New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-07-02
HOME AND SOCIETY.
THE TALENT FOR ENTERTAINING.

crrvERNEss-GERMAN MEN AND AMERI.
CAN GIRIs-soME NOTES ON DRESS.
The talent for entertaining is very subtle and
.,us,ve Quality defying analysis and pulling social
sn,-ants who would fain understand the why and the
hora,ore of this most desirable distinction. Why IT
Is that some people can render every function tha'
INV undertake delightful success, and others with
,hs same hospitality and even greater desire to
nlease only succeed IN having stiff dull entertain
monts is very hard TO understand Yet II Is recog
nzed fact that al certain houses you are sure OF nav
ting a Charming time. whereas at others everything
drocs and II not actually stupid, 1t IS at least mo
notonous and uninerestng 1t IS certainly not money
which makes this distinction, for many hostesSes who
achieve social greatness cannot begin 10 compete In
extravagant living with the majority OF their con
temporares. II Is not wit. nor is II beauty II Is
not family position, although these things. one and
all have their obvious advantages. II Is probably an
intangible. inherent tact which cannot be acquired
which all the wealth Of Golconda is unable TO buy and
fails even to initiate. II Is the ability TO put ones
guess al ease and to diuse air OF carefree enjoy
ment.
In one Of Thackeray's books he speaks OF the I'M
concerned way in which lay ourselves open to the
comments Of servants, who doubtless have many
laugh below stairs over pecularities and discuss
eagerly the current bits OF scandal which they cannot
fail 10 hear while attending upon US. The freedom
ssoming automatons is truly remarkable Al
Uomans luncheon particularly it seems TO be the
accepted fact that Jeemes YellowpluSh and his sub
ord,nates are simply TO be considered mere ma
chimes sans eyes, ears. sans everything. save as
regards their vocation; whereas they are really IN
educated rather men, with as much curiosity
and as INSCRIPTIONS tongues as any other human be-
ings OF their calibre Mais ma chcre, appee III ca
mn homme :" lisped fair beauty Of the First Empire
as her more strait-laced friend suggested that the
,ootman had better be considered ana apparently this
IS the accepted standard by which We are to regard
our men servants.
al had rather amusing experience yesterday"
said, at a large dinner party not long ago. clever
woman who is the author of several wen-knovn books
II was during pause in the conversation and as she
spoke several of the other members OF the party
stopped their talk involuntarily TO listen
1t is almost too well known a truism' She went
on ito say that listeners never hear any good OF
themselves but unfortunately II IS one OF the eternal
truths that is continually being exemplhed. had
occasion stop at Of the large book stores yes
terday morning. and was standing at the counter
waiting for my parcel when two ladies came up and
asked the clerk for Of my books. i suppose,
said the youngest and pretest of the pair. that as
/ am 10 meet her at dinner tomorrow must really
look something that she has written On any
one will do 0hs to the salesman. A dollar each ?
] am they not worth that mamma says that
they are great trash but that had better skim over
one or two Meanwhile my parcel had arrived and |
had no excuse for remaining so walked OF a sadder
and wiser woman"
at was not l." laughed her vis-avis at the table.
sand vet 1t must have been one Of US. Tell Us who
1t was" she went on. coaxingly.
"No, that is our secret" answered the author good
naturedly 81 only hope that, now that my little
critic has read the book, she may Judge me more
lenently.'
"Dear Mrs -" said young girl in the drawing
room afterward bushing distressfu scarlet as she
spoke. will YOU forgive mel thought your
book perfectly lovely"
MY DEAR don't think OF It again." replied the
older II have had my little revenge and
consider that we are quits Come and see me; dare
say we will be great friends"
The most Interesting royal bride OF the period IS
Princess May and she is being much discussed by
society native and foreign. The handsome. clever
and kind-hearted girl seems TO have evoked In Eng
land chivalrc and affectionate admira-
ton such has not been felt Tor
royalty since the marriagc-time OF the
young Queen who Is now TO become her grandmother
in-sw This Young lady promises to be more In
teccual occupant OF the throne than Britain has seen
for many generations. She is Keen and penetrating
Observer Is giftel with unusual amount Of common
sense and is quick perceive the humor In things.
She thinks for herself. and her friends say that the
study of human life is OF absorbing Interest to her
People who did not know the late Duke OF Clarence
have sometimes wondered that this charming girl
shOuld lave felt sincere and evident affection for
one who seemed 10 the casual observer so uncrest-
ing Princess May, however looked deeper into the
OF the unpretending fellow and saw there
unselfshness and thoughtful kindness as well as many
other sterling qualities There Is pretty little story
told Of the young man in the days when he Sta
toned with his regiment at York. The town has an
Industrial school for poor boys in which Ice much
interested and he often rode there 10 have tea
with the pupils. who proud OF their royal
guest. On one Of these occasions one OF the two
small boys who plying the Prince with tea and
cake nestled up to him and confded to him that wish
ing to be very nice for his visitors sake he had that
afternoon put clean and particularly stiff collar
and that the said collar cruelty rasping his nfant
neck Probably that small lad will never forget how
gently Prince Eddy peered under the collar to ex-
anime the red mark, how tendery he took out his
silk handkerchief and tucked its soft folds under
the collar TO relieve the soreness. II was little
action. but 1t characteristic of the kind and manly
young heart row st forever
at is very odd" said a woman Of society who has
been on wearisome search for summer quarters
wherein to locate her family. chow very few really
comfortable houses one 10 rent. They may be
pretentious picturesque, elaborate simple, hut
they are rarely comfortable. In the first place. g
seems very hard for the American architect to grasp
the subject Of servants quarters. have been quite
amazed to find I'm expensive, big houses, belonging
presumably 10 rich people who ought know how 10
live such inadequate and incongruOus accommodation
for their staff Of dOmestics. Either they keep
fewer servants than the size OF the house would
or they must huddle them together In the uncom
Portable and untidy fashion. In one large. costly
house visited. where everything seemed 10 be kept
nh on the most elaborate scale found actually only
Two large servants with two beds In each and
ne kitchen was connected directly with the dining
room with the old fashioned slide, and there was no
lutlcr's pantry whatever.
cone cannot help wondering. on seeing a house like
this. what be the standard OF living In snch a
family where such obvious want OF ordinary com
forr * ,ossible or course such house this IS