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Special Dinners, Dances and Luncheons 553 |
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(in private life it did duty as a mop-handle), wound with pale-green and white ribbons. At its base, it was fitted into a block of wood, concealed by the flowers. At the apex were two white pennon-shaped flags, and a foot below was a wreath of white flowers. The invisible support for the wreath was an embroidery hoop (a foot in diameter) attached to the pole by stout gilt wires, like the spokes of a wheel to its hub. From each of the spokes hung a rope of flowers—stock-gillies and deutzia, wound by short lengths of florists' wire about cotton ropes. These, with the wreath, were kept in water until within an hour of serving the luncheon. *
The name-cards were tied to twigs of paper cherry, peach and plum blossoms—blooming most naturally— evidence of deft Japanese fingers. On the reverse side of the cards were quotations in praise of spring—among them Browning's dramatic couplet:
"Such a starved bank of moss, till that May morn— Blue ran the flash across, violets were born!
"The apple trees in May, whose green leaves make a little tender night, with flowers for stars."
The favours were bunches of violets, and the ices were served in "Mav-baskets."
June
The young girl who had the good fortune to have the "June luncheon" made a veritable "feast of roses."
The centrepiece was a leghorn garden-hat, filled with pink roses, suspended from the drop-light of the chandelier by its ribbons of pink satin, and the drop-light wreathed with pink paper roses. Candle-shades and name-cards were of rose petals, and candied ones filled two small dishes.
The ices also were roses with natural stems and foliage. |
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