Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 141, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 June 1912 — The Home Department [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

The Home Department

AFTERNOON TEA TABLE

ACCESSORIES THAT ACCOMPANY THE CHEERING CUP. Pretty Surroundings, Easily Acquired, Add Greatly to the Pleasure of the Gatherings irf Closing Hours of the Afternoon. If you have not a regular tea table, an easy way of serving the cheering cup that never is more cheering than in the late afternoon, is to have a Japanese tea basket and keep it in an inconspicuous part of the living room, where It will be always In readiness. These baskets, according to their size, hold a service for from two to a dozen persons, and, in addition to the alcohol stove, accommodate a teapot, creamer, sugar bowl, cups, saucers and plates of Old Canton, royal'medallion, Satsuma, Delft, willow or Semedl and the various familiar wares made in Japan. Best of all, the thickly wadded basket makes an ideal tea cozy and one which is easily handled. — 77 —— When only two persons are to be served with tea, the simplest way of making the beverage is to use a pair of tea balls. These come in solid or German silver attached to handles of celluloid, carved deerhorn or silver, and none of them are too expensive for the woman of moderate Income to get along without. For the tea table, which is kept set,

always In readiness to be wheeled or carried into the living room, there are Innumerable little conveniences. One of these conveniences is the airtight tea caddy of Japanese, pewter, chased brass, carved bamboo, plain burnished copper or tln-llned lacquer, and another Is the Lazy Susie. Lazy Susie Is a tidbit tray with a nlckel-plated frame and three glass shelves for holding sandwiches and cakes. Every tea table now has ltd tiny jardiniere, either of hand-stamped Egyptian brass, of Japanese split bamboo or of sliver deposit; its fruit dish of white lacquered perforated zinc and. its bread basket of pierced silver with square, upright center handle. The lighting of the tea table is of vast importance, for, of course, the Illumination must come from above the bead of the hostess, lest it cast deep shadows upon her face and make it look old and worn. From the wall near which the tea equipage usually is placed there should extend a two or three arm brass sconce with shaded candles, or a sconce with inverted incandescent lights with inner globes covered with square glass shades of an effective color. Lacking the stationary lights, it is nice to have a tall lamp of Damascus brass with matching shade or a . pair of Japanese brass and copper candlesticks with copper shades done in wickerwork design.