The sun., 1904-07-31
JOLLY SUMNER HOUSEPARTES
A STYLE OF ENTERTAINING AT
WHICH AMERICANS EXCEL.

Tnan tho 'Engiish--Fees 70 Servants
Are q Serious Drawback to. Them.
The American summer house party Is
shorter than the English house party nnt
it Is jollier while 1t lasts, say people who
have tried both
England has been giving house parties |
for centuries, America has been at It only |
a cornparatively short time. Nevertheless |
the American style Of houAe party has
gained fame on both sides Of the Atlantic,
even though It does differ in some features
from the English.
In England, for instance, summer guest
il oftener than not asked to stay two or
three weeks, while It is now almost
unheard OF for the American hostess to
exceed seven days when making bid for
any ones company. The srnartest hostesses
and the smart folks they invite to their
houses alike seem unwilling to lend them
selves to each other for a longer time than
one week
Tho restlessness OF the American tenn
permanent, It is pointed out, accounts for
this and 80 does the tendency Of Americans
In general New Workers in particular. to
take their pleasures hard, to crowd into a
week as much as would last English folks
month. At any rate, short and merry
house party, 10 the motto OF the American
hostess just now.
She ia careful, II she knows her business,
to leave her guests more or less ,mdisturbed
OF a morning up to the noon hour; but from
that on for the next ten hours or 30, all
hands find the pleasure programme pretty
| we'll crowded. The penalty paid by guest
at an American house party, a. one OF them
grimly remarked, is that he or she must
put his best foot foremost to promote tho
| fun. That is why he is asked.
Not long ago young woman with de-
dided talent for theatricals quite tired her
self out in helping along some charades and
| tableaux at one house party, only to fnd
when she moved on to be the guest OF another
| friend that tho latter had also put private
thectricah on her programme and was
counting on the help Of her gifted guest to
put them through.
Many . person Of money and position Il
never asked to a house party. simply BE-
cause she-men are privileged characters
In this respect because more difficult to get
hold Of for house parties-is so dull.
| Others, ON the other hand, get more invi-
tations than they can accept, because they
are bright.
Some are asked once or twice, but never
again. They have been tried and found
wanting
Society understands this perfectly.
Hence it happens that young. middle-aged
and old women are taking far more pains
| nowadays to cultivate the art Of being
amusing, or at least pleasing. than the old
fashioned woman ever dreamed Of. One
pretty young woman who Is not gifted with
q very high order Of mental attainInents.
and has no memory worth speaking Of,
confessed to friend that she had COM
rnitted to memory, by dint OF studying
hard for many days. four or five funny
stories which, a. occasion required, she
meant to get Oh for the edifcaton OF her
listeners in order not to appear quite q
Ounce.
MY uncle put me on to that" she ex-
planned. He said that In every company
there was bound to be one or two who had
not heard story which might be a chestnut
to the rest, and that they at least would be
pleased, and would appear to more ad-
vantage than il sat all the time like a
mummy, which I am inclined to do"
what is expected OF a guesti' repeated
a New York woman. an expert at enter.
tanning, :! can more easily tell what Is not
dShe must never whine. never snow
despondency, never air symptoms OF Ill.
ness to her fellow guests.
"A friend OF mine just returned from a
: two year trip abroad for her health, a
, pretty woman, and one whom Remembered
as being excellent company before she
sailed, came to visit me last summer She
| was one Of party Of ten, and counted
esr sS Of Re e men Rer husbane
was kept In town and could not be one o
the party.
well, would you believe it, every chance
gof from tns dhe time se IN hsr arrse sS.
insisted upon telling about all the cure,
she had tried while in Europe, how eaof
! had affected her and what she though,
about it all; what her doctor's opinion wal
and 80 on. II was simply awful.
, From beginning to end shc was pal
| of cold water on our fun. And to max,
, matters worse she seemed to think We al
ought to try TO coddle her, just as II it wa
a sanitarium she was visiting.
. House parties are one OF the costlies
ways OF entertaining, and 1t is only TAI
| that a hostess should get some fun out o
. them as well US her guests. The solemn per
son has no business to accept an invitation
= to a house party.
|, Another torment is the guest who ha
u no voice and yet insists upon singing 70
U the amusement OF the crowd. Now II
: happens to be topical song or q cool
& provided the interpreter has the right sor
n Of accent and style OF delivery, But as
n rule the women have run across, Wit
|, thought they could sing, and yet ha'
' neither voice nor ear for music, Away
attempted operate selections such as tn
, greatest stars include In their r6pertoires.
. Il had one guest of that description las
= summer, young widow, and very charm
! ing woman, too. But she would take ever
. chance she got to decoy some one into tn
Q music room, turn to her music and the
pitch In and sing for an hour without stop
o ping.
: = sfhe men stood their ground as a rule
!. although often saw them vince, but tn
$ women used to sneak away. The amateu
n has no business to try to air her voice at
q house party unless it Is unusually good.
i sWe New Workers. hear too much goo
a singing In public to be willing to put u
with poor attempts In private. Guests ar