Breakfasts and Teas, Paul Pierce [best reads txt] 📗
- Author: Paul Pierce
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Have a masked person standing at the door of the parlor as hostess. When the guest starts to shake hands, display the sign "April Fool, I am not the hostess." Have two or three hostesses before the right one is reached.
Have the room full of surprises in the way of decorations, cabbage heads and vegetables for bouquets, tin lanterns for lights, a den for stuffed animals and similar fakes.
No talking of any kind will be permitted for the first hour, though two or three notebooks and pencils can be displayed for those who feel they must express their thoughts. The examination of the "fool" costumes will take place in deaf and dumb show. Give a bunch of onions tied with green calico for the worst costume.
Ring a big dinner bell at six o'clock and arrange one or two childish games to be played to fill in the time before tea or ask the guests to represent some noted character in pantomime, the others to guess which character is portrayed.
For the tea pass cards numbered from one to ten and have the guests call for their supper by indicating four numbers—1, fork; 2, sandwich; 3, plate; 4, pickle; 5, napkin; 6, glass of water; 7, cup of coffee; 8, cake; 9, spoon; 10, ice cream.
For instance, a guest writing on his card 1, 3, 5, 6, would receive a fork, plate, napkin and glass of water for his supper. Have several waiters and put names on the lists so that all the articles may be brought in at once. After waiting until those who get articles of food try to eat them, for of course, the sandwiches, cake, pickles and ice cream must be "April Fool" ones made of sawdust, cotton and similar substances. Serve real sandwiches, coffee, cake and ice cream.
A Colonial Tea.A delightful way to entertain six elderly lady friends would be to give a Colonial tea. Word the invitations thus:
"My Dear Madame:—Ye distinguished Honor of your Presence is requested Thursday, ye Second of October, from Three of ye Clock until ye early Candlelight, at Four Hundred and Seven, Sheridan Road, ye City of ——, ye State of ——, to meet your most Obedient and Humble Servant, Mistress ——."
Light the rooms with candlelight and decorate with nosegays of garden flowers and autumn leaves. Seat the guests at round tables. Have all the viands on the table at once. Let the menu be cold turkey, pressed chicken, cold tongue, tiny pocketbook rolls, jellies and preserves, gelatines, pound cake and fruit cake, hot tea and chocolate. Decorate the table with old-fashioned flowers in quaint vases. Women of that age generally prefer to bring their own needlework and visit, so have a brief program of old-fashioned music, or an interesting old-fashioned story read.
Pretty Rose Tea.One of the most beautiful "rose" teas can be given if one has a rose garden. Hundreds of dozens of roses, white for the drawing-room, red for the hall and library, yellow for the music room and pink for the dining room can be used. The roses are placed in immense Oriental bowls on polished table tops. The tea table has an immense basket of pink and white roses in rare varieties and the surface of the table is covered with a smilax mat bordered with pink roses and tiny electric light bulbs looking like glow worms. The ice cream is in the shape of a pink cup with green handles filled with fruit the whole being of ice cream and very delicious. With this is served little pink cakes and candy roses and chocolate with whipped cream.
Omber Shades of Rose.A beautiful color effect can be secured for a tea by placing on a long table a series of French baskets of roses shading from American beauty to white. The basket at the lower end of the table is in the American beauty shade, the next basket of roses of a lighter shade, the third a deep pink, the fourth a pale pink and the fifth basket bride roses. Tied to these baskets are ribbons in the omber shades of rose. The candles between the baskets are the same shades as the different roses and the electric lights of the chandelier are hooded in rose like shades of varying hues.
A Bouquet Tea.Let the invitations read somewhat in this way: "Will you take tea with us under the trees Tuesday afternoon at five o'clock? Please wear a bunch of roses. Hoping that we may have the pleasure of your company, believe me,
Sincerely yours,
——."
