The Washington herald., 1906-10-29
AFTERNOON TEA
IN WASHINGTON.

pleasant English custom is a charming 9
accompaniment to the blaze Of hearth
logs and the early twilight. and a good
cup Of tea IS a beverage as popular with
some men as with the majority of women.
There is a psychological moment for the
brewing OF the leaves. which is o'clock
in the afternoon, and only some women
possebs the skill as we'll as the inspira-
fashionable drink,
Following the custom Of our British
cousins. thin bread and butter. or freshly
toasted mullins. are the correct accompan-
iments 10 tea that is treated to cream
and sugar, and the only brand of tea that
cream perfectly agrees with Is English
Breakfast.
] he teas from Ceylon and India, or our
own homegrown product from the South
Carolina tea farms, require one lump Of
sugar to the cup and a slice of lemon,
with possibly dash OF rum.
All women @Snow that the pot should
be well-heated before the leaves are put
IN and the boiling water poured over
them; that two te2spOOnfuis OF tea 10 a
hvc-cup pot is the rule, and that one min
ute is time sufficient 10 brew the beyer-
age.
Sunday is the real day for afternoon
tea in the home. During the week one
snatches a cup wherever on happens to
be-in a friends house. in a downtown
cafe, or an uptown tearoom. On sun
day the afternoon tea-tabIc is a shrine
over which the hostess herself presides.
whereas the tea-table on her reception
A. IL Fn- -.
the success Of the tea is problematlcal.
One woman much IN demand in society
IS neither specially clever nor beautiful
nor wealthy. The secret Of her popu-
larity is that she Is a genius AZ tea-maI-
ing She never loses her head in the hut-
Ter Of talk, or l0rgets 70 make tie best
tea possible. She can keep going q boil
ing kettle OF water. two teapots ald
sufficient conversation to favor the oc-
casion. Some one accused her Of
mcnOpclizing the men one day, and she
replied with unconscious truth. 'Why. Il
Is not /, IL Is the tea"
Only the cTudish taste VIII select a
sweet mOrsel 10 eat with q cup or tea
Cater 10 the masculine taste when you
set 0ut your tea-rablC, and YOU VIII not
fail 10 please the women advises one
authority. There Is . gooG deal IN this
advice, for women are not what they
once were ia their greedy love for soggy
ec.airs, and rum cakes and pastry
waters. When cool weather comes on,
most women, beng satiated with candy
and ice cream soda. welcome q change
81 frivolous diet They Ike something
with a tWang and zesL that Is sauce
picuanre 20 the iaded appetite, some. hing
aot with paprika. stringy With cheese and
even odor0us with chives, so long as they
are not asked 10 pzrtake too bountfully.
That Is the sort Of moCd q woman is la
when she comes back TO town in the au-
tumn- She Graves something impossibly
hot tor sumner, set Just OF the border
and OF winter-heartiness. and she does
not want IL with q cocktail or cham
pagne-which things are iuaugurated fl
gay December; she wanJs--3nd ususlly
gets--it with exactly the right condition
sd afternoon tea Ever feel that way?
Il u 2 great fleld for wonlsu's in
venuveness. this provid ng the proper
viands to 80 with her most acceptable
cup of tea
In Washington tea-driHking by the Ere.
side came into general vogue during
Minister Wu Ting-fang's asoeudaney
This diplomat was 50 universally liked,
gifts, were 50 literally distributed, that
society hocked to the Chinese Legation,
Once there. they drank tea, and the most
celestial tea imaginable. that tasted Ike
the heated breath OF lotus doweTs' and
was fragrant as a poppy garden. MIN
lister WI was an iudefaugabIe visitor,
and. although he liked Washington punch, I
he never refused a cup OF tea from the
hard OF q hostess.
Afternoon tea has long been served al
the British Embassy. and gradually most
OF the other embassies and legations
feil jp Ire With This charming custom.
What Is fashionable in the home OF a
society woman speedily becomes a pub
Tic demand The best hotels, recoguz-
ing q new fad, were soon drawing
patrons for afternoon tea. 4 palm room,
q dlmly lighted corridor. and a little table
tucked away in the corner Of a softly
lighted dinipg-Toom are ell coy invi-
tatlons TO women TO euioy a half hour
over the teaeups,
On Connecticut avenue there arc two
charming retreats from which & sight OF
the promenade throug on q bright after
noon can be enjoyed TO the accompani-
ment Of fragrant tea. In the neighbor-
hood OF Lafayette Square are several tea
rooms dear tO feminine hearts, and quite
the most attractive one in town was
opened Saturday IN the second story of I
a weli-established inn on II street. Il
gees by the name of the Lounge" and I
Is a very artistically appointed resort, /
with subdued lights. mahogany furniture. 4
rare china, Turkish rugs, palms. and coy /
corners. This will be the winter Mecca for /
girls who are allowed 70
visit such a tearoom unchaperoned on I
Saturday afternoons. Men patTonize this (.
Lounge as we'll as women. and after I
o clock coffee and cigars are enjoyed at
low tGbourettss before the open fire.
Ard what a business has sprung UP in F.
these tearooms, not alone IN Washington. /
but IN New York. Philadelphia, Boston. (
Denver, San Franciseo-everywhere in .
fact, even to the heights OF the White .
Mountains and out in Rock Creek Park. .
Some clever person-presumably a wom-
aI-has invented an afternoon teadrop.
This coufection is globule of hard sugar
llied with sufficient Jamaica rum to
favor q cup Of tea It Is a companion
dainty to the Cognac crystal intended
'or after-dinner coffee, over which New
Workers went d2ffy last season.
Cared Vet fer Her Tears.
from Hsrucr's weeklv