The Cup That Cheers

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21906, 15 September 1934, Page 6 (Supplement)

The Cup That Cheers

The term " tea-house," now a commonplace all over the world, once suggested Japan above all other countries?, so a tour of these now popular places o? refreshment might well commence in the land of the cherry-blossom. As we pass through a pergola hung with lovely wistaria blossom and multicoloured lanterns, it is as though wo had been translated into fairyland. Little Geishas, clad in soft si*lk kimonos, bowing and bowing, hand tiny cups to the customers. The tea drinking is accompanied by the plaintive twanging of the Saniisen, and the soft "shoo-shoo" of the dancer's feet on the matting. Every tea-house in Japan has its surrounding garden. Next we fly in fancy to Persia. Roadside tea-houses, looking like smugglers' caves, are found along the caravan routes. In these there are no tables, only two or three seats, wide enough to sleep on. The floors are of rough sand. There is nothing to suggest tea but the Samov'ar simmering over the charcoal fire.

The proprietor, looking like a brigand, brings along a homely teapot. A "boy" hands round glasses and a saucerful of sugar. No milk is ever taken, but the Persians love sugar. Six or eight large lumps are placed in each glass, and one is taken in the mouth afterwards. If there is a shortage of sugar, a lump is placed in the mouth first and the tea is sipped through it. Let us now take a peep at some of the British tea-houses. Surrounding London the total number on the roadside within a radius of thirty miles of Hyde Park is 4000. They are also plentiful on roads approaching big provincial towns and cities. The motorist is attracted to these by gaily-coloured umbrellas, which spread an inviting shade on the green lawn beneath. " Devonshire tea" is generally the order in these tea-houses; and, if cakes are required, they must be home-made. Today the fashionable roadside house in England has its own dance band and swimming pool; its putting greens and tennis courts. "On the Bonnie Banks of Loch Lomond " in Scotland the tea-housos offer comparisons. At Balloch, on one bank, a beautiful park leads to the historic castle. These ancestral halls are now open to the public; the lower floors, tea-rooms. Not banqueting halls as of old, but "railway refreshmentroom" style. Tea is served in thick cups. In the little village of Luss, on the opposite bank, is a narrow street of

TEA-HOUSES OF THE WORLD

whitewashed houses, each one of which is turned into a tea-house. One crosses any threshold to find oneself in a small, clean, tidy room. The four-poster bed, with its spotless curtains and covering, stands along one side of the wall; and along the other side is a table, set with -all kinds of home-made cakes and scones, biscuits and bread. In the living-room the family tabic is similarly laden, and forms are placed along each side to accommodate as many as possible. In Ireland, rural afternoon teas are not complete without one or two large dishes of home-made conserves to accrmpany the hot scones and tea cakes. "Dinis Cottage," prettily situated amid the luxuriant sub-tropical growth of bamboos, magnolias, azaleas, palms, and ferns, and overlooking the Lakes of Killarney, is perhaps the most frequented tea-house in Ireland. Here from a little stone seat in the garden is a charming view of the ''Old Weir Bridge."

Leaving this "Eden of the West," wc will cross the Atlantic to America. There the " Good Roads Movement " gave the enterprising American his opportunity. Thousands of motor-cars travel along the smooth roads throughout America, and anything novel or attractive in the way of a tea-house is placed in an inviting position to "catch" the travellers. A stable in the heart of Washington; an old log cabin; and a roadside barn have all been converted in such a way that one would imagine the original design had beer, for a tea-house. In the stable the coachhouse was furnished with Persian rugs, Japanese screens, seagrass settees, occasional chairs and m tables; and served the general public. The four stalls were used as private dining-rooms.

In Southern California one tiny tearoom was built around a huge pepper tree; anothei under the elms among the beautiful Green Mountains in Vermont. The most interesting of all, perhaps, and the most pleasant place for rest and refreshment was the broad ■verandah of a little stone house on the highway in Miami —"The Sign of the Golden Orange." Here the furniture and service were delightful. The green canvas chairs were appliqued with brilliant sateen oranges; and on each of the round, green tables was a mirror in which was reflected an orange bowl filled with tiny Panama oranges and their glossy green leaves. A quaint little earthernware teapot and hot-water jug were brought in on a lacquered tray, with a cube of tea for each person, and you made your tea at the table just as you liked it. Sandwiches, crisply wrapped in oiled paper, were sealed with a " Golden Orange.'