The piazza is the most natural place for the guests to assemble, and after hats have been laid aside within doors, the four walls of the house may be left behind, and on the shaded piazza, made charming with a few bowls of roses, the Bouquet Game can be played, making a pleasant beginning to the party. This game is most suitable for a gathering not too large, as it somewhat taxes the memory. The guests are placed at one side of the piazza in a long line and each is provided with a bouquet, holding a few less flowers than there are guests, that is: If there are fifteen guests, each should have a dozen flowers. Each person then takes the name of a flower and as the hostess calls the roll each says slowly and distinctly, "I am a pansy," "I am a rose," "a tulip," "a violet," as the case may be. The hostess writes these names down so that she may have them for reference. She may call the roll once again when this is done to freshen memories, and then until the end of the game no one, under any circumstances, may reveal her flower identity. Then one at a time, beginning at the right hand, each guest is called to the center facing the line to be asked one question by every one in turn in the line. In her answers the one in the center must include the questioners' flower identity. No. 1, for instance, is "Lily" and asks the person in the center. "What animal do you like best?" He answers, "Tiger-lily" and then Lily presents him with a flower. No. 2 may be "Sunflower" and the one in the center cannot remember it, so when asked a question he says to sunflower or No. 2, "Weed I know you not" and gives Sunflower a flower, and so all down the line until the end when the one who has been in the center takes his place in the line and the next in turn comes out to the middle of the piazza to face the ranks and try his memory. Of course many of the flower names can only be brought in awkwardly, but there is a chance for some cleverness and fun.
The game makes merry fun if all enter into the spirit of it. If any one gets entirely out of flowers he drops out of the game. At the end prizes are given to the man and the girl having the largest number of flowers in their bouquets.
Spring Planting.Spring Planting is another good contest:
Then if the hostess has even a bit of a garden, a bell rung out under the trees calls the merry throng to partake of old-fashioned "high tea" at little tables set where the afternoon shadows slant restfully, and with the birds' music about, the charm of out-of-doors will add flavor to the dainties. Tea biscuit, chicken salad and tea or chocolate, ices or frozen custard and sponge cake are most suitable.
A High Tea.A High Tea is one of the most complimentary entertainments to which a hostess may invite her friends in the afternoon. The number of guests is limited, but the possibilities for decoration, daintiness and elegance are unlimited. The exact hour is written on the invitation, as High Tea at 4:00 o'clock (or 5:00 o'clock). The guests may number about twenty-four, but twelve or sixteen is a desirable number. They arrive exactly at the appointed hour. They are seated at small tables having places for four at each table. The menu is a little more substantial than for a reception. Here is a typical "High Tea" menu:
Hot Bouillon
Sweetbread and Mushroom Patties
Tiny Pickles
Creamed Chicken in Green Peppers
Cauliflower Scalloped
Hot Rolls
Spiced Cherries
Asparagus Salad
Grated Parmesan Cheese
Ice Cream in form of Fruits, Flowers, or any desired form
Angel Food
Coffee
This menu, of course, may be varied. Clam cocktail, grape fruit, a fruit cup or hot fruit soup may be served for the first course, croquettes, any sort of salad and ice cream or gelatines.
An original embroidery contest to precede the tea is to secure the large pattern initials which come very inexpensive, getting the initial of each guest. Prepare oblong pieces of linen or lawn which will fold into envelope shape, six by fourteen inches. Give each guest a piece of the linen and the pattern for her initial. She embroiders the initial in the corner or center of the flap to the "envelope" which is a stock and turnover case when finished. Each guest is given her turnover case to finish as a souvenir. Give prizes for the best initial, the one completed first and for the slowest.
A Simple Menu for High Tea.For a high tea for ladies, serve first an oyster cocktail in glasses, fruit punch or brandied peaches. Then serve sweetbread salad, with bread and butter sandwiches. Frozen eggnog and fig cake are a change from the regulation ice cream. Follow by tea.
A "Book-Title" Tea. 1.The latest novelty in afternoon entertainments in England is what is called a "book-title" tea. Of course, this would be just as amusing in the evening, and any refreshments may be served that the hostess prefers.
The guests are all expected to devise and wear some particular badge or ornament which indicates, more or less clearly, the title of some book, preferably works which are well known.
The "badges" worn may be very clever and most tastefully executed. "Dodo" may be impersonated by showing a bar of music containing the two representative
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