The Detroit times., 1908-08-15

CAUTIOUS citic might aver
a that the last word had been
IH said on the subject of dining.
But society must dine, and
dinners even small ones
hold pride of place as the best and
most exclusive OF all entertainments.
Just now a dinner must be well given
to be endured. Social life means
hard work any time. The opera
claims much OF ones time among 9TH
er things In winter. and In summer
other things attract our attention
new beauties, new millionaires. even
new royalties.
A clever writer declared that duty
was one OF the most misused words In
the English language. But all the
same II has ceased to be the fearsome
fetish that frightened US into good
behavior some 20 years ago. Any
how, that dull business. the duty
dinner" has taken a back seat. We
no longer ask two dozen oores on the
chop for chop" principle. and for no
other reason under the sun. The lit
tie dinner, however. has come TO stay,
and Is now one of the most cherished
institutions. But a little dinnes may
be q big fiasro One may ask six
people. two OF whom are not on SPEAK
ing terms, while q third is In love. q
four. h has q grievance, a fifth Is On "a
diet orre, AMI n sixth is a suffragette;
well, at any ate the little dinner
might develop into a nightmare.
The perfect dinner or today Is com
poseo of from six 10 eight people men
ho n a
charming, or celebrities, or both. An
idea guest is a maker OF mirth,
Judge of wine and OF epigrams. q clev,
er talker. and tactful listener. And
the ball OF talk should be kept TOSS
ing about in lively fashion; In word.
one must have general CONVEX
sation A big dinner Is apt to resolve
itself into series Of tete-a.tetes
The ordered plan Is for q man to tax
to the lady he takes In to dinner, With
few words at intervals to his other
companion. And this sometimes--
but not always-makes for success.
Much. OF course. depends upon the
hostess and whether or not she be
an adept in the science OF selection.
Two guests well-mated may have
good time, but at a large dinner these
happy pairs are not the rule. but the
exception. And to obviate this defect
big banquet is now often broken
up into several sections. When forty
guests are invited separate tables are
arranged for small numbers; In fact'
the party Is made to consist or SIX or
eight little" dinners.
After all. there is nothing better
than good dinner-table talk and notn-
ing more irksome than Its absence.
Times have changed since the days In
London when Sarah Lady Jersey re-
fused to give the great Duke or wei
lington q lift In her carriage be-
cause" as she said. "he put nothing
into the pool Of conversation. hers
were the days OF beaux and bellies
and polite letter.writers. Ours Is the
age of motors and aeroplanes, trusts
and telephones, and the strenuous lie
leaves US little time for graceful ac-
complishments But good talk Is by
mo means a lost art in the best so
ciety.
True some folk say that the recos.
nized topics OF today are racing.
stocks and shares. politics TN smaI'
ouautities). chiffons, bridge. motor
ing and ballooning, and the big hats
with stray remarks on new DOCKS.
plays and pictures. and much spicy
gossip on the marriages. deaths, debts
and divorces OF our dearest friends
and \acouaintances. But this rule
does not obtain at all tables anu
II may be noted that even such triv.
ial chat can be seasoned with wit and
clever converse. IN m n N
A hostess is the woman at the
wheel as regards the success OF
small dinner. and modern ethics neip
her plan OF campaign. An extra man
was once thought a mistake and an
extra woman meant the death sen
tence to dinner But we have
changed all that More men than
women are now the rule. and even
the supernuous woman--if amusing
is not SO fatal as she appears. "
Manners and customs change with