Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-04-07
FRTDAY,r April &, 1872
West and South More Given to Hos.
pitailty Than the East, and the
Lessons Learned In Travel 7
Are Worth Considering
BY SARAH d. LOWRIE

TN THAT great summary Of st. Pauls TO
i the Romans on the art Of good manners
there is one little phrase characterizing the
duty Of householder that has curious
way Of ringing in my ears at times, for 1t
has to do with a phase Of social intercourse
that many persons feel little or no obliga-
ton to practice. viz; the habit Of being
given to hospitality"
Even before the war, heads of families
we're beginning to be less and less given to
hospitality and during the war and since:
however much most Of us have "minstered
TO the necessity Of saints and martyrs, We
have. many Of US, rather made virtue OF
entertaining fewer and fewer guests.
We have put 1t on the ground Of expense.
but In most cases 1t is really because we do
from trains to motors, motors to meetings.
meetings to the necessary scrimmage OF
business, and so on round to our homes at
nightfall we really get SO spent physically
and mentally that the mere thought of sit.
ting up to guests during the feeting hours
OF daylight or the waking hours Of evening
seems Just the last straw" II we hale in
any Of our fellow beings for a meal or some
shared pleasure it has to be those of our
aca%%a'ntancs sSa% n,d who fit us comfortably like
habitual persons who are not likely to bother
US and who know us we'll enough to require
no enort companions who will take t.luck
IN the way of conversation and will settle
uu"h " game OF TO Il play OF 10 cnteTs
tanning one another with as little wear and
tear as possible on their hosts.
THIS was not the sort Of hospitality which
L was practiccd as the most exalted of the
heathen virtues in st. Pauls day, and which
ne very jealousy included as one Of the
obvious duties Of Christian gentlefolk.
1t Is not the hospitality practiced by our
forefathers, nor is it what is still the com.
mon and taken fol. granted hospitality of
our western frontiers or OF the more sophis-
ticated social South.
Not only well worn friends. but strangers
can seek and find very superlative welcome
are strangers-and, as the song has it, "A
long way from home And whatever may
be the pleasure involved by being their
hosts. the hospitality is not offered primarily
for the qualification OF the hosts, but for the
comfort and pleasure and well being of the
guests.
II you arc traveller and passing through
a western town. YOU are not invited because
your adaptabilty and easy going ways will
help pass the time for the master and mis-
tress OF the house. but because you are pre-
sumably without something which they feel
glad to share with you, having enough for
themselves and for you.
They do not consider that in seeing the
outside of the houses Of their town, or visit
ing the inside Of its public buildings, you.
as stranger, have seen the town at all or
comprehended its real atmosphere. Only by
be!ng at home in the town can you get its
best gift. so they proceed to make you feel
at home by giving you hospitality" i. g.,
taking you into their very homes and making
you feel like an h0nored guest. They are
even particular to show you kind of hos
pitahty on their very streets without know.
ing you save as n stranger who is passing
that way but once.
AM always struck by this kindly fashion
L in the West and in the South, and lust
to the degree that am touched and pleased
by IT am also rebuked, for know that here
IN the East. unless a stranger is a foreign
nobleman or notable or a literary light,
we are either amused or callous in our
realization of his strangeness. We do not
openly rdicnle him as the townsfolk of the
Middle Ages were wont to ridcule deformity,
but we do not regard him as an obligation,
And. from returned missionaries to alien
Immigrants, we let him and his kind find
their unfamiliar way about with very little
responsive help from us.
THE sort of thing the Orchestra Commit.
L tee is doing this week for the Toronto
choir is what Far Western town would
undertake as matter of course, but for MS
IT Is rather startling piece of quixotic
iavishness In the way of welcome 1t has
to be brought about even so BY COMMITTEES
meetings and formal proings and connings.
1t is not a natural gesture with us, be.
cause MS individuals it would not occur TO
most of iis that because some singers came
down from Canada to give concert thew
would expect anything of us beyond the
price of the tickets to the concert and audi
Die applause at the concert and some apprc.
ciatlve newspaper notices after the concert.
7 HAD very amusing walk the other day
L in Pasadena out in California--it really
was the other day--that is, q week an, n few
days ago. ! set out from the hotel to 70 to
church. it being Sunday. And ! asked the
elevator boy where was the nearest Episco.
pal Church. He gave me minute directions
ior variety OF turnings to what turned out
Church. but by the time I had reached rho
first corner where ] was due to make the
first turn my hat blew off. or so nearly of
t that passerby helped me adjust it. As /
the me street street ia was met by passing
church. As she approached she extracted a
hat pin from her very pretty hat and held
1t out to me:
II have two she said: "let Inc pive von
this, really do not need it and YOU do. :
pondered this generous favor 50 humbIv
and gratefully that ! missed two turninps
and had to ask my way of police officer,
lie gave me a whole list of every sort Of
church except plain Episcopal. and seemed
puzzled that ] should prefer to 20 ont of
my way to small house of God When "s SOW. y.
eral imposing and welcoming ones buItsd
large on nearby corners. In fact, his salts.
faction in pointing out the Methodist Enis.
copal was so great that l hpstated r. dis.
appoint him. and until his head was tnrnod
pretended to be going straight for it's brnsd
portals Once we'll out of his sight. how. how.
her II she knew of any Episcopsl C,h"neS %"neh
within walking distance. She began ~
minutely direct me, paused, looked me ovsr or
and said: " o'e'
"On the whole, had better show vo,
myself. 1T Is too confusing for a STRANGER n.
round asking your way p'o"'
| OF COURSE. demurred at the tro,h,.
" IL would give her, and sbe ,o,,as ~.