Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-03-22
THE HOSTESS WHO FUSES.

97aint of a Feminine Writer who Has
Suffered at Some Time in Her Life,
If it is true that you never thoroughly
know your women friends till they come to
stay in your house, it is likewise undeniable
that even the friend of your bosom will de-
velop undreamed of domestic virtues or
vices when you become the recipient of her
hospitality. If there is any element of
friction between entertainer and enter
tanned, 1t is always more pronounced in
the middle class three-maids-and- "a boot
and-knife-boy establishment than in the
haunts of our richer brethren. This is so
of necessity, because the limited number
of servants means fewer guests at a time
and in consequence one sees more of the
lady of the house" than would otherwise
be possible
There are occasions when such a consum-
nation is of all things to be desired, but
this is not the case when you are the vic
tim of the undivided attention of a fussy
hostess who is bent on entertaining you.
Trains, etc, being to blame, we arrive at
':45 cold and hungry, dinner being at S
We note that the master and mistress OF
the house have already donned their even
ing garments. He is the soul of punctual-
ity and considers being late for dinner the
the size of the house, etc, forbids ths-and
knowing that at this hour the waiting
maid has her hands full and the split"
girl is especially wanted in her hybrid ca
pacity, we think with despair of our neces-
sary unpacking and arranging, while our
hostess wastes five Of our precious fifteen
minutes lettering in the hall. She does
this by making what she considers the
proper inquiries about our journey-why
the train was late, if we didn't find it very
cold, etc, and at length asks if we would
like to see Our room.
We jump at the offer and wonder which
frock will go on in ten minutes.
She precedes US up the stairs, opens a
door, and with a slight wave of the hand
indicates that we are to make ourselves at
home. We enter, and so does she! We
have already had enough experience for
our vision of down-in-time with a scramble
to be dispelled. She first observes that our
candles are not lighted. She proceeds to
illuminate, but the candles are new and
the wicks will not catch. At last they
flicker, and she looks around to see that
the curtains are not drawn. She draws
them, of course, with our help. One can
not be brutally brusque within quarter
of an hour of arrival in n strange house.
Then she remarks that the fire is low,
which it is not, and n hot bedroom happens
to be our bette noir. She puts on Goals and
luckily blacks her own fingers and is
obliged to retire.
By this time it is three minutes to s. OF
course we are late, but our host on this oc-
casion is amiability itself, and a volume of
domestic history is contained in his dry
remark: Il was sure you would be late
heard my wife in your room" At 1890 a
move is made for bed. Tired and head
achy we welcome the release and with a
thankful heart we just begin to say good
night, when I'm coming up to see that
everything is right in your room" comes
sweetly from the lips of our tormentor
n moments reflection makes us think
that perhaps this solicitude is justifiable
and that we may be wrong in the idea that
1t would be kinder to let tired guest de-
part in peace. On entering our bedroom
she declines the proffered chair, and says
she must be going in a minute. Despite
this assertion she gets upon the subject of
clothes and servants and never leaves us
till midnight hiladelphia Press