Evening star., 1902-02-22
TABLE FURNISHINGS
Gold and Silver on White
Linen.
LATEST OF LUXURIES
M1NIATUREp 0 LANDSCAPES IN
FLOWERS.
Guests May Gather Their Own Nose
gays. at Some
Boards.

Written for TIL" Evening Star.
The hostess who would lead today must
be person of ideas and nowhere are her
inspirations more enjoyed and f1atteringly
copied that in the decoration of her lunch
con and dinner table. This has been the
experience of the fashionable lady, who
spread great banquet for her guests upon
a table covered with superb white linen
damasked In gold Her intention was to
arrange suitable back ground for the
splendid gold-plated table ware she had
recently received as wedding gift Her
idea was carried out successfully by
notable French linen firm. The cloth, when
1t got over this side experienced some diff
hculty in getting through the custom house,
but the lady found it worth the trouble and
expense she was put to, for the French
looms had wrought wonderfully. The cloth
is very large, and on It's satiny white linen
surface glittering wreaths of golden roses
are damasked with the owners initials
worked in gold In the center. Bullion
fringe edges this royal piece of napery, and
when the gold plate is disposed thereon
the effect is gorgeous enough to have pleas
ed the most extrayagant of the Roman
emperors.
Not to be outdone another and equally
rich and fashionable woman has sent in her
order for clo-n similarly woven and dam
asked In silver, and this Sumptuous method
in table furnishings calls for the assistance
OF exceedingly rich pieces of gold and silver
plate. The metal workers are busy turning
out marvellous bowls, huge tankards and
eperQues in antique gilt studded with sec
ondary, or with mock jewels. In the days
of old, when the home of the American
billionare was not even discovered rich
barons and the like sed such tankards for
drinking purposes, and Indian rajahs set
emeralds in their salad dishes. These same
magnificent pieces Of bric-a-brac the more
reverent and rich American puts in the
center of her table and fills it with fruit or
flowers only.
Flower Effects.
There is. however, a slight decline for
the moment in the aise of flowers as table
decoration, unless very simple furnishings
are used and the meal is small and infor-
NAL. The fragile .leveliness of even the most
expensive of the Imported Canadian roses
seems out of pace With cloth of gold and
gilt and jewels. The most popular of the
flower novelties, are the remarkable minia-
scientific florists have grown for table gar
nfshment The idea was copied in the first
instance from the JAPANESE, but the execu-
tion is purely American. for the work is all
done in ferns Or the, florist will send his
men in to bed down the whole center of the
table with white and blue volets, trailing
arbutus, pansies or what you please. This
Is especially popular as ladfes' luncheon
decoration, and when the meal is over the
hostess invites her guests to pick nose
gays for Themselves.
OF course. there IS always with us the
hostess who gently boasts that the pretty
thing In the center, Of her table is "a little
idea got in dear Paris. She is the hostess
who calls her elegant cenierpiece a surtout-
de-table. and If her idea is really the latest
thing it Is an exquisite set of porcelain
1nIt ol,<, ,,~~1~.
bisque figurines. that dance a quadrlle on
the tablecloth and that are connected by
wreath of natural roses They make these
bewitchng little ladies in Dresden and at
Sevres and they can be differently posed
for each dinner.
Fruit Structure.
From across the water we have also bor-
rowed the very welcome idea Of building
the centerpiece for a large dinner out OF
fruits that would win ribbons and medals
and enthusiastic exclamations at a show
1t is necessary to have an expert man In
from the fashionable fruiterer to erect the
magnificent monument to Pomona It Is an
art and gift to be able to build one of the
fruit castles that at big dinners mea sures
sometimes four feet from the base to the
apex. Just the market fruits, lemons, or
anges. bananas. etc. can be used with good
effect but the rich and fashionable host
esses have run races lately in the rival
splendor of the gorgeous and unreasonable
hothouse products heaped on their tables.
One OF the Mrs Vanderbilts has grapes by
steamer once a week from the famous hot
houses Of Lady Henry Somerset another
has her peaches from Algiers, and so the
contest goes merrily on, over which the i'm
porters benignly smile.
1t is only wrinkle In dinner party modes
to serve the bOnbOns at the twilight of the
meal spread out on a long narrow silver
platter. Those In silver trays and baskets
on the table are for exhibition, not con-
sumption. On the platter that the butler
hands from guest to guest larger quantities
are temptingly heaped and spread. and the
diner can make a choice without the cor
roding fear OF something more aluring to
follow What does follow is a long. fat
green basket laden with dried crystailized
and nut stuffed fruits that would tempt the
sternest ascetic to overindulgence.