The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-06-21

great, roomy, old-fashioned house, with porches all around 1t, vista of darkling woods, two devoted servants, a rollieking, creaky old phaeton and gray horse who knows his business so well that he pauses instinctiyey hefore the fields where the best wild flowers grow.
 In this home no entertaining Is done snye from Friday to Monday. but on those days the house Is always filled with guests during spring and summer. The men spend their mornings fishing in nearby brook which would be seorned by the boys of the village or on the nearest links, while the women often drive to the nearest town, where their hostess buys such supplies as are not raised In their own garden. Dinner comes In true country style at noon, and supper is often served on the porch. All day Sunday the family horse earns his oats, and the broad yeranda looks as if q newsstand had been overturned upon 1t, for each man has his favorite Sunday paper. Only intimate friends among the neighbors call during this time, for the sacredness of the house party Is respected by these happily constituted suburbanites. Twice a month on Saturday afternoon, the Country Club has series of matches on the grounds and on the alter nate Saturdays gives most Informal dance with music by local players and refresh ments limited to ices and cakes.
 In speaking of her long series of house parties. the hostess says:
 We never knew until quite lately that in giving these weekend parties we were do- ing most fashionable stunt. II has long been my husbands fad to have his city friends here oyer Sunday, and while we en- tertain almost every week during our sea son do not believe we spend as much as one of our city friends on her winter round of teas luncheons and dinners. We do not set an elaborate table. but offer,,what we know our guests do not have in town-fruits vegetables, eggs and chickens raised on our own place This style of entertaining does not entail the specially prepared programme of amusements necessary when you have guests for q week or more and country life begins to pail upon them. My servants know that company islimlted to these three days, and there will be no confusion during the rest of the week.
 Another hostess has even less to offer In her pretty New Jersey home, yet her inyi- tatfons for the weekend are always ae- cepted with gratitude.
 You see," she said, tour guests seldom arrive before Saturday afternoon, and by the time they have slipped into something cool and summery and have had dinner they ask nothing more than a quiet, restfu evening on the porch. where the men smoke and the girls-look pretty. Sunday morning s break fast Is a movable feast, which prepare
  the sleep they cannot get In town, with milk wagons and elevated trains changing at day break. The arrangement also giyes my one servant q chance to go to church and recon ciles her to the o'clock dinner.
 For the breakfast have fresh fruit, pre- pared cereals, rolls, coffee and eggs or other dishes easy to prepare, so that my morning s work is not hardship for myself, nor does 1t make my tardy guests feel that they are putting me to much extra trouble. However, they are usually down and ready for outdoor pleasures by half-past or 10 o'clock.
 eve have no horses, but our street leads to the woods, which are alive with wild flowers. and we sacrificed our side lawn to tennis. Men in particular do not seem to desire entertainment. Given an ugly black nine. an interesting book and shady corner on veiyety lawn. they seem supremacy con tent, or a group of them will spend hours playing catch, as if It were a new found amusement.
 Luncheon is served on the porch, and the o'clock dinner is the one formal event of their stay. Occasionally we Increase the din ner party by inviting couple of our neigh bors. From experience have found that the weekend party, composed of people who are