Her china, of dainty Limoges, was purchased with an idea of being serviceable for many occasions, and is mostly in odd half-dozens, although the color scheme throughout is green and white, a combination which blends well with anything. Her soup plates, tea plates, dinner plates, platters and vegetable dishes are of the same pattern, but the china for the entree, the salad set, dessert set, cheese plates, bread and butter plates, etc., are all of a different but harmonizing design.
Green and white being always a lovely color for the table and also admitting of very inexpensive treatment, make informal suppers not only quite possible but very attractive as well.
The table was round, just large enough for four, and nearly covered with a pretty lunch cloth embroidered in white. In the center a huge butterfly bow of wide green ribbon that just matched the china trailed nearly to the edge of the table. Over the cloth were scattered white carnations and ferns in artistic carelessness, and two slender candlesticks, with generously green skirted candles, broke the flat effect. Each candlestick wore, with holiday gayness, a large green bow, and the soft combination of color and grouping was charming.
The supper itself was very simple. A course of raw oysters and stuffed mangoes, with the usual accompaniment of horseradish and lemon, came first. Quail on toast with quince jelly (the jelly served in individual forms on tiny leaves of lettuce) followed with stuffed potatoes as an accompaniment and a delicious little chestnut salad was next in order. The dessert was a rich chocolate cream, stiffened with gelatine and moulded round with a large hole in the center. This was filled high with thick cream, whipped, sweetened and flavored with maraschino. The bonbons, of green and white, added the last touch of harmonic color to the dainty little feast.
A Little Sunday Night Supper.
Shortly after this, encouraged by her success, she gave a little Sunday night supper to introduce two young people to each other. The table, as before, was round, but the colors used were yellow and white.
A large round tea cloth, fashioned by the hostess, covered the table. In the center five ragged yellow chrysanthemums were fastened together with a wide yellow ribbon and wired to a slender upright, which they entirely concealed. Just inside the circle formed by the plates, glasses, etc., a wavy circle of smilax trailed and ran out into little curves between the plates. Nothing more simple could be imagined, but the guests had a very appreciative look as they were seated. Getting acquainted under such conditions was a very natural and easy process.
The supper was simplicity itself, and consisted of a clam cocktail; frilled French chops with green peas; a rarebit made in the chafing-dish and a rich lemon ice for dessert. In connection there were, it is unnecessary to add, many delicious accompaniments. Brown bread sandwiches, thin as wafers, were passed with the cocktail. Bread accompanied the chops, the rarebit was served in a bank of cress, with lettuce and cress sandwiches, and the ice was made even more delicious by the addition of stuffed champagne wafers. A pleasant time in the host's den followed, and thus, a happy little evening, quite within the reach of anyone, was made possible by a little forethought.
The apartment in which this woman lives has only six rooms, so you can imagine that entertaining (in its ordinary sense) is somewhat out of the question, but very charming little "at homes" are given once a month during the winter, and as the parlor and den adjoin, and are cosily furnished to correspond, it is quite possible to entertain in this way.