Of course, as soon as the tea was merged into the virtual equivalent of an evening party given in the daytime, its recommenda- tion as a cheap and convenient method of entertaining one's friends vanished. While one merely dropped in for a cup of tea on the way home from calls or shopping, a plain walking gown or visiting costume was per- fectly appropriate. But with the increased formality of the tea arose the necessity for richer dress, and the afternoon kettle-drum became a kind of heterogeneous-looking as- sembly, where, at five o'clock in the after- noon, some of the women would appear in evening gowns, with low necks and short sleeves, and some in street suits, while the men, of course, wore morning coats ; al- though in small towns the sight of men in dress suits before six o'clock is an anomaly too often witnessed. Even apart from the matter of dress, other difficulties and complications arose. Per- 266 AFTERNOON TEA sons in moderate circumstances who had re- joiced at the advent of the tea, because it rendered feasible the gratification of their hospitable instincts at an outlay within their means, shrank back in dismay from this hy- brid form of assembly, declaring that it was as easy to give a regular evening party, and get the credit for that, as it was to receive guests in a fashion which assumed simplicity, but cost no less than an affair that made more show. A few women have had the courage to ad- here to what was the original design of the afternoon tea, and to offer their guests only the light refreshments suitable for this form of entertaining. To such people the labor connected with thus gathering their friends about them is a trifling task. The hostess sees that her rooms are in their best looks ; fills a few vases with fresh flowers, to give a festal air ; sets a round-table in her drawing- room or library, or in the dining-room, if these apartments are en suite / draws up her pret- tiest cups and saucers and plates in battle array, and invites a few young girls or inti- 267 WHAT TO EAT — HOW TO SERVE IT mate friends to assist her. They wear either pretty house costumes or dainty tea gowns. For refreshments are provided tea and choco- late, possibly bouillon, bread-and-butter or tiny sandwiches, and plenty of light cakes. The eating is a secondary matter, the raison Wetve of the company being the desire for pleasant social intercourse in an informal fashion. The woman who has a regular " at home " or a weekly " afternoon tea " during the sea- son provides even less. She has tea or cocoa — rarely both — bread-and-butter or fancy bis- cuit, and cake. The toasted muffins or crum- pets and the many tea-cakes dear to the British palate are little in vogue here, where the dinner hour is almost invariably six or half after six. Very few are the houses where daily afternoon tea is the rule. Numberless pretty adjuncts can be pro- cured to contribute to the attractiveness of the kettle-drum. The tall crane, with its brass, copper, or silver kettle, the daintily embroidered tea and tray cloths, the fine fringed or hemstitched doilies, the exquisite 268 AFTERNOON TEA china, the quaint teapot, the cozy, the odd dishes for cake and biscuit — all afford oppor- tunity for the display of a cultured taste or of a quick fancy. Nothing need be very costly, but everything must be pretty, and in this day the combination of beauty and cheapness is by no means diflBcult or un- usual.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

Of course, as soon as the tea was merged into the virtual equivalent of an evening party given in the daytime, its recommendation as a cheap and convenient method of entertaining one's friends vanished. While one merely dropped in for a cup of tea on the way home from calls or shopping, a plain walking gown or visiting costume was perfectly appropriate. But with the increased formality of the tea arose the necessity for richer dress, and the afternoon kettle-drum became a kind of heterogeneous-looking assembly, where, at five o'clock in the afternoon, some of the women would appear in evening gowns, with low necks and short sleeves, and some in street suits, while the men, of course, wore morning coats ; although in small towns the sight of men in dress suits before six o'clock is an anomaly too often witnessed. Even apart from the matter of dress, other difficulties and complications arose. Per- sons in moderate circumstances who had rejoiced at the advent of the tea, because it rendered feasible the gratification of their hospitable instincts at an outlay within their means, shrank back in dismay from this hybrid form of assembly, declaring that it was as easy to give a regular evening party, and get the credit for that, as it was to receive guests in a fashion which assumed simplicity, but cost no less than an affair that made more show. A few women have had the courage to adhere to what was the original design of the afternoon tea, and to offer their guests only the light refreshments suitable for this form of entertaining. To such people the labor connected with thus gathering their friends about them is a trifling task. The hostess sees that her rooms are in their best looks ; fills a few vases with fresh flowers, to give a festal air ; sets a round-table in her drawingroom or library, or in the dining-room, if these apartments are en suite; draws up her prettiest cups and saucers and plates in battle array, and invites a few young girls or inti- mate friends to assist her. They wear either pretty house costumes or dainty tea gowns. For refreshments are provided tea and chocolate, possibly bouillon, bread-and-butter or tiny sandwiches, and plenty of light cakes. The eating is a secondary matter, the raison d'être of the company being the desire for pleasant social intercourse in an informal fashion. The woman who has a regular " at home " or a weekly " afternoon tea " during the season provides even less. She has tea or cocoa — rarely both — bread-and-butter or fancy biscuit, and cake. The toasted muffins or crumpets and the many tea-cakes dear to the British palate are little in vogue here, where the dinner hour is almost invariably six or half after six. Very few are the houses where daily afternoon tea is the rule. Numberless pretty adjuncts can be procured to contribute to the attractiveness of the kettle-drum. The tall crane, with its brass, copper, or silver kettle, the daintily embroidered tea and tray cloths, the fine fringed or hemstitched doilies, the exquisite china, the quaint teapot, the cozy, the odd dishes for cake and biscuit — all afford opportunity for the display of a cultured taste or of a quick fancy. Nothing need be very costly, but everything must be pretty, and in this day the combination of beauty and cheapness is by no means difficult or unusual.

What to eat, how to serve it