The chronicle=news., 1913-09-13
TEA DRINKING HOLDS
ENGLAND IN eRIP


dulxed there In In the sight Of all
all men. Society women used 10 ask
each other TO come to tea In their
houses. and = few men. n very few
men. drank tea In the afternoon NJ
their clubs.
Every pastry shop and bakery Is
crowded nowadays n 4:30 with la
dies drinking ter and eatinx cskes
the restaurants Look to the tea hour
IL one Of their great sources Of In
come: there are tea paviliionx In all
the parks and public gardens aud In
all the streets which are the hives
of men who live by brain work the
tea shops have sprung up like muxh
rooms aud are driving the bars out
Of existence.
In the clubs the man who drinks
y whisky aud soda Ia the afternoon
10 the exception: the man who drinks
tea II the rule. a glance Into some
Of the temples Of the goddess tea
may prove Of interest.
u - "bohbtCSuOOu IN tuC pSttkS
lounge at tho Carlton restaurant.
The string band is playing on the
raised terrace before the entrance
to the restaurant. The double glass |
roof which takes the place Of = cell
inx 10 fiiters the light. whether by
day or night. that there arc no sharp |
contrasts. hut always \ gentle. dif-
fused briiliancy. The pilastcrs Of
creamy marble with Gilt cspiiols aud
little dependent mctiallions OF wcsiR-
wood ware. tho windows Of the cor. |
ridors Of the upper stories. the walls |
light In color. make . charming back
ground to charming scene.
Looking over tho flowers aud ever
green's which are banked up against
the terraces. tho floor space seems 10
bc = livinE bed Of blossoms. with
here and there . palm rising fro Il.
Tho flowers are all moving. for they
arc the hats Of the pretty women who
sit In the green cane chairs and
drink tea and cat cakes and chatter
TO one another. Tho men--for. Of
course. there II = reasonable sprinki-
Ing Of tho unimportant sex-arc the
dark col0rcd dot amid the rainbow 1
sea.
There are small tea parties and |
large tea parties. the latter grouped |
at three or four tables. th~ hostess |
moving from table To table to chat |
with her guests. And the walters
threading the maze Of tables and
chairs carrying silver trays with del
iratc china cups and tcapots and
plates with thin slices Of bread and
butter on them. and lite wicker
stands with ns many stories an al
pnIods. and on each story different
delicacics prepared by the patisicr. |
aud wooden pIattcrs on which are
cakes Of every Imaginable kind.
No tea party given in 4 private
house has such luxurious usrround-
ings. All that the hostess has to do |
ID To ask In the morning that tables |
for her guests shall he reserved. and |
when they have left. as dinner time
comes near. to paw the bill OF huff
a crown u head which the head wait
er will present to her.
Aud now another teacup scene. |
Time. Saturday afternoon: place. the |
700. The fellows OF the society take
tea In lordly pavilion. with the
camels as their neighbors on one side |
and the llamax on the other. The
visitors flock to Il space which IL |
bounded on one side by the platforms
from which the children climb onto
the howdahs OF the elephants, and
on the other by the cages OF the Will
lures. There is u terrace with an
awning over II. and a building con-
tanning rcfreshment rooms, and al
shelter. and in these comparatively
aristocratic enclosures tea. bread and
butter and q free attack on a plate
head.
But the buffet tea out In the sun
shine, at the zine table. on the gravel
is the real ZOO tea. The band Is play
ing in the bandstand quite close at
hand--a real military band in uni
form-the big elephant howdah
cloths and howdahs like the topA of
iaunting cars. move down the wide
path in full sight. with loads Of small
children strapped on. and then re-
turn to dtsembark their passengers:
the camels and dromedaries also 10
OF tiny persons. and the llamas, har-
messed to miniature carriages, stand
hard by waiting to be hired.