The Savannah morning news., 1903-11-01
THE FASHIONABLE
FLOWERS AND
FAVORS FOR TABLES

There has been, in the matter of dec
orations for the dining table, a sort of
reaction from the elaborate and heavy
styles of floral adornment that have
been supreme in the world of fashion
for so long. THE roses of yesterday
are assuming a sentimental value that
has not been attached to them in years.
People are not only demanding some
thing new, in the way of a flower for
decorative purposes, but they want
something that reminds them of scenes
and seasons that have for them a ten
der interest.
The wealthy woman had no especial
fondness for the fringe of nasturtiums
that made a golden glory in the blue
rim of the lake that lay at the doors
of her mountain home, but she well
comes them with delight in the cold
days when their blossoming season
has passed by, because they remind
her of days as golden as the petals of
the flowers themselves. The naStur-
tium, therefore, is being grown by
fashionable florists for the decoration
| of autumnal tables. The most exclu-
sive way of arranging it is to have a
| cut glass bowl in the center of the ia
BILE, with nasturtiums trailing from it
to the cloth, and radiating from the
bowl across the table, graceful lines of
| asparagus fern with just a few flowers
peeping from under the fllmy foliage.
The same treatment is observed with
the single dahlias. They, also, have
found place of affection in the hearts
of women who remember how, in the
lays of their youth, SWANS were wont
} send them dahlias with the senti-
ment attached-and an extremely
warm sentiment it was. The fashion
of the season is to combine these dahl
las with autumn foliage, and the eff
feet, it is needless to say, is striking.
Other modish floral table decorations
are constructed of red and yellow ma
pie leaves, with all their pleasant sug-
gestions of autumnal days in the
bright-colored woods. Another striking
table combination is red with bronze
oak leaves. These make a rich decor
alton. For a splendid effect of color,
the sumach is mingled with autumn
foliage. One fiery dinner decoration,
that is particularly happy on gloomy
or stormy night, consists of spikes of
red salVia-known also as scarlet sage
with red and bronze and oak leaves
For both dinners and luncheons the
newest method of table decorating is
to follow nature as closely as posi-
ble-even to getting the outdoor flow
ers of summer grown in winter sea-
son. Decorations are invariably fiat
except where a housewife has a tall
cut-glass or silver pitcher of quaint
shape and great beauty-presumab
an heirloom-in which case tall
stemmed flowers, are placed in the CEN
terpiece, and the floral decorations are
carried out in an overhead effect.
The fad of the season is for green
growing centerpieces of several deli
cately contrasted foliage plants of
dwarf varieties. Upon one side of
this central decoration are placed sew
eraI rare orchids, six or eight being
usually selected.
CameliaS are becoming more fash
ionable than they have been in thirty
years, and make handsome and effec-
tive decorations. The fad was started
by leading fashionable florist in New
York, who adorned the table at the
dinner given to Prince Henry of Prus-
STA, with red and red and white came
las, whose beauty made a sensation.
Ferns, roses in mass and camelias
are what expert decorators term
heavy decorations" and people who
lead the fashions like to keep away
from this mode of adornment until
UllQ-WlIllEIs
Fer general house decoration the
latest thing for the coming season will
be crotons, in white and gold, with
other bright foliaged plants, mingled
with ferns. In dwarf form the combi-
nation is as striking as it is new, and
the same decorations that do duty for
dinner can serve next day for a
luncheon.
Cut-glass, silver and fine china cam
dlesticks and candelabra rival one an
other in beauty of design for use upon
up-to-date tables, and in the new
styles of old beaten silver they are
particularly popular.
The lights are shaded with red, pink
or light green shades in preference to
any other tints. The dainty flower or
frilled shades must have bead fringes.
One style has V-shaped panels of
strings of glass beads divided by quill
ings Of baby ribbon, with loops at the
top of the gauze bell which forms the
foundation of the dainty shade.
Other popular table shades are en-
pire designs painted on a stiff paper,
and penciled satin shades painted in
rich colors and with gold applied over
the edges of the design and on the bor-
ders.
In dinner cards reigning favorites are
charningly cut out. Hand-painted sets
Of ballet girls and other figure cards
follow in point of popularity. For stag
dinners, the most popular cards bear
painted groups OF stems bottles and
ali manner OF suggestions for good
things to drink or smoke. There are