The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-07-29
BRAVE is HUSBAND WHO DARES TO
BRING HOME A GUEST
TO JULY DINNER.

The hot weather Of the good old sum
mer time int4rfercs with many pleas
ures. but with nOns more than that Of
hospitality. It's a brave husband who
brings 4 guest home to dinner in July
without giving the housekeeper notice
OF the intended invasion. for even the
woman who ordinarily allows this lib
crty and greets the stranger as a long
lost relative is sometimes put 70 it TO
find food for him when the thermome-
ter is in the nineties.
Last week an unterrified married man
brought a business acquaintance home
with him in the evening. Now, II was
q very hot day and his home in the
suburbs had Just been bereft OF its
choicest treasiire-the coOk-who left.
as she explained, because she could
not 90 herself justice in a house which
had no gas stove.
When ;he mistress of the mansion,
therefore. saw her lord approaching,
accompanied by a handsome and state
ly person in very elegant clothes she
was fain 10 sit down where she was
and weep
Being a sensible woman. ii occurred
10 her Immediately that ii would he a
far. far better thing to take of her
pe:gnoir before commencing her laInen-
tatiOns.
Ev- a.
pie evening gown she no longer saw the
necessity for tears. He shall take pot
luck" she said between her set teeth,
which homely expression is an indica-
ton that the worst is yet 70 come
Invitation Didn't Include Summer.
To her husband she spoke her mind
| freely. When told you never 10 hest
tate about bringing a friend 20 dinner
without letting me know. did not mean
in SUMMER" she said
What l am going TO give the creature
you have with you TO eat 1 don't know,
| / am sure. for the cook is gone. and so
/ is the ice; the crab meat which 1 in
| tended 10 have for salad is spoiled on
! account OF the melting away Of the
| latter, the butter IS nothing but OIL ana
| the milk is sour. SO there
| 1t sounded a terrible situation, but IL
was finally made bearabie, for milk was
obtained from a neighbor. butter bought
from an obliging countryman who
happened by with his wares on Ice, TO-
matOes used as a salad instead of the
crab and q steak was borrowed from a
friend a mile down the road
I had planned TO have chickens for
dinner" the housekeeper conhded to her
husband, but viii not cook them my
self, and Annette Cthe small maid)
doesn't know how
The compromise meal which event
ually was served at 5 D. m was dainticr
gIomerate articles which made IL up,
and the visitor. IN spite OF his air Of
elegance, proved n thoroughly good fel
low, who made French dressing and
himself agreeable at the same tirle.
But in spite Of the fact that everyone
had enough TO eat, the head Of that
household has learned that, whatever
his privileges in winter. he must take
no liberties with his menage in sum
mer. for IN summer one never, never
knows what has melted during the
forenoon hours.
Sometimes even the cook disappears
in a mysterious fashion which leads one
to believe she, too, has resolved her
self into her clements and been re-
dUced to nothingness by the heat.
Of all the unfeeling persons in he
world the worst are the city folks who
descend in droves upon their unsus-
pectinE country relatives and friends
on hot Sundays.
Country Folks Popular Now.
II is the constant complaint Of the
country people that they are so hor-
ridly unpopular in winter that no one
darkens their coors. OF a nice warm
Sunday, however, the nousekeeper in
| the backwoods district IS not at all
surprised when. as early as o'clock,
carriages Fearing devoted friends COM
mence to roll in at the front gate.
BY noon sometimes s many as eight
| cen guests have gathered, all so charm
ingly soEcitous TO know how the health Of
| their hostess fares that they had not
I been able 20 stay away another minute
Then what haste there is on the farm
All the small broilers which were 10 be
| sold in the fall are sacrificed now to
make a Roman holiday. the servants OF
| the house are set to preparing them for
the oven, while the daughters of the