Guests are expected to
eat as they pluck. taking no heed for the
morrow and the possible summoning OF
the family physician. The grand finale
will be the bringing in of plum pudding
brandying. burning. and serving 1t with
black coffee.
Another interesting entertainment is
Christmas cotillon, planned by clever
woman, who is ever devising some new
way OF entertaining frequently invited
guests. This may be given on the night or
December 18th. The invitations, sent
out about ten days before the date of the
event. will request early replies. and
also state that each guest is required to
forward the hostess small gift. which
must be comic In variety and as inexpen-
sivs e. can be purchased. These gifts
are 10 be sent anonymously. after ac-
ceptance OF invitations have been mailed.
not later than two days before the cotil-
lon.
In the mean time the hostess will
have made muslin stockings OF two
colors one for the ladies, the other for
the gentlemen. These stockings will lie
numbered to correspond. AS fast as the
gifts arrive they viii be placed in q
stocking. as far as possible In their origi-
nal wrappngs. so that the hostess hof-
self will not know how they are dist.i-
buted until the cotll,on begins. AS
each gift is slowed away its stocking will
be gartered with a gay ribbon tied in a
bow. which will also conflne a sprlg Of
mietletoe and holly. No two garters must
be alike.
On the evening Of the cotillon a
gilded clothesline will be stretched
across one end of the ballroom and on
II will be fastened, haphszard, with GID
ed clothespins, all of the well-f1lled mus
LIN stockings. They are most attractive
IN appearance and will make good show
ing. Aside from this they are pro-
vocative OF good-natured curiosity and
promoters Of great merriment.
There will be one or two dances before
the distribution Of the stockings. so as 10
t<Ax txrA AZ ~
for hts partner, whom he must find by the
number of his stocking There will be
no escaping partners. The law of cor
responding numbers must be inheNble,
and q man must dance With his mother
in-law IL he finds their numbers are the
me. When all tbs stockings are mated
the garters will be loosened, and
the content draw. out and used as
favors In the cotillon.
Stockings and garters will be fastened
with the clothespins TO the Loft sides Of
coasts and bodice. AT the end OF the
cotillon supper will be served and will
consist of Christmas dishes and drinks.
At small dinner-party on Christmas
day surprise turkey would make an
diversion. 1t will be brought
forth after the "walnuts and the wine
IN other words, at the end of dessert,
when all traces Of the repast have been
cleared away. This is one Of the reasons
Il Is called surprise" turkey, because
after dessert there is generally nothing
material to follow.
This now breed Of turkey will be pro-
cured at paper-box factory, or place
where PAPER mache is moulded into
shapes, or at a pastry cooks, or confec-
toners. The substance composing his
turkeyship will entirely depend on which
place the hostess decides to order him
from. He will correspond in size TO
genuine bird. Weighing ten or twelve
pounds. Holly will be wreathed around
his neck. and rounded drum-sticas, and
also form a chest-protector Of generous
This turkey will not be
but. after a few appropriate re-
marks by the hostess. there will be re-
moval of his chest-protector, which will
result in souvenir-gift for each guest;
for in that turkeys bosom will be slowed
away pretty trinkets and knickknacks
labelled for this distribution. II is posi-
bic. IL the bird is prepared by a confec-
tioner. that he may be finally devourod.
A delightfully."- novel entertainment for
children 10 a TOY party" To this every
child comes in the character OF favorite
toy. AS girls do not care for animals or
uudIly Tugs, edCn OF tNcm may COME
dressed az her dearest doll. and the boys
may appear as bears, dogs, wolves. ele-
plants. monkeys. goats horses. lambs.
fonkeys. etc, or as firemen, policemen.
boidiers. or sailors, like those Seen on
Toy engines. boats. or else that mechani-
cal figures. like dancing Sambos. organ
grinders. gymnasts, acrobats. etc, supply
IDEAS for costumes. At 8 O'Clock the
hostess draws back the folding doors.
and shows Santa Claus in attendance on
, large Christmas-tree. After a few
pretty 9nmes and a danca or two 70