In 1978, book dealer and premier Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas collector and bibliographer, Robert A. Wilson, published a small, limited edition booklet \u201cTea with Alice.\u201d \u00a0The 250 copies were distributed as Christmas gifts.\u00a0 In it he recalled his 1963 visit with her in Paris:<\/p>\n “Ever the proper hostess, though not at all well, she had gotten out of bed and into an easy chair beside it, clad in a bed jacket and lap robe. \u00a0I arrived punctually, armed with a couple of gifts: a carton of cigarettes, as I knew she was a heavy smoker; some fancy Japanese matches; a bottle of brandy which I knew she used at least in cooking; and a recording of some Stein pieces read by a fan named Addison Metcalf, entitled “Mother Goose of Montparnasse.” \u00a0It turned out that she did not possess a record player. (She later wrote me that Joe Barry, an American correspondent who took care of some of her many \u00a0needs, had brought her one so that she could listen to it.)<\/em><\/p>\n <\/em><\/p>\n <\/em><\/p>\n <\/em><\/p>\n <\/em><\/p>\n <\/em><\/p>\n <\/em><\/p>\n <\/em><\/p>\n <\/em><\/p>\n <\/em><\/p>\n <\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Teatime with cigarette, Paris 1951<\/p><\/div>\n After we chatted briefly, she rang a bell and summoned \u00a0Jacinto, her Spanish maid. \u00a0She offered me a choice of\u00a0 what she termed “an indifferent sherry or an excellent Chinese tea.” \u00a0I chose the latter. \u00a0When Jacinto had left the room she said, sotto voce, “You’d better see to the brewing of that yourself, Jacinto can’t do anything right.” \u00a0So I accomplished this as best I could – not knowing any Spanish and Jacinto no English, and very little French. \u00a0I drank the entire pot of tea, as it was excellent as Alice had claimed.”<\/em><\/p>\n <\/em><\/p>\n Others guests of GertrudeandAlice\u2019s invariably included in their stories of visits to rue de Fleurus or rue Christine the high quality of the tea served along with Alice\u2019s teacakes or cookies.<\/p>\n The perfect tea set for Our Ladies of the Roses!<\/p><\/div>\n The ritual of teatime also followed GertrudeandAlice to the U.S. during the marathon 1934-35 lecture tour.\u00a0 They were invited to tea at the White House by Eleanor Roosevelt in December of 1934.\u00a0 In his 2009 memoir, Too Close to the Sun: Growing Up in the Shadow of my Grandparents, Franklin and Eleanor<\/strong>, Curtis Roosevelt recalls teatime at the White House:<\/p>\n \u201cMy grandmother\u2019s tea at the White House took place in the West Hall, between her rooms and the Lincoln Bedroom suite on the other side.\u00a0 Although it was only late afternoon, the evening shift of waiters was on duty in their starched fronts with white ties and tails. (The daytime shift wore dinner jackets and black tie.)<\/em><\/p>\n GertrudeandAliceandEleanor by John Keating (2000)<\/p><\/div>\n They served from behind a large screen at the entrance of the West Hall, keeping everything moving at the proper pace.\u00a0 When the guests arrived, they ushered them in and announced each one\u2019s name.\u00a0 The atmosphere was a mixture of formality and informality, with grandmother setting the tone.\u00a0 She definitely presided, but her overriding concern was making sure people felt at ease.\u00a0\u00a0 What mattered most to us, aside from the pleasures of such staple treats as the delicious pound cake and \u2013 my own favorite \u2013 cinnamon toast, was the opportunity for Sis and me to join the adults.\u00a0 Otherwise, we rarely ate with our family.\u00a0 Our grandfather wasn\u2019t often present for tea, as he stayed in his office until about 6:00 P.M.\u00a0 Perhaps on a Sunday, when he didn\u2019t go to his office, he\u2019d join us.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n This is the first year that I have received a gift for Alice on her birthday. \u00a0A book arrived the other day from Australian artist and GertrudeandAlice fan, Gisela Zuchner-Mogall with the following note:<\/p>\n “Dear Hans, Don’t you think Alice would have enjoyed this book (together with Gertrude, of course!) Would you accept it on her behalf? \u00a0One can’t have birthdays without presents. \u00a0Happy Birthday Alice. Cheers Gisela.”<\/em><\/p>\n The book is The Interrogative Mood <\/strong>by Padgett Powell and the whole book is written in a series of questions!<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/gertrudeandalice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/diamond-feather1.jpg\" "\\"diamond")
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