Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1879-12-24
Entertaining Company.

R"A big feed'-thatis good time" in
the estimation of many. ''Wbat did you
have for support" one asks of another
who has been ''out to tea" IL the old
fashioned settlements, where the
neIghbors go visiting" spending the
Afternoon, and busy with knitting or
light sewing, it is often suspected by
the hostess that her company has come
more for the sake of the supper than
for the visit. Sometimes this suspie-
ion is very uniu.tly entertained. /
have myself been more than once very
much annoyed by the way in which
friends went TO visit allowed them
selves 10 be ''cumbered with much
serving" so that it was almost impos-
sible to have any reasonable converse
tion with them. | like good things TO
eat when l am hungry, but | feel al
most insulted if that is the main enter
tainment offered me. l could get some
thing to eat at home, but not my
friends company. The best visits
among neighbors, in my opinion, are
often those which are unannounced,
and where the visitors DO not stay to
tea, unless very sure that they are de-
sired TO do so, and that their staying
will not make trouble for the hostess.
Thers is something decidedly Vulgar
in the great spread" sometimes made
by those who entertain company. SO
many kinds of sake and sauce-so much
indigestlble stuff TO please the sense OF
taste and make the visitors i'll next
day. And yet is is both natural and
praisewortny 10 wish to treat our
friends to something nice in the way
of food. Good eating is 4 privilege as
well as a duty. We must eat to live,
and so the first question in regard 10
our food is whether it will "nourIsh
these frail bodies OF ours" as many
man has prayed at the opening Of
meal which could "nsnrlsh" only by
the working of a miracle. Too great
variety is burdensome to both guests
and hostess, and il never really proves
the llberality of the one who enter
tains, but often shows only a love Of
display and spirit of emulation. There
should he enough of everything, and
each dish should be good of its kind,
especially the bread and other solid
articles. If we can possibly get good
meal for our yisitors-the guest of sn
afternoon or a single day-without
cooking anything while they are with
US which necessitates our absence from
the room for much time, it is best to do
so. We knew of case in which two
ladies went long distance to pass the
day with the newly married wife of an
old friend. This wife was so overcome
by the occasion and so ''laid herself
out" to show her appreciation of II
that in preparing an elaborate dinner
she devoted herself so entirely TO II
that her visitor, only saw her at the
table while the meal was eaten and
came away disappointed at hot having
accomplished their object, which was
10 become acquainted with The wife Of
their old friend. When We know be-
forehand that company is coming, we
can have everything ready TO set upon
the table. and so not spend over half
an hour in getting supper. The sup
per ready, it Is our part 10 rake our
guests feel perfectly free to eat or not
OF the dishes set before them-to make
them feel by onr cordial manners rsth-
er than By words, that We like to share
our best things with them, and are
pleased 10 have them enjoy them while
we will not make them eat merely TO
please Us, but let US talk about some
thing else besides the food. Cheerful
conversation at table promotes diges-
tion.