Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1909-05-14
AT MRS. BLENKINsoP's.

There is an element of surprise about
her parties. Willie Trevor says, you
never know what you're in for" Mr..
Blenkinsop-goo natured, CHEEKY little
man-lives in the hope that his wife will
| be "amusin'"
Last year Mrs. Blenkinsop gave a
suffrage tea. She delivered an address
on the cause, and arranged a corner of
the room to look like a cell in Holloway,
having vainly tried to induce her hus-
band to appear as a policeman.
She has had japanese flower festival,
when there were no fewer than thirty
blue pots, with single chrysanthemum
in each, placed where the guests tumbled
over them; a patriotic gathering, when
the company sang Rule Britannia" at
intervals, and Mrs. Blenkinsop wore the
Union Jack draped over her frock; an
occult evening, when professional long
haired crystal gazer was squeezed behind
a screen and the room was kept uncom-
fortably dark; and an at-home in honor
of Maori chief, skilfully captured at a
friends house, who howled songs of his
tribe to a circle of admiring women
Mrs. Blenkinsop's latest invitations
had the single word "Rubaiyat" written
in the left-hand corner of the card.
What will it be like, m'dear?" asked
Mr.. Blenkinsop, apprehensively.
Very strange and very beautiful,
George!" answered his wife.
"And amusin'?"
"No-Persian!"
The spirit of old Omar of Naishapur
has visited West Kensington. The
Rubaiyat at-home is over
Willie Trevor and the pretty Miss
Copsley agreed that it was ripping. The
visitors arrived punetually. Mrs. Blen-
kinsop, who is tall and wears eyeglasses,
received them in an Anglo Persian cos
tume-Persian to the waist, British
about the skirts-with silver filigree
ornaments and high-heeled slippers.
She asked the young people, on enter
ing the drawing room, to sit on the
floor. Willie Trevor and Miss Copsley
promptly took THEN cushions into cor
ner Willie murmured that they didn't
want to get in anybody's way.
There was a small platform, covered
with a Turkish rug. Mrs. Blenkinsop
mounted, and the audience clapped.
Il am going to read the Rubaiyat of
Omar Khayyam," she announced. "And
l want you all to join with me in a
spirit of revelry. We will drink together
with the astronomer poet of Persia
George, dear, tell ANNA to bring in the
Wine"
Her husband obeyed and the parlor
maid appeared with a tray. There was
claret cup and burgundy The guests,
who had become intensely solemn, al
lowed Mr.. Blenkinsop to fill their COB
lets, with the exception of one woman,
whose strict temperance principles
obliged her to ask for lemonade.
Mrs. Blenkinsop then opened a hand
somely bound edition of the Rubaiyat
and put ON her reading spectacles and
most becoming crown of artificial pur-
pie and white grapes
"Haye you heard Omar Khayyam be-
fore ?" whispered Miss Copsley to Willie
Trevor.
"No-haye your" answered Willie.
of course, heaps of good times! / do
wish had copy of my own"
Willie made mental note of the
hint, and the Copsley girl innocentlv
mentioned her favorite color in book
binding
Listen, Wilie!" she said @You
ought to make the most of your oppor.
tunities."
May II" queried Willie, and he
smiled expressively into her eyes.
How absurd you are!" she exclaimed
blushing for no accountable reason,
Come, fill the Cup, and in the Fire of
The Winter Garment of Repentance aingr,
At this point Mrs Blenkinsop, keep
ing her finger in the book, raised a glass
of claret to her lips.
Now, please!" she said with smil-
ing signal.
The guests obediently followed her ex-
ample.
Rather SQUIRT" observed the lady who
was total abstainer to her neighbor,
referring to the lemonade.
Mrs. Blenkinsop read on steadily. and
feeling of gloom crept over the com.
/ pany. They fought against it valiantly.
One young man, determined to make
the thing go" quaffed loosely at the
wrong time, was reproved by a severe
frown from his hostess.
When she dashed into the verse be-
ginning, AuU II Ine WINE YOU drink.
the lip your press" there was a lit.
tie agitation over Mr.. Blenkinsop irving
to persuade his aunt to have her goblet
repenished
Not on any account, Georgel I'll
pretend!" said the aunt, amiably
THE Ruby Vintage drink" continued
the fair reader.
Only half a glass, Mr.. Blenkinsop!"
pleaded another lady, in an audible
whisper.
The gloom intensified. The visitors,
with exemplary patience, tipped at the
same second whenever Mrs. Blerkiusop
gave the signal. like well-trained supers.
I've enjoyed it awfully! 1t was
iolly!' said Willie Trevor, jumping up
to congratulate his hostess when the
end came at last.
1t was the truth He had been wis