The Dupuyer acantha. [volume] (Dupuyer, Mont.) 1894-1904, 1899-04-13
FASHIONS FOR TABLE
THE LATEST TEA CLOTHS AND
CENTER PIECES. v
Mahogany IL Left Uncovered - Bare
Boards, Beautifully Polished, Serve to
Show on the Exquisite Lace Set

ana Mo silk, are nov giving their en-
srgy to the perfection of Swiss en-
O%roidery, says the Philadelphia In
auirer.
Plain white linen, embroidered only
N white, is the character of all the
best new tea cloths and center pieces,
though white lace has not lost one
whit of its popularity. From the mex
penssve renaissance to the most exqui-
site duchess and rose point, dinner Ia
Dies are Respondent, and some of the
point lace center pieces are splendid
enough to serve as the bridal handker-
chiefs for royal princesses. They are
rather small and the lace is set fiat on
a round or scalloped center of finest
French batiste that is embroidered in
a wreath of white flowers.
In consequence of this lavish use of
lace, nearly all the most formal din
ners OF the past spring, and of the
present autumn, have been served on
bare boards. The lace center piece, ac-
'ompanied by plate, decanter and can
felabra doilies, is laid on the brilliant
ly polished, naked mahogany, or dull
black oak, in order to achieve the best
effect and show just how beautiful
your lace set is. The same scheme is
followed where the board is ornament
ed with a set Of Mexican drawn work,
and though the rule is all for white,
some women gid refined gold by en-
broidery, in colored floss, sprays and
bouquets, both on the renaissance lace
and on drawn work. The consequence
is brilliant, certainly, but scarcely so
refined in appearance as the pure
white.
Luncheons, suppers and midday
breakfasts are now SO generally served
on the boards, with doilies only, that
the handsomest damask table cloths
are looking for jobs on bargain coun-
ters, and the smartest little breakfast
cloth one can use, informally and en-
famiile, is a large square of hem
stitched linen that is damasked all
over, but not in figures, and then rich
ly wrought in white Swiss embroidery.
Great attention is given to the de-
signs done in this new n~eedlework. 1t
would require too much space to de-
scribe the %Jacobean, Egyptian and
Henri Deux patterns that are stamped
on these squares for working and that
emanate from able, artists in London
and Paris. Quite as highly esteemed
as the beautiful Mexican drawn work
is that which comes from Russia. 1t
is different from the Mexican, being
done on heavy home-woven linen in
the natural or half-bleached tints of
the fax.
From Russia is brought over also
the almost forgotten art of doing cut
work. The patterns on the handspun
linen squares are first embroidered and
then cut out until the finished piece
resembles a sort of superb lace. With
all these articles the owners initials
are worked in one corner Of the mar
row hem.
Women who find pleasure in intro
ducing novelties in the arrangement of
their dinner tables are using Candida
bra and candlesticks in the form of
vases. A tall or short, crystal or sill
yer vase, with a rather wide lip and
slender stem, is so arranged that when
filled with flowers a candle can be fixed
in the midst of the blooms, while a
most unique and more expensive dec
is an Illuminated ice castle.
Caterers freeze these in any form de-
sired, and some are exquisite minia-
Of Chantilly, Warwick, the
Wartburg, or Hohenschwangan In Ba-
varia. In clear or pale-tinted ice the
castle is frozen and all it's towers or
namented with small candles. Not
only is the castle an odd and pretty
ornament, but it keeps the room at a
very pleasant temperature, in spite of
heat and the presence of many
Among the lesser items of interest
1t the dinner-tables this autumn are
cards at every cover in the form
# tiny slips of very thin glass. The
'dges are heveled and the names are
.ngraved on or laid on in gilt. Souv-
rnirs and menu-cards are lust as
much ignored as ever, and it is no
onger continued in good taste to lay
'ouquets and boutonnieres beside the
uests' plates.
Those, however, who do not keep a
cry wary eye on the march of i'm
rovements in the way of table COM
will be surprised to find several
ew silver utensils this winter be-
ide their covers With the fruit
curse is now served an o%dd-looking
nife that has a silver handle and the
arrowest Of steel blades. This is ac-
ompanied by a rather deadly weapon
hat appears to be a straight cork
crew mounted on a straight silver
haft handle. In reality these new ar
walls are designed for the better mas
cry of oranges, apples and pears. The
orkscrew is driven, by a deft rotary
lotion, into the fruit, which is Tins
rmly held during the removal of the
kin and the pairing off of slices. Good
'rm dictates the leaving of the screw
the fruit when all that is desired is
aten from the heart OF core.
Another addition to the deft hand
ng of food is a pretty pair of scissors
18th sawlike points, in place of a
nife-like edge, along the blades, Be-
Veen the saws, the tough ends of as
aragus are caught and held fast and
lie tender head can then be neatly ele-
ated and nipped off by the teeth.