The Topeka state journal., 1901-11-30

eral decoration scheme. TIL
ground underneath the flowe
benches and pot plants wa
! covered with leaves, rich red brown
oak leaves, strewn all about in a care
fully careless way. AS background
| for an autumn floor and plant exh1b1
nothing could have been more artistic
| The show itself was disappointing
One rather new orchid attracted atten
| ton because it was valued at $1,000
maybe its name drew people. This wa
Dendrobium phalRnopsis schrRdefla
mum, words to that effect 1t coult
not have been it's beauty that made i
take first prize This hundred letteret
plant was a purple hearted orchid VIII
a pale heliotrope corolla, nothing like
SO handsome as the radiant lilac color
ed cattleya that used to cost 800 for {
small basket. But the pale purple catt
leya is as common now as common hon.
eSty, therefore as little priced.
After the flower show Sister Eliza
beth and 1 took the train for the coun-
try for an autumn dinner with thai
white headed, flirting widow, Mariana
Goddridge. She is only thirtytwo now
but her hair is as white as the soul of a
saint. Matrimony bleached it for her
Mariana, her cousin Brownie, her table
and dining room, taken altogether
were perfect dream of autumn deco
ration. 1 never imagined such beauty
could be cOnjured out of mere autumn
leaves and some yellow flowers
A dim corner of the room was radiant
with a vase of gorgeous goldenrod, the
very last of the season. Upon window
stand was one of the new dwarf naples
now so fashionable, which the japanese
have spent centuries in torturing down
fr, Y,1iY1 10 fI1T. e-iz trees
produced as the Egyptian pharaohs
produced their dwarfs-m manufactured
to order. Mariana's dwarf maple was a
real tree, except that it was only two
feet tall. It's leaves were the merest
baby incubator leaves, yet perfect in
shape. and after the manner of its kind
the foliage of that distressed little mon
key of tree had actually turned a
blaze of crimson autumn color even in
its fowerpot prison-so bright that it
gave a red glow to the atmosphere
around.
1t was an autumn leaf table, a glory
of crimson, red, yellow and brown.
There was no attempt at regular ar
rangement, which would have destroy
ed the effect. In the center was merely
a low pyramid of autumn leaves, show
ing all their hueS in the perfect electric
light. Other leaves were scattered upon
the white cloth around the edge of the
pyramid as if a gust of wind had whirl-
ed them over a snowfield. With the
fall tints all about, with the crystal
and china, the shining silver lying
around each plate, the picture was one
of brightness and cheer. One feature
which is going to play an important
part in decoration was the illumination
of the table itself by tiny electric
globes. BY a most ingenious arrange
vuirpC the
cloth, the wires themselves being hid
den by the leaves, two marvellous cir
cles of little electric lights cleaned up at
us from the table like Illuminated fire
opals 1t was something like the Pan
American at night, where the very
ground was gemmed by network OF
lights. Talk of Aladdin's palace. Mod
ern electric science could give points to
that old Arabian which would have
made him stare his eyes out.
A wood fire threw out warmth, light
and fragrance from the hearth. Do you
know what 1 thought of? 1t was that
any country cabin, even the humblest,
can have, barring the electric lights,
autumn table decorations as beautiful,
as fetching, as those of Mariana God
bridge with her half million.
Suspended above the table, just where
if did not obStruct the view of our
faces. was a splendid yellow orchid-an
air plant. 1t sent out long sprays of
blossoms like showers of golden spar
kIets Streamers and festoons of gray
cypress moss trailed from the slight
orchid branches. The gray and yellow
was an exquisite color combination.
Mariana and her cousin, who sat op-
posite her had dressed their part too
Mariana wore a gown of pale brown
with panels appliqued in small oak
leaves The gown itself was of the color
of the underside of the autumn leaf;
the appliqued figures were in the red
and brown tintS of its face. Brownie
pretty brunette, was all in crimson
silk and chiffon, the color of maple and
blackberry and Virginia creeper leaves
before the harsh winds and frosts have
shriveled them into colorless nothings-
Except for the pyramid of leaves in
the center everything upon the table
was, usual, laid fat They say the
old style of high pot plants and flower
vases for dinner table will never come
in again. 1t was this same Mariana