The San Francisco call., 1904-02-07
W W

n ne n the peculiarities OF Ian
= euage is the way that certain
words and phrases have wan
dored from their original mean
ir~ "T believe" is now an expression
or doubt. II used in ordinary converse
zion anart from a theological meaning.
Your obedient servant" win terminals
g later OF defiance; and "awfully Is
looked upon as the natural aoNero 10
accompany an expression OF enjoyment
Belief. obedience. and awe, thus convey
doubt. defiance and jollity-could MIS-
Nalaprop herself OUtoO TINS me oe-
rsngemert of epitaphs," which now
passed muster as the common COIN OF
conversations Il is probably, therefore
owing 10 This latent inclination % YER
hal foDsv-rllrviness that we nave
evolved the phrase at home" TO deslg-
nate a concourse Of people who, includ-
fne the hostess. never are so little al
home as when thus brought togethet-
Even the cards Of invitation 10 sucn
functions lack the first elements OF
courtesy. There is no invitation, no oe-
sire EXPRESSED for your company. lou
sre informed that the Countess OF Dasb
or Mrs Blank will be at home on
certain day or evening.
A Social Farce.
vou are told when you may enter her
,,,g,,s+ r,resence and. II II be an after
moon entertainment. when you must 30
awav. There is a firm take II or leave
~, flavor about these squares OF paste
sosrS lfo secure which from the rlshl
C-,,srrer how much crawling is done,
erS how many rebuffs are enoureu
curing q London seasonD Which Is lne
absolute antithesis Of all true ana cour-
teous hospitality. ...h
T1e very card seems TO carry WIN
- eD i6ea Of sufferance and boredom
ora feels that the hostess is accom-
,,liebirp q tiresOme but inevitable
f-+,- and the sooner il is over the bet
+er she will be pleased-Which, after
an. Is probably nothing but the u @ lth.
Magma est Veritas ct preNaleI but
alas. the truth prevails further man
the duty bound hostess. The boreoom
weighs upon the guests as well ana
no wonder. for Of all soul and brain
r,aralvzing forms Of entertainment
fashionable London "at home Is, In
ee,ortfne vernacular, bad TO beat Ihe
crush-for If people are not packed
like sardines in a barrel, or II II is pos
sible TO get up the stairs In less lhah
half an hour, the at home is not
success: the absolute impossibility
Of ANYTHING approaching intelligent
conversation: the heat Of the crowd,
varied bv the draughts from the win
dows. the unhappy musicians VINO
knowing how impossible II is TO make
an appeal TO artistic emotions or ap-
1lreciation under such conditions,
wisely attempt nothing OF the klno'
but go through their individual tunes
on the programme with as much en-
thusiasm as a musical box; the aim
lessness of the whole entertainment
plus the fatigue Of waiting for ones
carriage vixen the blessed moment of
departure comes, send one home
eruch in the frame Of mind of the
man who lost half a crown and only
found a sixpence. Our great-grand-
mothers with their usual candid hab-
II Of calling a spade a spade were not
far wrong when they dubbed such as
Eeublies ''routs," which as Chambers
Dictionary tells US meant "a tumul-
tuous crowd, q rabble." 1t is true
they are "tumultuous" no longer, they
are not lively enough to be even that;
but the "rabble" characteristic still
prevails. though 1t be but a melan-
choly one.
Nothing Personal
There is no attempt or idea Of per-
gonal hospitality or interest on the part
OF the host or hostess. Three fingers, a
fixed smile, so kind Of you to come, y
80 charming Of you TO ask me-" g
form OF shibboleth which, as II were
passes her guests over the ford, and
during which the hostess eyes are fixed
vaguely on the ascending cohort; and
for the rest Of the evening the individ-
ual does not exist for his entertainers
No wonder that foreigners, accus-
toned to the scrupulous and constant
tntroductions IN all good Continental