Around the Tea-Table

A family tea-table becomes a meeting place for comic portraits, spirited disagreement and advice about everyday conduct. T. De Witt Talmage frames these short essays and sketches as talk shared after the day's work, when children and adults gather with friends. Among the guests are Dr. Butterfield, whose agreeable manner matches his taste for sweet tea, and the irritable Mr. Givemfits. Their contrasting temperaments give the conversation its humor and allow opposing views to meet across the table.

The subjects extend from domestic habits to church life, reading and public behavior. A forceful discussion of anonymous letters condemns damage to other people's reputations, while a debate about college boat races supports exercise and student health. Christian moral reflection sits alongside jokes, exaggerated comparisons and observations of ordinary company. Readers interested in social essays can follow how a familiar household ritual provides a setting for arguments about kindness, responsibility and the way people speak about one another.