A COSTLY FEAST, IF TRUE.

Auckland Star, Volume XIX, Issue 177, 28 July 1888, Page 10 (Supplement)

A COSTLY FEAST, IF TRUE.

Banquotlnß; '.Tablo Doscrlbod by a Now York Correspond ont of a Louden .Vapor. | Tin; following details of a dinner wliicli was given tho other day by n Xew York lady may be read with interest by jrcoplu who want to know the latest thing w the way of American cxtravaganeo :— The dinner table w;ih arranged about it miniature lake, in which palms, lilies and ferns appeared to bo growing, while tropical trees ro<e from the banks, amid mininturo parterres of (lower.?. .Small electric lights, with van-coloured globes, were at(itfiL'od about the lako, and electricity was introduced under the water of the impro-i vir-etl lake and claused to dance about inj imitation of varicoloured iish. There was a fountain in the centre of the lake, and a': coloured glass ball, lighted by electricity, | spurted up and down a jet of crystal water, j There was no cloth on the table, nnd each of j ( tho twenty conrsci sor.c.l at the dinner was r placed before the guests on a natural palm | leaf. The wall nnd room decorations—some t of which camo from Florida and South [ America generally were of smilax, ferns, j ivy and palm, mandarin, batinnn, orange, and othor tree. Hanging among them were hundreds of very small coloured electric lights. The decorations of each plate cost s3O, tho favours §60 and,tlio menus were painted to order at $10 ii piece The brollies came from Franco and the straw berries cost §7.05 per bunch of live berries. Roman punch Was served in oranges han;?iu{! on tlio natural trees, the pulp of the fruit having been deftly removed, so that tho guests picked tho oranges from tho branches.— ' London Court Journal.'