Evening journal., 1913-05-01

on almost every boulevard, and in al
most each important street.
So firmly established is the prac-
tice of tea drinking in Paris that one
Of the famous immortals recently de-
voted TO it a whole page in one Of
the periodicals. viyidly describing all
manner of Partisan tea houses, as
well as every possible way of tea
drinking from the sumptuous teas at
the Ritz and the Palace. gay with
music radiant with luxury. TO the
calm and serene teas on the left bank
Of the Seine, where, in the early Vic
torian houses. elderly decorous per-
sons, suburban ladies' with gray hair
neatly braided, silently sip the aro-
matte beverage noiselessly handed to
them by q waiter who looks as
though once in his career he had been
valet to bishop.
There are also to be found in Paris
Russian tea shops with samovars sug-
gestDg the Russian literature with
its heroes and heroines so talentfully
described by Turgenieff or Tolstoy.
These and still other tea shops are
mostly frequented by Englishmen of
the type who never speak French
there, even if they understand it.
Fashionable confectioners, too, have
their tea-rooms, but these are com
monplace, the tea is flavorless, and
almost as poor as that served at a
table d'hote.
Il is not only the smart set and
the professional classes who are now
! drinking tea in Paris. Humber folk
Z a -, 4
in some small shops little iron table
and two garden chairs are provided
for such customers as are wealthy
enough to demand this expensive re-
freshment When by chance this rich
customer arrives and orders 'up tea, "
the whole establishment is convulsed.
The three Mattresses i'm white aprons
tear wildly about, the lady at the cash
desk tinkles furiously little bell
which sounds Just like the bell deco
rating white rabbits in a toyship The
/ proprietor emerges from the back
premises with his sleeves tucked up,
as IL he were wrestling with a din
ner for thirty. Finally, after much
coming and going, it is brought and
placed slowly on the table. Then.
J when The cup is empty, you should see
the satisfied air with which the man
! agress from her desk calls out: well
ladies, what have you TO report?" And
then all three Mattresses cry together
"Uu the"
And yet the habit of tea drinking
has not been acquired completely in
the best circles Of the French metrop-
oils. The fact is that a smart
Frenchwoman, whenever she believes
/ herself unobserved, still will order
/ her chocolate instead of tea. Often
one hears the question in Paris, why
do the English drink tea. anyway
/ They may ask as we'll, why do Eng
iishmen breathe?
The late Lord Pembroke, in his
! early Parliamentary days, had the
] reputation of being the handsomesi
man In the House of Commons. But
! he also knew how to behave hand
somely, for when the Wilton carpet
industry was threatened with eXtinc-
ton, few years ago he proved him
self to be a real carpet knight, saw
ing the livelihood of 200 workers OF
/ the Wiltshire town. For three cen
turies the Administer and Wilton pile
carpets have been manufactured
there, as those who can afford TO pay
$50 square yard ought TO know. The
weavers there fondly believe that in
color and material these carpets are
indestructible, but practical persons
place upon them a limit of 100 years
wear and tear, which ought to sat.
isfy most of us. Flaneur.
Copyright. 1913, by A. d. Jacobson)