The San Francisco call., 1904-02-21

a perfect nuisance. He is generally ons
and the same guest who won go awe dy'
This is a very tedious variety ne a.
WAYS stays on after the rest OF the
marty when the host and hostess want
70 he left alone. He is always a per-
son who wants to be amused cOnJln-
uaIlv. and cannot bear his own COM
pany.
THE GUESTS POINT OF VIEW
Rut there is another point OF view
from which to view hospitality-tnat Oh
the guest And if the guest IS frequent
Iv a trial the host is quite as rarely
sa+iSfactorv. The perfect host (and for
most read hostess) would be one VINO
thought of his guests before himsell'
and that is scarcely in human nature
The best sort of host we meet Is one
VthO leaves his guests completely alohe
and lets them do exactly what they
Itt-e. Tor them he makes his house
hotel where they do not have 70 pay
Evervthing they want is at their ser
1-fca in abundance. Meals are az the
time they are supposed to be ready IoF
the unpunctual host and MS eOhse-
auently unpunctual servants are aS
much to be deprecated as the unpunc-
tual guest. The desirable kind OF guest
does not care to stay in houses where
he is made more uncomfortable tnan ne
would be at hts club; IL is not worth is
while. And II he finds himseh Dy
chance in such a house he has cohVe-
nient telegram which gives MN an - -
cr1se to go away, and he does not CONS
hack. moreover. he warns his trlenos'
and that house gets a bad name
The worst sort of host Is ne VINO or
ders his guests about. He looks upon
them as instruments Tor MS anluse ans
ment and pleasure. and never thlhks
about theirs. He will not allow them 70
Tr-I Io-, lent desires. lT ne
savs they are to drive or TO walk or 10
90 in a motor car. they must do So
however much they wish 70 sit at home
with a book If he insists on their go
ing to church or attending 1dInlIy
PRAYERS, they have to do so, even at the
risk of committing mortal sin, II they
happen to be Of dinerent rehglouS
persuasion to their host. They seldom
have the moral courage or rudenesS 70
resist For this sort Of host Is keenly
alive the the selfshness Of his guests,
though blind to his own; he hardly ever
asks the mindless or the unpunctuaI OF
the quarrelsOme guest to his mousse
THE BAD HOST.
Another bad entertainer is the mean
host This type grudges every scrap
of food his guests eat, wine that they
drink or fuel that they burn. and
makes them feel that they are costing
him money. He thinks, and not IN
frequently says. that he is doing peo-
pie a kindness in extending his hos
pitality TO them. 1t is a very poor
sort of kindness to ask them to place
where they will neither be amused nor
we'll fed and one for which he is like
ly to receive as much gratitude-as it
deserves.
third terrible host is he who
spies on his guests. This type asks
two people who have been talked
about together for the express purpose
OF seeing if there is anything i'm IT,"
He is quite devoid Of the sense of lOy-
atty and is therefore capable Of listen
ing behind doors for the purpose Of
gratifying his morbid curiosity He
does not seem to see that if there is
any liaison between his guests which
should not exist he is cOndOner and
therefore at least half as guilty.
Then there is the host who wrangles
with his wife and pulls the domestic
machinery 10 pieces before his guests
eyes. There is the host who does not
know you by sight and cuts you dead
when he next meets you. There is the
host who tells you long. pointlesS sto-
ries-he is very common. There IS
the host who bores you with his
money affairs, his religion or his ply
sical ailments. In short the bad host
Is as common as the bad guest and as
trying In these matters there is only
one motto for all concerned Flee the
selfish; cleave to those who from
breeding or Christian charity or both
put you first and themselves second.
For the others. their entertainments
may be magnificent; they are not hos
pitality. HELEN FORBES.