The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-08-12
A WOMAN SPEAKS
On the Trials and TrIbulatIOns of
Entertaining Society.
From the New York Mercury.

From the New York Mercury.
Is there any one in the vast mass that
goes TO the making up Of New York so
ciety who has a good word TO say for the
afternoon lat homer" What more lugu>
brious function-funerals not excepted
could be found, and what finer torture
of boredom could be invented? We are
all of US somewhat apt to believe that
the fault of failure lies with the hostess,
and can scarcely imagine that success
might be dependent upon the collective
amiability Of her friends. Yet we have all
had guests with eXasperating habits
which would serve to blast the atmos-
phere OF any entertainment, however we'll
intended.
Have we not known the matron who sits
rlg1dly glued to her seat, refusing to cir
Quaintanceships that might for a short
time at least wips the acidulated tacitur-
nifty from her baleful visage?
Again, the woman who does not like
women, and who only warns up when
the solar beams from masculine cOunte-
nances radiate in her direction, is she not
always with us? Sometimes, too, we are
worried by damselS who, seated cheek
by jowl on friendly sofa, will remain
mute as fish because they have not been
introduced. Such visitors cannot fail to
bewilder and hamper even the most ener-
getic of hostesses, for, however, valient-
DIlnk
kindred spirits within touch of each other,
she is necessarily unable to superintend
the winding of the conversational ma
chinery.
In another matter invites are highly
culpable; they do not enter into the spirit
of the Invitation accorded them. They are
ready enough to bewail the dearth of men
in the afternoon crowd, but seldom take
blame to themselves for assisting in Gre
ating an overplus OF their own sex. Many
a hostess, IN order to make her little re-
unions successful. invites only sufficient
ladies for the number of cavaliers she has
at command. In her well-meant effort at
regulation she Is fruStra ted by the very
ladies themselves. For instance, a card
may be issued for Mr., Mrs. and Miss
Brown, but 1t Is by no means an uncOm-
mon thing to find Mrs and Miss Brown
arriving minus their balancing male and
/ accompanied instead by a feminine friend.
Thus, in one moment, does the unhappy
hostess find herself surcharged with pet
ticoated crew, for whose amusement she
is unable to provide.
In many cases one girl alone of a fam
lily will be purposely asked, but she will
forthwith bring sister cousin, an aunt
and swell the female throng
But another Objectionable feature of Eat
homes" for which the lady OF the house
Is entirely responsible is the habit of in
viting professional people not as friends
but as unpaid entertainers, and introduc-
ing them right and left as quid pro quo
for services rendered.
AS a rule these wageless folk are musl-
clans of Indifferent talent, anxious for a
hearing who, when their own perform
ances are at an end either take not a
particle of interest in the social proceed
ings or openly wear an air of criticism
when others Of their calling come to the
front. But this is not the worst of it.
by the lavish introduction of music the
spirits of the guests are damped, and con-
versation-which may be spurred by just a
song or two-is shorn Of all originality and
interest Visitors have no resource but to
vulgary annoy performers by talking UNI
der their breath in a species of criminal
chuchotement or lapsing into stagnant ST
lence, from which they are with difficulty,
If ever extracted.
Space does not admit further examples
of the notes which fieck the face of hospi-
tally but by careful diagnosis of the sub
| ject II will be discovered that in prescrib-
| ing prophylactics against boredom and
| dulness we have run to a homeopathic
/ maneuver which causes the remedy to be-
| come the begetter of the disease.