The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1880-10-12
Dlnner-GAvinx.

AS general rule, we believe that An ap-
preaching dinner party Is more agreeable
to the hostess than to the host. To a
woman there is something pleasant in the
fuss which precedes her entertainments
She Is mistress Of the occasion, and her
orders are implicitly obeyed With man
1t 10 different. What amuscs his wife i'd
gets him. He is restless and uneasy.
When he goes to his study for quiet hour
before dressing, he finds it has been taken
possession Of by his wife's maid, and con-
verted into temporary ladies' cloak-room.
On the very altar stone OF his sanctum,
right In the center of his writing. table.
stands looking glass. His precious hand
books and dictionaries, his papers, note
books, ct cetera. arc profanely piled in a
corner Of the room. Finding his study
desecrated, he wanders about the house. a
burden both to himself and TO others. He
ls In fldget because his wife has not yet
returned from her drive, and he fears shc
may be late for dressing. He is himself
dressed lar too soon, and finds nothing to
10 In the drawing-room, which is all pre-
pared IN state fer the reception of guests.
ho employs himself in opening and shut
ting windows, regulating lamps, and very
possibly npsetting fower-vase. AS the
person, bnt no is too pre-occupied with tho
grouping OF his couples for dinner to be
able to give his mind to any contil ous con-
versation. Somebody has not arrived. and
keeps nervcusly looklnging at his watch.
When all has come he shyly walks from
one man to another with piece of crump-
led paper In his hand, at which he casts
sheepish glances, and tells them, in mys-
tcrious whisper, whom they arc to take in
to dinner, with the air of a man who Ia
doing something Of which he ls ashamed.
Arrived in the dining room, instead of
quietly directing his guests to their allotted
seats he orders them to their places like q
sergeant major, and after making an apo
logetic grace he eits down. Once seated at
the table there ls not much left for the host
and hostess to do. They may try to at
tract the attention Of the butler and ask
him to open the windows wider; but. If
things go badly, all they can do is to look
on grlmly. 1t might often be we'll if hosts
and hostesses were to endeavor to make
themselves more agreeable at their own
tables; but, as rulo, people are pleasanter
companions IN the houses Of others than in
their own. at their own entertainments
they are apt to be too much pre- occupied
to be able to give their whole minds to any
subject which may be mootcd. sThoy are
fretting because the soup is cold, or because
All entree is over-havored; they are in
agonies at long pause which occurs be-
tween the courses; they are observing that
a couple at the othol end of the table arc
not talking to each other; or they perceive
that the best judge Of wine at the table is
drinking light claret, instead of the best
champagne which has been produced for
his special qualification. We lately saw u
hostess much perturbed in spirit. She had
provided the best Of meats and drinks; but
some of the guests failed to do Justice to
them. One gentleman had taken up total
abstinence; and instead OF enjoying the
excellent wines, ho lectured upon the sub
jcct of his favoritc hobby. 1t happened to
be Friday, and two of the other guests
who were Roman Catholics, touched neither
soups, entrees, JOINT nor jellics, to tho great
sorrow Of their hostess who did not per-
ceive that they made capital dinners on fish,
vegetables, sweets and vino.