Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1895-09-01
HOW 70 ENTERTAIN
Views of Prominent Ladies on the
Subject.
Mrs Cleveland, Mrs. Henry Clews
and Mrs. VIM. K Vanderbilt Tel
What They Know About 1t.

ana MIS-. w IL. L. $3.50
What They Know About 1t.
Copyright and all rights reserved 1921
Before we can :n;elligently discuss
the subject OF How to Entertain we
must have an intelligent understanding
of what is ment by entertaining. Web
ster defines the word entertain as
trans.t,ve verb signifying, ITO receive
and treat with hospitality, TO amuse
witb conversation. l think 1t very
frequently happens that when people
are said 10 entertain" in the sense IN
which the word is used in fashionable
society of our time the social festivities
designed for that purpose often lall Ut
-erlv 10 realize the meaning OF the term
as gwen by the great photographer !
have quoted.
If TO entertain is TO amuse by con
vers9lion." as Webster says, there Is
certainly not much entertaining nova
DAYS How much, or rather now LItle
conversation. that is amusing, do we
hear at the so-called entertainments oI
society? Such conversation, for exam
ME as that of DR.. Samnel Johnson and
his friends. which as reported by Bo5-
well. has amused generation after gen
Grafton. and will doubtless continue 10
do so till the end of time. Boswell tells
lis that Dr. Johnson regarded conversa-
rio1 as an INTELLECTUAL contest IN Wh:ch
every one was in duty bound 10 40 HIS
bes, 10 win supremacy.
The bcs way TO entertain guests by
conversation is to set them talking
themselves. and thatmay be most easily
done by leading them 10 talk OF them
selves and their belongings and tner
own affairs generally. 1t IS striking
proof of the mate selfishness OF human
1qfure ina we would all rather taik
about ourselves and our own concerns
than any other subjects Once set your
guests 10 talking about themselves ana
listen with attention and seeming in
teres- and they viii go away declaring
YOU the mos. brilliant and entertaining
conversatioaalis they ever met.
Madame de Stael the most brilliant
woman of her time, was once introduce
ed TO a deaf and dumb man without be-
ing made aware Of his infrmity. She
talked TO him for two hours without dis
covering il. and then told her friends
that he was the most brilliant and de-
lightful talker she had ever met. once
have your guests interested in converse
ton and they become Oblivious to their
surroundings.
BENJAMIN Franklin tells us how his
father always used to invite some learn
ed man 70 dinner and set him talking
upon some interesting subject at the
commencement Of the meal. so that the
children of the household having their
interest and attention absorbed by the
conversation, would not over eat or be-
come gluttonOusly attached to the pleas
IRE Of the table sydney Smith. the
famous English clerical wit used to in
vite Coleridge. Lamb. de Quincy and
other. of that brilliant cOterie 10 din
ner. and as soon as his guests were
seated he would introduce some topic
which he knew would set them by the
ears. He would then Immediately with
draw from the violent discussion which
invariably ensued and would sit de-
vouring course after course Of delicious
viands while his guests. absorbed in a
fierce argument entirely neglected their
plates. At length when he had finished
his dinner he would rise and say. Gen
tlemen, l hope you have dined to your
satisfaction" and would then conduct
his famished guests from the table.
Is il not possible that n the enter
tanning" of fashionable socla-v trore
IS too much diversion OF uoA-.4tDii..--
ual character and no. enough amusing
conversation? BY al means 10y us try
20 c0rrtc- this and strive go --4uS,, a5
Webster puts IL, by 'cou1 crsc.ler.' ln-
deed. hte greatest need Of those who enc
terrain at the present time would seem
TO be some new method, since r1r d.
versions Of society have become 80
monOtonous and hackneyed, surely ire
fashionable world, like the bride I'm t-e
familiar old ballad of "Tha M.sI,,Je
Bough," rs weary of dancing - this
time and of card playing as Well. lLe
spirit Cf unrest and the desire for some
thing new i'm almost everything tlse puY
SO dominant Throughout. iha world muei
inevitably exert its inGuuce upon The
diversions Of society. That II is doing
so is proven by the new departure
which have been made IN fashionable
amusemelts of l8t- II is not very long
ago since an amauer circus entertain
mcnt was given in the barn of p VOL
known gentlemans country seat. the
performers being VIII known society
men. Il would seem that the hostess
Of the future who can mos suCca3. fully
entertain her guests VIII be she who IS
mast fertile in originating new diver
siols.
FRANCES CLEVELAND.