Evening star., 1925-01-21
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.
Banouets bore me.

Banquets bore me.
They bore nine out of ten people
for that matter, if the truth were
known. If you think otherwise, you
are that tenth person.
Banqueteers are of two kinds
those who are bored and admit it, and
those who are bored, but do not
realize it.
For let us See what we do at a
banquet. Dispassionately considered
a banquet is gathering of human
beings to eat food, where most of the
time is spent in talking,
1t has great hold on city dwell
ers. 1t is the modern fruition of the
ancient curse begun with the serving
OF an apple in the Garden of Eden.
The serpent, who was the most
subtle of all creatures, staged that
first banquet. Eve was the guest OF
honor and wore the original evening
dress. Adam made the main speech
The serpent acted as toastmaster-
or shall We say applemaster? Any
way, he was responsible for the bill
of fare. serving the dinner and get
ting the tip.
But God was bored by that banquet
and by the after dinner speeches. He
said unto the serpent:
because thou hast done this
cursed art thou above all cattle"
And Adam and Eve drave He out
of the banquet chamber, after hand
ing them coats Of skins.
X X X
With this wholesome lesson il
mind, let US look calmly at a modern
banquet, trying to see il honestly
with eyes free from prejudice, il
order that the psychology OF the
thing may not take US out of our
selves.
This, by the way, is the prime rea.
son for any charm which some think
attaches TO banquet, this herd in
stinct. this losing of ones self in the
mass. one can achieve the same feel,
ing in Iynching party, or ever
walking along street.
You start off a modern banque'
in the morning, strange as that may
seem at first blush. even though il
may not be scheduled until $50 thai
evening. You, creature of habit
normally eat your dinner at pm.
but today you must not do it, les
you have no room left for the ban.
quet. And You have to think abou
it all day to keep from doing it.
| So YOU pass up your usual dinner
and soon acquire 4 nice assorted SCI
Of cravings in your stomach. You
are on the horns of true dilemma
II you snatch a bite to eat befOr,
you go YOU viii not enjoy the ban.
quet-and the darn thing costs toe
much to risk that. ii you do not ca
now you viii be miserable for sew.
eral hours.
Heroically you decide TO wait Now
comes the. subject 81 clothes. Happy
Adam and Eve, who could go Il
! their first dinner party without them
Truly man earns his banquets today
| in the sweat of his brow.
| Shall it be full dress or just you,
| ordinary blue serge2 Scores ther,
will be accoutered like walters. yo,
realize. while scores Of other equally
! respectable gentlemen viii come il
| business suits.
You know full well that II yo,
decide on dress suit YOU will spent
the rest Of the evening envying OLE
! Tom, who sits there contented in hi!
everyday clothes.
Yet, If you wear your own nea
gray outfit, clean, well pressed, VOL
will feel i'll at ease all through I'll,
( banquet. to say nothing Of that pre-
liminary period lin the antechambe
where you will hide behind pillar
to escape the eyes of the virtuou
wearers of resplendent black anc
white.
| y X 4 x
You make your choice-it makes NJ
! difference which-journey down to the
! big hotel, get your hat and coat checked
enter the antechamber. This is a sort
! of purgatory. Here in a large room
with stiff chairs sitting chummily every
! 0 yards, are gathered 200 men, settint
| up that queer clamor which results wher
! that many human tongues wag in a con.
! fined chamber
This confused noise is one Of tht
| strangest to be heard in all nature, anC
| deserves the study of scientists, doctors
and philosophers, for it has much to of