Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1889-01-25
WOMAN AND HOME.
A HOSTESS WHO PLACED GUESTS
IN AN AWKWARD SITUATION.

Untruthfulness - Unconscious Cruelty.
The Old Baby-Let the Girts Ron,p.
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 q 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 a joke merry fellow
played upon his fellow guests at large din
ner given at a 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 little handle, was triangle
In shape. 1t lay 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 new acquisition in this pretentious
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 endowment
for those persons who always worry over
trifles was gone it was because tho specter at
the feast was this mysterious spoon, and that
1T was ghost which would not I'D laid in the
minds OF more than would seem possible was
openly confessed by a merry party of eight
who drove home together through the moon.
lit night There was but one resource-as
carelessly and quietly as possible TO keep an
eye 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 a
| careful student of human nature. it did not
take him long to form the conclusion that his
neighbors were filled with sense of the DOS
| sibillty OF making a faux pas, and he as
| quickly determined that somebody should do
| this if he could effect it. What cared he
whether it partially fell upon bis own head
| II he could get joke OH somebody else? So
yhen the fish came on and proved to be an
Naborately made dish for which this singu-
TAR affair might possibly be the article of
use, there was an almost imperceptible lull.
succession of quick glances toward the
head of the table, and hesitating flutter of
| hands, and this joker submitted his hostess
to such a running fire of questions that she
was the very last person to take up her
fork and calmly begin to eat Then
| followed q succession of courses for
which the articles of use so obviously
suggested themselves that there could
be no mistake, and then came punch
In which were frozen rum, cherries, while on
the plate which held the pretty punch glass
| was little of something which afterward
| DrOVpd to no n fro, t.
diment Again the half anxious lull, and
| again was the attention of the hostess ell
| chained and diverted until some woman more
bold and self confident than those about her
seized an ordinary little gold spoon and
straightway like IA flock of geese every one
followed the leader Then came terrapin
served individually in paper cases, and now
Mr.. Joker had his fun. His hostess was in
such absolute commissions of laughter over
his funny stories that eating would have re-
suited in choking had she attempted it, and
by the time she dipped this new queer spoon
into the dish he had the satisfaction of feel
ing that two-thirds Of his friends had made
an exhibition of greenness.
SO much did this amuse his highness that
he declares some day he shall give a dinner
in which everything shall be served in and
eaten with newfangled dishes and nipple
ments, and the only regrets shall be the
know everything, never mistaken sort of
persons. The moral of the contretemps is
that a hostess, thoughtful and kind, whose
housekeeping appurtenances arc novel and
nkeiy to be unfamiliar to friends perhaps
tess Favored with that power for possessing
new innovations, should avoid the possibility
Of making them feel awkward, not of course
., keeping her possessions locked away in
Der silver safe or her china closet, but by
setting quick example of what use to put the
new thing or, as might easily have been done
III the above case, having the spoon sent &c
each individual at the same time and ON the
same plate with the paper case holding the
'errapln. There could then have been nc
mistake and no discomfort, while the service
would have been quite as pretty. IS. S. f.
NJ" in Chicago Herald.