Evening star., 1902-03-15
THE POVERTY CLUB
A st. Patrick's Day Expert
ment In q Small Town.
A REAL GREEN PARTY
A MENU WITH EVERY DISH HAv-
ING AN IRISH NAME.
A Large Amount Of Fun With Small
Expenditure Of
Money.
A REAL GREEN PARTY
Written for The Evening Star.

Merton was famed, not for its social d.
versions, but for it's lack OF them. Conse-
quently life in Merton was trife monot-
onous. Mrs Hope, the cultured and inter-
esting wife of the new owner of the linen
factory in the place, at first entertained
hopes of converting the misguided woman
kind, but all attempts were frustrated by
| some ones exclaiming, ooh, it's all very
we'll for you to talk, Mrs. Hope. You have
handsome house. an excellent cook, trained
servants. and excuse the personality
"a bigger bank account than the rest
of us. 1t is an impossibility for people with
1,JOO, or what Is worse, nothing certain
year. to think OF entertaining more ambi-
tiously than to invite one or two intimates
| in to tea"
The other ladies all agreed with Mrs.
| Stone, so Mrs. Hope regarded the discus
sion as futile Argument with women is
| apt to produce little Of converting ma
ture, especially where personal feelings are
/ involved. Mrs. Hope dropped the matter
apparently. but subsequently evolved plan
| that completely routed her enemies.
| IN Merton, invitations to anything were
In the nature Of SURPRISE if not a curios-
ity. So, when, in the combination grocery
| store and post office, there appeared twelve
| tiny envelopes, in twelve letter boxes an
air OF something about to happen permeat-
| ed the atmosphere of Merton especially
| that section of it In which dwelt the best
| families. the wives Of the DOCTOR the law
yer. the preacher, the principal Of the High
| School, and others of q like "condition or
| servitude'
| The cards, when examined, contained the
name of Mrs. John Worthington Hope"
| and In one corner the words, Luncheon,
| at o'clock, Saturday, March the seven
| teenth, nineteen hundred and two
| A Green Party.
| The 18th Of March arrived as days have
a habit OF doing If one waits long enough
and twelve ladies presented themselves at
the handsome home Of Mrs. Hope a little
before l o'clock. None Of the ladies had
| thought that the day was st. Patrick's
day until they were admitted by Mrs
Hopes parlor maid. then the vivid green
| rosette on NOrahs gown. as we'll as its
| companion on her cap would have revealed
her nationality. That the day was ST.
| Patrick's had evidently not been far out of
Mrs. Hopes reckoning. the first vision
| of the dining room announced Green pre-
| dominated everywhere In the decorations
| employed. fvfd green tissue paper lent a
| bold but striking effect as it decorated
| fruit baskets, bonbon dishes and, the table
| entire.
The uncovered table of polished mahog-
| any mad large centerpiece of white lace
| paper lined with green. which supported
green Bohemian vase filled with modest
but effective dozen of white carnations
| The plate doilies were also of paper as
| We're those upon which rested the dainty
1 little dishes containing olives, candies and
jelly. The cost of this entire decoration
| all the ladies knew would be about 15 cents
| and just as effective as If Mrs Hone
had used the handsome honiton set which
she was known to possess. The small
dishes We're tied with narrow green rib
| bons. as were the handles Of the CUPS and
| all the fancy spoons.
/ The hostess looked satisfied with her first
/ glance at the pleased expression the faces
of her guests instantly assumed.
An Irish Menu.
/ At each place a menu card bearing
| in addition to the name. a writhing snake
| of emerald hue painted by the hostess her
self. To the right was the menu, and after
| the ladies pinned on the green rosettes
which lay upon their napkins they scanned
| their cards. they soon detected was ex-
| pected Of them. The menu was as follows:
/ Murphy Bisque 35 cents.
Killarney Chops, 50 cents.
| Irish Fried Spuds, 10 cents.
| Emeralds, 20 cents. -.
| Chicken Paddles Ceases home made), So
| cents
| Shamrock Salad. Hibernian Sauce, so cents.
| Shillalahs. 10 cents.
Blarney Cream home made). 40 cents.
Olive Greens, Colleen Jelly. 25 cents.
| Coffee Bawn. 10 cents.
| Sweetings. 35 cents.
Total. $4O5.
| Decorations. 95 cents.
AS course after course appeared wonder
gave place to fast-vanishing skepticism. as
the ladies realized the cleverness of Mrs.
| Hope in giving this practical demonstra-
tion Of her theories. The cookery was ex-
| cellent. and the guests were as pleased as
little children with the surprises that
awaited them. Murphy bisque proved to
| be cream Of potato soup and served with
| it were shlalahs Cheese straws), borne in
toy jaunting car. This was lined with
green paper. and the donkey drawing It
| was beribboned with green, Much merri-
ment was caused as each lady helped her
self to a shllalah, the next in turn draw
ing the imitation jaunting car until 1t was
again In its place at one corner of the ta-
BILE. Chicken paddles were the masquer-
ade costume assumed by chicken pates.
and their finishing touch was a tiny Irish
flag. which, sewed to toothpick, waved
proudly aloft as they were served by the
| now almost hysterical maid from Erin.
Killarney chops were our long-tried friends
lamb chops, Irish spuds were French tried