The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1923-01-19
AFTERNOON TEA
by JULIA HoYT

! ptOplc at the same liIty Will COLI
siderably less expense.
Frankly l count it a lucky day
when Queen Alexandra hit upon the
idea of afternoon tea in England At
least it is she who has been given
credit for it. 1t is said that she start
| ed it when she was the Princess of
! Wales. She used to ask friends to
drop in of an afternoon for chat and
cup of tea, and it seemed such
| good idea that everyone followed her
! example until all of England was
doing it. Then it was imported to
| America.
Although we Americans have never
become anything like the devout
English tea drinkers, nevertheless the
/ afternoon tea serves many a good
purpose.
One of the most popular of these is
the coming out tea" and dance for
| debutante daughters. Such an enter
! tainment may be held at home or in
hotel ballroom. However, the decora-
| lions must not be as elaborate as they
would be for an evening reception or
+, a ball.
Whether the tea and dance are held
in private drawing room or a hotel
| ballroom, it is customary to draw
| curtains over the windows, and the
| room HluSI De llSHl6u DIS LOT al eve
| ming function.
If the tea is at private home, a
| footman or chauffeur should be at
! the curb to open doors of arriving au-
tomobiles and a butler or a caterers
man must open the door of the house
before any of the guests have time to
ring the bell.
The guests are announced as at a
formal dinner by the hostess butler
IL. 49, II. L.
tess receives as at ball. and if she
or her daughter are for the moment
standing alone, the new arrival may
speak to them until the next guest is
announced.
The daughter should spend an hour
or more receiving with her mother,
and then she may go and dance.
Young people dance after they have
shaken hands with the hostess, and
the older people talk and have tea.
| Usually the tea table is exactly like
| that at wedding reception. 1t is a
large table set as buffet and is in
charge of butler or waitress and as
sistants.
The tea table should contain tea,
chocolate and coffee, sandwiches and
cakes of all kinds, perhaps hot bis
cults, crumpets, mullins or anything
else that Is appropriate for tea. A
/
vide punch for the dancers.
The tea, chocolate or coffee, al
ready poured, is handed around by a
servant, on tray with sugar and
cream, dish of whipped cream and
another of sliced lemon for the tea.
The guests usually help themselves to
sandwiches and cakes.
Tea at Home
The contest and most enjoyable teas
| as,r,r, 1,a- u hos
tess or guests at home. For an infor
NAL tea of this kind l always tele-
phone my invitation, unless l have a
special 'at home day." when / send
out a visiting card invitation, mean
ling l write on my personal visiting
card do come in on Tuesday for a
lcup of tea" If to meet anyone l add,
ITO meet Lady Waterston" or who
ever it may be.
! If one is generally at home on a
regular day. the day may be en-
| graved in the left hand corner of the
visiting card. But in these days of
rushing from one thing to another
very few women have a regular at
home day.
On the days of receiving the hos
tess should be in the drawing room by
| 8 o'clock Not that guests come be-
fore the appointed time, but because
the real hostess wants to look every
| thing over.
/ There is a woman in New York
whose home is beautifully furnished,
but always looks quite formal; that
lis, always except for tea, when 1t I'M
dergoes a transformation under her
direction. She has the furniture re-
arranged to make the room look
| "chummy," and flowers are set
around in vases giving the whole a
very cozy atmosphere. 1 think l like
her teas the best of any.
| On formal occasions she receives at
the door as each guest arrives, but
even then one has the feeling that she
| is not really formal and is naturally
| put at heIs ease.
/ OF course on informal occasions a
hostess never stands and receives,
| but moves among her guests or sits
and chats. When new guests arrive
she rises to welcome them, and If
they are not acquainted with those
present she introduces them to per-
Sons with whom they might be con-
genial and then sits down again.
4 In small apartments it is permits
sible to have tea table set for the
| afternoon in a corner of the drawing
room, with cups and other tea things
in readiness. But in most cases it is
more appropriate to have a small
folding table brought in by a servant
and placed before the hostess. A cloth
should be spread over it and then the
| tea tray brought in.
| The tea tray should contain the urn
with spirit lamb burning. tea pot
sugar bowl and tongs, cream pitcher
tea caddy, cups and saucers, sliced
lemon and small plates with tiny
napkin between each.
| u The servant hands around small
sandwiches and cakes or toasted muf-
fins. Sometimes. however, these are
included on the tea table and guests
help themselves. 1t is qhite the thing
1 for guest to ask for a cup of tea.
The hostess makes the tea and then
pours it. To those sitting near her
/ she hands the tea. Those farther
away come for their cup of tea, or
IL a gentleman is present he takes
the tea to the guest
| Wraps, wells and gloves are re-
moved at a tea. but the hat is kept
on as at luncheon.
| When a young unmarried girl in
giving a tea to her friends wishes
to include young men in the invita-
ton. her mothers card should be in
closed in the envelope with the invi-
tation. When the tea is given her
mother should receive and be pres
ent during the afternoon.
| A hostess may send Invitations to
| - -