The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-11-28

best toilet into your friends reception
ROOM A hostess Is never oyerpleased to
have you treat her little function, simple
tho it may be. as a matter of no import
ance You honor her entertainment by a
suitably formal costume, and it is invari-
ably safer to wear, when In doubt as to
the proper toilet for an evenings amuse-
ment, your dress coat or decollette gown
than a business suit or cloth costume.
This Is an almost paramount obligation,
for remember that by the ornate care or
decorative beauty Of your apparel you add
to the dignity and charm of her drawing
room and the festive air Of her dinner or
card party.
I have no patience with the insufferable
selfshness Of the bored, sulky or silent
guest. II you have any realizing sense OF
your obligations diner caller, main
tain as high level as possible of good
spirits. Look cheerful, even If you are not
a humorist, nor, perhaps, a ready talker.
I am not advocating a buoyancy OF
manner if that is wholly unnatural to you,
but, as you love your reputation and hope
to achieve high ends, do not go into So
ciety when your temper is ruffled, or when
in a melancholy mood.
We all seeking the light. and not
the gloom. and you attract in proportion
as you bear the candle Of good spirits and
the elements Of generous laughter about
with you. / can only recommend you to
look around a little in society, and you
will see that hostesses of the houses to
which you crave a welcome are always
, striving to gather gay and kindly folk at
their tables.
! Do not feel that 1t is an obligation to be
brilliantly witty, nor even clever story
teller. In fact, you should not strive to
be anything but your natural SELF If you
are uniformly polite to fellow guests, I'M
failingly cheerful, willing to talk your best
e. hn It,l all at,. 1ft,fy
companion. and gratefully appreciative OF
your hostess efforts for your comfort, you
have put In practise some Of the cardinal
rules by which the welcome guest abides.
| The clvlllty of Caesar.
| I can prophesy unerringly the social fate
Of that not uncommon individual whom
the hostess can never please; the person
who is acutely wretched if there is a
draught or a tenn perat ure above S. who
can only drink aerated waters. who can
eat nothing but rare beef and hates ice
| cream. Now, when you dine, or lunch
| con, or sup out, eat the food set before you
| with relish If you can.
You need not do any special violence to
your health in accepting the entertainment
provided for you without doubts or ques-
tioning. If you are on a severe diet, say
so, that the hostess may be relieved of
anxious fears for the quality Of her dishes,
! Out, unless the doctor s orders are your
excuse, you have no right to accept a
dinner invitation and refuse the major
portion of the viands set before you.
The victim Of strange tastes and &C.
centric prejudices in food is never a well
come guest, and, while the hostess in
such circumstances may be too civil to
call attention to your seeming distaste for
her dishes, she is none the less keenly
alive to your neglect and hurt by it.
There Is a story told of julius Caesar,
who, great man as he was, observed in
detail a guest the most scrupu. GU s
courtesy In his treatment Of his host.
| The art indeed, by which he rendered
| himself socially most delightful to men
was a medium thru which he conquered
| his enemies as often as by force of arms.
At Roman dinner party, where Caesar
| was guest, 1t happened that rancid but
ter was served by mistake. The host.
not aware Of its condition, was covered
| with confusion when one Of his guests
refused 1t; another tasted the unfortun-
ate butter and made a very wry face,
while a third openly and loudly com
planned. When, however, the dish was
| passed to Caesar. the conqueror of Gaul
and Germany, Great Britain and Egypt
calmly helped himself and ate of it quite
| as tho It had been honey from Hymet-
| tus Hill.
Tradition sayeth not but my private
conviction is that the host of that dinner
party must have been ever after the fast
| friend and frank admirer Of the man who.
| uncrowned emperor as he then was. could
| snow such exquisite consideration for his