The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-01-22

A glance at New Yorks Fifth avenue
crowded with carriages convinces one
that the oolong wave better known as
the afternoon tea. is likely To result in
a cyclone. The postman is delivering
cards for teas I'm every direction. To-
day IL is Washington square. tomorrow
IL is Nineteenth street. and the merits
OF caravan tea made in a Russian
samovar. OF English breakfast made In
"a satsuma teapot o. of orange pekoe
made in silver ball specially ag!tate
the feminine mind. With Russian tea
a liqueur glass OF sherry or rum may
be put in and is supposed To add to it's
excellence. For my own part am old
fashioned enough TO long for sugar and
cream i'm my tea and TO prefer il out
of a broad, low, thin cup rather than
out of tumbler. / find that / am not
alone i'm my tastes. which proves that
the conservative party is growing. Very
thin sandwiches made tasty with "a leaf
OF lettuce and a dash OF mayonnaise
dressing or tissuelike chocolate waters
that fairly melt i'm ones mouth are Of
fered at tea. The men who drop in are
apt TO choose, In preference TO either OF
these, a slice OF bread, buttered on the
loaf. with little raspberry or straw
berry jam over IL. AS lady" is, i'm the
Saxon, loaf giver," IL seems appro-
pirate for her 90 serve bread in this
fashion, and the woman who can stand
and dispense il from the loaf gracefully
is the possessor of a charm that is alb
solutely unequaled. Serving tea sinks
into insignifcance beside IL. One would
think the aroma OF bread and butter
would be over il, but in reality there
Is a hint that she who can manage to
I.af aly.. q Iaa -.
is capable OF being like the wise woman
in the Proverbs. "able to manage those
OF her own household" and this is not
the easiest thing in the world. A wo-
man has TO be bit OF a diplomat as
well as TO have clear, common sense. TO
manage the different elements in
home so that harmony is the result
Yesterday afternoon, while drinking
my fifth cup of tea was the confidante
of young woman who had attempted
10 economiZe. This young woman--we
will call her Dolly-concluded that all
new bonnets except those she made her
self would be barred out. but that by
using some very handsome feathers she
already possessed she might have a
large hat. According To her own ac-
count, she meditated after this fashion;
my feathers are beautiful They de-
serve 10 Dt put hI a ndl Dy "a master in
the art of posing feathers and, as they
will constitute the trimming. / can af
ford TO so to a first class mlliner who
absolutely understands the art of MAX
ing a picture hat" Burdened with her
feathers, she invaded the workshop of
the high priest Of the big hats told him
what she wished. and he consented aft
er much persuasion, To mount her
plumes for her. She tried on yarious
hats until the shape desired was got
and then inquired the price of the new
one. 1t was S24. "Ha, hal" she
thought. Mine will be about $40 ;,
Within a week box the size of three
ordinary bandboxes i'm one and OF dead
white pasteboard appeared, overshad-
owed by small boy in a startling Iiy
cry who presented bill for S19.75. Not
being brave. Mistress Dolly did not be-
have as she should-that is, jerk out her
feathers and send the hat back with her
compliments. Instead she meekly paid
the BILL clutched the white elephant.
seated herself before the mirror and
tried on the hat. Somehow Dolly
thought her face had never looked so
small. II certainly had never been so
white and 1t had never looked so insig-
nificant. Was that hat very large9
Was II very pointed? Was Il very enor-
NOUS After declining To answer these
questions, even 20 herself. she brought
consolation To her own soul by thinking
that she was not used TO a. hat like that
and she determined 10 trv n ON har
friends-that is, To see what their opin
ions would be. Her most intimate friend
was deliciously vague. and said that she
never saw handsomer materials"
Her best young man was inclined TO be
little brusque. looked at IT, looked at
her. and then inquired. do YOU call
that hatY / call IL hearse. and
YOU look Ike small corpse under It,"
Then she cried, and he went away
wishing that he hadn't said anythin9
and to make her feel better. sent her
ten pounds Of candy and a big bunch OF
Violets. But. alas! for Dolly. She has
spent more money than she could af-
ford. She possesses hat that she will
not wear and at present she is rippinr
III TO pieces and making small bonnets
OUT OF IL. There Is a moral TO this tale
Whlch IL. when YOU so in for hat.
beware OF the picturesque" Even when
You are not saving money YOU will find
that II Is better i'm the long run 10 loolr
like other women than to have on vour
head startling symphony i'm feathers
and felt No man except an artist likes
very big hat. and he only likes IL be-
cause IL helps TO decorate his studio
when he gives an afternoon tea. Con
sequently he is purely selfish I'm his ap-
proval of it
The chatelaine has got 10 he n matter
OF grcat Importance. and the girl whp
does not possess one with anywhere
from 90 to $50 silver and gold thirSs
dangling on II feels that she is entirely
cut of the IN 4 a., ~.
other day when I heard a man say.