San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-10-11
WOMAN AND HOME.
A HOSTESS WHO PLACED GUESTS
IN AN AWKWARD SITUATION.

Children Should Consult Their Parents.
Untruthfulness Unconscious Cruelty.
The Old ba'y-Iet the Girls H0mp'
Open the Blinds-The Hair-Notes. Etc. ,,
A hostess Is supposed to give her attention
both before and after an entertainment to
the enjoyment of her guests, and so natural
is the instinct of hospitality that women do
this to a certain extent involuntarily, but
many other times, with perfect unconscious
ness, they place their guest in an awkward
situation. was forcibly reminded of this
at witnessing recently joke merry fellow
played upon his fellow guests Q. /. large din
mar :..'- en- az beautiful country house,
Among the knives, forks and spoons found
at each cover the guests soon observed very
singularly shaped spoon, the like OF which
not one of all the twenty or more assembled
had ever seen. 1t was long, and the bowl,
over which was a little handle, was triangle
in shape. 1t lay a quite harmless looking affair
and yet a weapon which doubtless sent dismay
to many an apparently Indifferent observer,
for its shape suggested no reason of its why
and wherefore. Of course, it was one Of the
recent innovations which enterprising deal
ers are continually forcing upon the notice
of a luxury loving race and that, too, it
was a new acquisition In this pretentOus
fashionable and wealthy household, was
also apparent by the glaringly new shine of
the silver.
Course after course of the elaborate dinner
went on, and If the keen edge of enjoyment
for those persons who always worry over
trihes was gone it was because the specter at
the feast was this mysterious spoon, and that
it was ghost which would not he laid in the
minds of more than would seem possible was
openly confessed by merry party of eight
who drove home together through the noon
lit night. There was but one resource-as
careleSslv and quietly as possible 70 keep an
eve turned hoStessward, for the owner of the
strange possession must be familiar with It's
use
1t CHANGED that the joke loving man men
toned had been assigned the honor Of es-
corting his hostess to the table. Being q
careful student of human nature, it did NOT
take him long to form the conclusion thai lis
neighbors were flied with a sense of the pos
sibility Of making a faux pas, and be as
quickly determined that SOMEBODY should Il.
this if he could effect 1t. WIS cared u
whether it partially fell upon his own Tea,
if he could get joke on SOMEBODY el>", :,
when the fish came on and prove, TO he q:
deliberately made dish for which this sin-u
lar affair might possibly be tie article o
use, there was an almost Inappropriate lull
a succession of quick glances toward tn
head of the table, and hesitating futter O
hands, and this joker submitted his hostes
TO such a running fire of questions that sh
was the very last person TO take up he
fork and calmly begin to eat. The
followed a succession of courses 70
which the articles of use 50 obviousl
suggested themselves that there coul
be no mistake, and then came a pune
in which were frozen rum, cherries, while o
the plate which held the pretty punch glas
was q little Of something which afterWar
proved to be O strange sweet East Indian col
diment Again tie half anxious iuil. an
again was the attention Of the hostess or
chained and diverted until some woman NOR
bold and self confident than those about he
seized an ordinary little gold spoon an
StraightwaY. like flock Of .se5e. every on