Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1898-02-24
The Art OF Hospitality.

New YORK Times on The Art of Hol
tallty- She begins her letter by thu,
lowing quotation from a clever ST
of human nature:
''Show me the principle on ii''' :,
woman makes out an invitatio' 80 anu
I'll tell YOU what kind of vhah sue
is. There is nothing that ne shIeiS
betrays woman's real chttcter 'n7n
the way in which she pals OUT hei
hospitality. Palmistry az chifoinanc y,
are nothing to an invitath ilst. II -
fell you whether the wt1an Is a ohIi'-
tan or hypocrite, a SD or an ari9'o-
GRAFT, social upstart porn iaoE' :
thoroughbred or harf-stralner' p
Thomas Nelson Pap,s old darkv w2dd
say. If women hly knew wing al
open confessional ne issuing OF cares
really is, they wcdid say their TaseIS'
read chapterln the Bible, af go 10
early communion before sittiR down 10
address those cream-tinted envelopes
that prelude an at-home, OF luncheon,
or dining"
After commenting upQI 'he ruin ol
this statement she cQAlnueS: Inc
practice of looking on4n invitation to
an entertainment as debt that must be
paid in similar coiy1s last destroylng
the last semblaDf OF mat denghtlnl
hospitality whicyhad its origin in the
Christian grace/of charity, good will
and loving kiIlness. We read much
of such hospylity, we hear much Of it
from pcopleof the "old school," but
when we lok around for its counter
part in tb society of today we find
only mitrable system of You invite
me and Al invite you
"An ambitious woman, who is dis
satisfa with her own circle Of acquaint-
to get into another
set. She takes time by the forelock,
anfere the season has fairly opened
gies luncheon or party and invites
tie set on whom she has designs. The
ct, willing or unwilling, must put her
down on the list of those to whom they
are under obligations, and the ambitious
woman scores point, at the expense OF
her self-respect, one would think"
And finally this undeniably clever
observer concludes her column and a
half letter as follows:
"For the average woman Of today
there is one safe rule: Be always ready
to welcome and entertain the friend or
the stranger, who may prove to be an
angel. This is hospitality. But the
form of entertainment demanded now
adays by society is so complex, so eX-
pensive. both as to time and money,
that the sensible hostess will leave such
things to those who have the trained
service, the elegances Of table and
and the expensive income
that make entertaining easy and pleas
ant Remember that there is no style,
no elegance, about your entertaining if
YOU have to enlist all of your obliging
friends in the work and then borrow or
hire most of the china, silver and table
linen in your immediate neighbOrhood
You will make no mistakes in your
visiting list if YOU will only repudiate
the false idea of obligation. You will
invite only those whom you really want
as your guests, whose society is a pleas
ure to you and to each other; yon will
give an entertainment entirely within
your means; you will realize the true
meaning Of hospitality, and you will
frd yourself the next day at peace
with yourself and your neighbors. A
rare state of affairs, this last, as any one
knows who has watched the heartburn
ings and envy ings and enmity engen-
dered SO frequently by an invitation
list made out on the wrong prin-
ciple. If invitations were tokens of
love or friendship or esteem, rs
they really ought to be, going into society
would be like going to heaven. We
shall make some approach to this bliss
full condition when the earthen pots
stop trying to swim down stream with
the brass kettles, and when both cease
using the ceremonies that should be
sacred to hospitality for the base pur-
pose of getting into set or paying of
a fictitious obligation.
There is but one thing that could ex-
cuse our social unrest. If it sprang
from desire to better ourselves intel
lectually and morally, it would be the
nobest of conditions. If what we call
the upper circles of society represented
the highest degree Of culture, education
and moral purity, then women would
be doing the best thing possible in try
ing to win a foothold within the charmed
ring. But is this the case? Answer the
question yourself and be sure that your
next invitation list will tell whether Won
are striving for higher conditions. men
tai and spiritual, or whether you are
moved by a base desire to see your
name in the society column of a paper
along with the names of those whose
claim to distinction is founded on their
ability TO wear diamonds, to drive in
carriages, and give functions New
York Mail