The Minneapolis journal., 1903-12-26

specimens of the type that ciings to her
guests almost as tenacously as the old
man of the sea- She is so eager to provide
against boredom that she allows you not
one-half hour of the day that you can
safely call your own. In case she Is a
rich woman, with many means of offer
ing diversion at her disposal, she care
fully cuts and dries every moment of your
sojourn with her long before the time
of your arrival
You are hurried from one event and eX-
citement to another in quickest success
sion, and, when the visit is over, you go
home thankfully and take rest cure. She
has never studied that blessed British GUS
tom of letting the guest alone at intervals.
The Hospitality We Avoid.
AS carefully as possible also avoid, and
| ardently deplore, the hospitality of the
hostess whose menage Is unpratentious,
whose means limited, and whose nelghbor-
hood very quiet and who suffers from a
mistaken conscientiOusness concerning her
duty toward her guest. Most of the time
she keeps you sternly under her eye. She
sits with you.
She is oppressed with the fear that if
you are for one instant left alone you
will feel sighted and ennuied, and all the
while you long for an occasional interval
of real solitude. If domestic duties call
, such d hostess away from your side her
Bobby, in short trousers, is made to mount
guard. Should you sneak away to your
room for a blessed bit of your own So
ciety, for a snooze on the sofa before the
fire, for a peep into the papers she
comes anXiously tapping at your door. to
| inquire if you are tired or headachy, or to
warn you that the trap will be around in
ten minutes to take you driving.
! From her we'll meant but painfully per-
sistent surveillance you rejoice to escape,
and she is devoutly thankful as rule to
see you go. She is one of the many dutiful
and really kind hearted women who feel
| it solemn necessity to entertain. She
makes a dreadfully dreary and exhausting
business of what should be. for the hostess
and guest alike, thoroly enjoyable un-
dertaklng.
A Very Safe Course.
Now, as an experienced hostess, find
d very safe course to pursue is that OF
always allowing my visitors good broad
margin in which to follow the advice of the
! Concord philosopher and invite his own
soul. l present my masculine guest with
the morning papers and a good long quiet
hour in which to irnbibe the news and en-
joy his cigar.
! give the women folk chance to finish
their novels, write their letters, and to
nap after lunch No form Of amusement
is forced upon anyone.
visitor is quite privileged to indulge
4 in a rest cure, If he likes, on the end OF
my shady piazza or in his quiet bedroom.
Let me here, however issue a warning
against an opposite course pursued by
some delinquent ladies', who leave theil
visitors too unreservedly to their lonely
pursuit of liberty and happiness.
There is the undisguisedly selfish hos
tess who permits her guests to forage fol
their own amusement She thinks it toe
much trouble to organize a little picnic
hold tea party in the flower garden. ant
give a touch of festivity to the dinner
table every evening and refrain from dis,
! cussing family affairs. She takes
pains to think out beforehand some sim
pie, pleasant way of breaking each day
routine with some sort Of diversion.
She blandly excuses her Indifference t.
your claims upon her by insisting that sh
is treating you as a member of the fam
lily, which, with all the good will in tn
world, you cannot accept as a compli
ment
A sensible. clever, and ambitious hostes
takes a lot of trouble in behalf Of he
guests. She gives them of her best, sh
studies their preferences, and she is kee
: to appreciate that no visitor desires to Sc
: her domestic wheels go round or to en-
| dure too much of the society Of her chill
dren, however, attractive they may be.
< Adelaide Gordon.