The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-01-15
AS TO THE AFTERNOON TEA
CHANGES IN FORM ora SoCTAI FUNOA
TIoN IN NEW YORK.
No Music, Champagne and Flowers Now--ThQ
Newer Siyle Has Very Little Formally
About Il-Cnuses of the Transformation

No Music Champagne and Flowers Now-ThQ
Newer Siyle Has Very Little Formally
About Il-Cnuses OF the Transformation
Men az Hard as Ever to Entrap.
One OF the questions that have puzzled
observers Of social matters during the press
ent season concerns the afternoon tea. While
II is commended In one quarter that IL Ia
on the wane, tho repiT comes IN clarion
tones from another that there was never
a time in tho past when the number Of
afternoon teas was 80 great IA this winter.
This assertion Is backed by statistics. and itS
advocates have been known to rattle OIL a list
of such entertainment set down Tor some par
ticular day which would seem TO put thor eneA
mics to final confusion. 1t Is u question. hows
ever. that is not to he decided lightly. To
many citizens OF New York the afternoon teaiin
what w. s.. Gilbert called n legal flction--'a sol-
cmn thing" 1t is not to DO lightly discussed.
praised or maligncd without real knowledge Qe
the facts aud then releGated TO that uncertalA
mist to which have passed such questions 40
the margin Of time n person Is supposed TO
allow when asked to a dinner that Ia sot down
for an hour late enough to show that II Id
meant to be formal. The afternoon tea touches
too many lives to permit uncertain answers
The number OF teas set down for every dayin
New York that one is likely to hear of in one'G
own experience. as well as the large numBer
OUTSIDE tne limit OF one : own personal CIRCLE
would not lead to tho belief that this form Of
social diversion is extinct or likely to becoma
so. or that there is little probability. To sottls
the puzZling contradictions about the presenu
state of the afternoon tea. n sun reporter quesS
toned q woman who has been in New York
society long enough to be familiar with it'd
uses and know the changes in them.
This talk about the afternoon tea and lbs
supposed decline in popularity" she said,
seems to come entirely from a failure to agre6
on the meaning OF the term. In u measura
both sides are right. The numbered afternoon
teas is probably larger to-day than it ever was
before in the social history Of New York. That
is true Just as everything has increased with
the growth OF the city. Moreover, people give
teas to-day who never thought OF doing such q
thing in the past, merely because of the changes
in the character of these entertainments. The
tea certainly tiourishos to-day as 1t never did
in the pnst. 50 that advocates of this theory are
right. Bur: on tho other hand. those who say
that the afternoon tea as it formerly existed
has declined almost to the point of bccoml Ing
obsolete are lust as much IN tho right.
Il can remember so well the form OF after<
noon tea which was considered exactly tho
right sort of an afternoon entertainment from
ten to fifteen years ago. 1t was II vulgarthing
in a way, although 1t was tho custom of the
very best society here. 1t was for some time
indeed, a sign of the best social station. The
cards of invitation used to contain in one cor-
ner the words from 4 to q aud somctimeA
an affair on the most lavish scale. The house.
was usually decorated with palms and fiowers.
The sound Of an orchestra was heard the mo:
mcnt the door was opened. Women in fuu
ball dress stood about the room receiving.
Usually this sort of, thing, was done t9
introduce Il girl to society and not only would
the dGbutante be dressed in. white tulle and
satin, but a score of her girl friends usually
stood wearing the same attire. That was the
fashion of dress then ,n"d the, whole afrair was
elaborate to the eye. 1t appealed; moreover. to
things used to be the tables spread for the salts.
faction of persons who We're Just, on the point
salad. sandwiches and pate on the tables, hut
there was also substantial food such as quails.
which nobody could possibly he expected to
eat an hour before dinner. Champagne was not
]fc a@riSs; Of f' tRese Hafrai Ea' But b TIC cla netu and c cha@+
payne punch was customary enough. This
sort Of tba &fi + r w%%Ia t tea has has So 20 far nr%s s9gne f G@t s Of
accident to occur such as happened to n wells
known society woman about twelve years, ago.
She was leaving one of these affairs, and was
careless enough to, draw her hand suddenly
out of her nun. With it came a cold auail.
She was a woman of great frankncss. however,
and had been in such predicamcnts before. and
she was, not embarrassed: She simply eX-
home and an engagement for a late dinner had
led her to take the quail for a revolutionary
would not he able to find many quails nov.
adays in a whole tour of afternoon teas.
gone entirely rel out Of style. RI The incongruityy
began to strike everybody after a while. No-
men in full evening dress. With barred arms
who came TO them in street dress-aii that was
absurd enough to, impress the least %th9uEht-
ful person, and ii had to go. The original name.
of this curious function was an afternoon re-
Geption, But it soon began 70 ne called q ten.
Later II began to pass quietly out OF existence
along with the New Years receptions and other
dciunct social usaGes:
to society in this way nowadays except some
families who are very much more devoted TO
society. Nowadays. the girl who makes her
debut at one of the suhscription balls IL con-
sidercd TO be better introduced to society thnu
she could be through one Of the old, fashioned
tens. especially il her Introduction be followed
BY " or three dinners and n dance given Tor
her. This Is looked upon AS "A much more salts
factory way Of Introducing II young woman to
the world Of society than the old method.
This style OF the afternoon tea has cer-
taiuly declined in popularity If it has not alto
g"ther disappeared. Tho present, prevailing
tea is quite another mstter. 1T makes, no pre-
tencc ut the oId-tine extravaganza and outlay.
1t is most informal, in the routine Of social lie
substitute for a day on which visitors will lind
their friends at home. 1t Is SO difficult n mat
that women VIII" fS"rm"TIy were to be seen on
one day every week have now LIMITED their
anG s OF FfffSsRtl0t4 to to two tNroS Women m m 6aEs
almost ceased to send, cards Of this
kind TO men because they know that men are
IL they did. 1t used to be hard enough to at
tract men during the days of the. elaborate
old-tashioned teas. when there might be cham-
payne, and there was IA certainty of, punch.
N2TadqEs the punch e9Mmes rarely: Even The
uiItb Illt VI 4 y UNIV - VI .''AJ DhiAO
celebrity has lost much OF its old-time force.
The tea has become, 50 informal. an
AFFAIR that nobody will treat IL serious~
~ nowadays. Women have even ceased to
complain when the men invited do not, come
and neglect to send cards. Every vestige OF
lormality surrounding, the tea; you see. has
been lost in the gradual decline from the quaila
and snlted almonds which, constitute the re4
freshments at the tea to-day. with a possible
stuffed prune or branded cherry.
This is the style OF tea which to-day JustiI
fes the assertions Of those who say that th9
thing is increasing every day in numbers and
popularity. The old-fashioned tea with itS
music and low cut corsages has passed irrev-
ocably away. Its passing shows a, great adj
vance in social matters, because IT was an
anomaly that always astounded foreigners.
The sight OF a woman in ball toilet shaking
hands with men and women In afternoon street
dress was always a marvel to them, and they
attributed 1t TO one OF the eccentricities Of .
new civilization. ,Whayeyer the causes may be,
the old fashioned tea and its successor are very
different. The disappearance OF one and the
way the other prospers makes both sides OF the
discussion tenable.
THE nearest approach TO the former kind