OLD MAIDS’ LUNCHEONS.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XIII, Issue XV, 13 October 1894, Page 358

OLD MAIDS’ LUNCHEONS.

YOUNG MAIDS ESSAY THE ROLE OF OLD MAIDS. The two essentials to-day of a social function seem to be •novelty’ and ‘souvenirs.’ Original ideas for an entertainment, however, are much rarer than suitable gifts, as all know who have had occasion to search through crowded shops for the one and among scanty brain stores for the other. Very recently both of these elements were conspicuous at a luncheon enjoyed by a coterie of young girls in the smart set of one of our great cities. It is needless to mention that the participants in the ‘ Old Maids’ Luncheon ’ were sure to be youthful enough to make the very idea of itself a delightful joke. The subject of spinsterhood is serious to spinsters only. The invitations were as prim and proper as possible ; ‘ Mistress Emmeline Brown will be pleased to see Mistress Elizabeth Smith on Tuesday at two of the clock, when she hopes she will do her the honour to fetch her knitting and bide the day.’ The hostess received her guests in a simple gown made appropriate to the occasion by a soft white kerchief folded across her breast and pinned with an old miniature brooch. On her head was a nrob cap of muslin, while her hands were partially covered by short black lace mits. The guests, each primly clad, having produced their ‘ knitting ’ (which is a most misleading figure of speech for various delicate bits of drawn work and crochet), ‘ set to ’ in the highest spirits by each relating some choice piece of gossip news pretty sure to be unknown to the others. Meanwhile as they worked they agreed that when each piece of ‘ knitting ’ was completed it should be put away to be presented to the first one of the party who should leave the estate of spinsterhood for that of matrimony. When luncheon had been announced these gay young old ■ maids found each development of the entertainment more and more amusing. The conversation at table was not permitted to stray from the subject of ‘ old maids,’ it being discussed from every conceivable point of view, each guest being bound to enliven the others with some good story illustrative of the value of the unmarrried woman to the community. Great merriment was provoked when the hostess insisted that every girl should confess what ‘ charms ’ and ‘ rites ’ she practised with a secret view to matrimony. Will it be believed that every girl there owned to having on one yellow garter ’ Some held sacred a ‘ St. Joseph’s image.’ One declared that no power on earth could make her act as bridesmaid three times, ‘ because “ thrice to the altar never a bride,” you know,’ she said. But to return to the artistic plan of the luncheon. The name cards at each place were in the shape of a Dresden china tea cup, cut out of smooth white water colour paper. Painted over it was the Dresden design of small, variously coloured flowers, and on the handle in delicate lettering was the name of the guest, as ‘Mistress Elizabeth Smith.’ Upon the back were painted the two tiny crossed swords in dull blue—the mark of all real Dresden ware—and there was a different motto upon each one, gathered all the way from Shakespeare to Mother Goose. The floral table centre was a master piece of ingenuity. It presented an assemblage of ‘ old maids ’ bowing and nodding upon their • long and stringy necks,’ each quaint little face with its white cap and strings being fashioned out of ae ox-eye daisy. The petals had been cut around with a pair of scissors, so as to look like a white milled cap, two being left for strings ; then the yellow ceutre had been transformed into a face by marking on it with a fine pen and ink the tiny features. The skilful hostess had given almost as much difference in the expressions of; the little faces as exist in human ones. The difference in the shape of the yellow centres made some fat and some thin, while the lines of the mouth turned up, made a smiling old maid, and turned down a most melancholy one, and one with straight line lips represented wonderfully well the bitter and cynical woman. Before they were put in the bowl they had been tied in several bunches with narrow ribbon, so that each guest might have an old maid nosegay ’ when the luncheon was over to pin on her breast. The last of very many delectable courses proved to be a goodly sized ‘Jack Horner pie’ now a popular means of presenting souvenirs. For any who may not know the recipe for this very satisfying if not nourishing dessert, I will explain that the filling of the pie is composed of small presents of various kinds wrapped each in tissue paper and tied with narrow ribbon, one end of which is left long. These are put in a large tin pan, all the ribbons being pulled out over the brim so as to hang on the outside. A piece of tissue paper, supposed to be pie crust, is then pasted over the top. This particular pie at the luncheon produced such glee as not even the original Jack Horner knew when ‘ he put in his thumb and pulled out a plum.’ As the girls pulled the ribbons such * plums/ came bursting through the thin crust as a pair of spectacles, a tiny tea pot, a pair of knitting needles stuck through a ball of wool.

a small bottle of * the Bloom of Youth,’ a green silk reticule, a pair of lace mits, even a silver thimble. v- Surely this was the crowning feature of the event, thought each guest. But no ; when good byes were being said, amid the chatter and laughter the hostess presented each with a fancy basket tied with a big bow of ribbon. • Bon-bons,’ was the natural conclusion, until a little spasmodic scream made everyone turn where one girl had found that instead of chocolates and almonds their souvenir baskets held the tiniest, the sweetest, the liveliest white kitten.