The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-04-02

REGARDING HOSPITALITY.
A Paper Read AT the Highland Book Club

one hand she is kept waiting unduly, or
is embarrassed by awkward apologies It
may be a mistaken idea Of mine, out 1
hold to the belief that a loose negligee is
more of a compliment, more of a Kind
ness to the casual caller than toilet
which consumes valuable time. After all,
it is you, and not your clothes, that the
visitor wants TO see. presumably
Time is the most valuable commodity
we have and whatsoever filches that from
US Is not to be lightly forgiven Mod
ern life In a city like ours is not IDEAL yet
formerly. when the town was younger,
and much smaller we had calling ae-
quaintance with nearly every woman VINO
was eligible to what we fondly call So
ciety"-and we were able to make the
rounds for a pop CALI at least once
year, but now we have grown so great
that we do well il we keep up conseien-
tiously with our party calls C'bread ana
butter vislts) and are obliged to aban-
don all hope of ever knowing well the
scores of agreeable women whom we re-
gretfully feel 1t would be liberal educa-
ton to see often.
We lose much in the complex condi-
tions that environ us. There Is so little
of the simple homely kind of entertaining
that our mothers enjoyed and so much
ostentation and empty show. How many
people now find the time to take
their knitting and spend the day?' 1t
must be owned. though, that those all
day knitter were prone to weave a good
deal of gossip of one kind and another
into their workout, perhaps. latter
day functions are not wholly free from
that commodity. A brief snatchy attend
ance on one or two afternoon teas or re-
ceptions has been known to start a
thrilling story on the rounds-and an
up to date card party is sometimes the
occasion for more heart-burnings, than
are gendered alone by failure to win
a prize
Lavshness is not hospitality Anybody
with an outlay of money can employ
caterer and decorator and bid promis-
cuous multitude to a feast, but 1t takes
a truly hospitable intent to spend time
and thought on the assembling of a. few
congenial spirits who will not rub each
other the wrong way Ito use a homely
phrase) but who will complement as
well as compliment each other and be
stimulated and enlightened by such as
ISOLATION.
We have all of us perhaps had the ex-
perience of being entertained by people
who were in position to offer us more
ceremonious service and elegance than
we could in turn offer them In our sim
PIE romance Inc truly HuSplldblo Spiiie
will take no account of ways and means
but will do its simple best to extend a
cordial welcome to even the most prince
ly host, comforted by the thought that
II Is not the gold platter that glorifies n
feast but the spirit of love and good
cheer that makes "a lordly DISH
One of the cardinal points OF true hos
pitality, | take 1t. is expressed in the
old adage, welcome the coming, speed
the parting guest"
1t is always tlresome to make excuses
for not remaining longer but they are
sometimes rendered necessary by the In
sistence of your hostess-and you always
feel irrtated If you have not the best
of reasons for taking your departure. The
funny papers have worked overtime on
the long drawn out leave-taking of two
women, who fnd-twice as much to say
in the couge as they did while seated.
| am reminded of a man / knew once
who was VIGOROUSLY silent, though ex-
tremely acknowledgements, though,
of a gay and laxative wife.
We were calling on them one even
ing and enjoyed the chatter of the wife,
though secretly much amused at the
glowering abstraction of the man who
uttered not word the whole evening
urtil we arose to go, when he sudden
ly reused from his revery and quoth,
"What-going
Needless TO say we stood not upon the
order of our going-an example which
| shall emulate now. having said all
/ have to say on the subject of hospital
itvi