Evening journal., 1918-05-17
The WARTIME
HOUSE-PARTY

~ EFORE the war OF when the war
first began We made all sorts Of
- predictions and surmises az 20
what we should do and should not DO
In war time. As things have turned
out we have found that our guess was
pretty wide of the mark. We have
continued gaieties and amusementS
that we felt quite sure we would never
have the heart to continue. and we
have made sacrifices cheerfuIly that
we never dreamed that we would b.
called on to make. The whole atmos-
phere OF war time is something that
we cannot imagine in peace times.
So Il was that at the outset a good
many women took IL for granted that
they would give Up entertaining as .
war measure. As things have turned
out, there has been on the whole Just
as much entertaining as ever In some
instances there has been more. One
has to live through these times TO zee
Just why Il Is so. In England during
the darkest days OF the war there
we're house parties. In houses where
the stan OF servants was diminished
by half because OF the drain OF en-
listment. and where the women guests
wore last seasons evening frocks and
homemade hats for economy's sake,
really elaborate house parties we're at
tempted and real effort was made 20
keep up the sociabllity OF former days
II proved 70 be a fact that the distress
Of the war Is much easier to bear IN
society than in solitude. The troubles
OF war bring our hearts to beat IN
closer unison and We fnd that persons
whose companionship once might have
been something OF bore In these days
10 a real consolation and diversion.
OF course, the main problem In Etv-
ing wartime house parties Is IN the
provisioning. At fret II did seem hard
TO invite guests 70 meatless dinner, 20
offer them a breadless. butteriess,
sugarless luncheon and 10 serve but q
half rasher Of bacon apiece for break
fast. Stili. to do otherwise would havs
been deemed. and actually would have
been, unpatriotic. II we had worked
out our food economy BY some suoh
plan ourselves we would be showing a
doubt OF our friends loyalty in making
any difference for them.
Not long ago a prominent English
countess made public al the request Of
a certain English woman's magazins
her dietary. You know. English wonl-
en- ere less prone TO making their do
mestio arrangements public than the
women Of our own land and, because
they had not allowed very much pub
iicity on the subject. women OF less
favored classes IN England we're begin
ming to murmur against them. init
mating that all the food economy was
taking place in the kitchens OF the
poorer classes. So this countess quite
rangement. showing that she and her
housekeeper managed 70 keep we'll
within the rations.
The dietary was all the more inter
, sEting. for Il was taken at time when
this countess had a succession Of
house parties. so that for six OF eight
weeks she was never with less than
eighteen or twenty guests In her house.
in addition 70 her own family. Among
these guests were some Of the most
distinguished folk OF the realm Here
IL what they usually had for break
fast: Porridge-which is Just another
way Of saying cooked oereal--coffee
and either eggs OF some fish dish.
Once q week they had piece % bacon
apiece for breakfast There was no
butter for this FIRST meal OF the day.
There was enough fst presumably
from the weekly bacon. the FISH or the
egg yolk-for egg yolk, you know. does
contain a bit Of fat.
Meat they had but once a day on
hve days of the week. On the two fish
DAYS OF the week they had no meat.
This Is the more coTnmendable when
we remember that the English havs
always been great meat eating peo-
pie and apparently need more meat IN
their damp climate than we do IN ours.
There was never any bread for lunch
con or dinner. No meat was ever used
for soup, which was usually made
from vegetable stock seasonings, such
as lemon. Worcestershire. tobasco OF
soy sauce for variety. or vegsta bles
they had danoe---vegetables which
a hundred years ego were despised by
the real Englishmsn who considered
himself poor indeed to haya 20 eat auy
vegetables whatever One Of the
things that made this regime work SO
we'll was because the servants Of the
household Jared exactly as did the
guests. The diet was far below what
the servants had been accustomed 70
but 80 long as there was nothing batter
for the guests they swallowed II con
tentedly and even with patriotic en-