Evening star., 1928-06-09
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES n. TRACEW ELL.

After one listens to the family across
the way entertaining friends on their
porch. one begins to see why the front
or back portico. piazza or what-you-
may -call-it is passing out OF favor.
No doubt the outdoor living room,
as the magazines prefer 1t, supplies
an important adjunct to n domestic
dwelling. There, on long Summer
afternoons. the family may stretch out
at east, reading the latest novels and
imbibing freely OF iced tea and similar
beverages.
Who remembers when lemonade used
to be considered the snappy home drink
for the family? Of recent years honest
old time lemonade seems to nave SUI
fered setback in popular fancy.
No one talks OF II any more. there
fore one may or may not suspect that
no one drinks It; but the candid OBJ
server OF men and manners may well
believe that although lemonade Is not
talked about as much as formerly, 1t
perhaps is drunk just as much. II not
more so, In line with the modern prac-
tice of going In for everything on a
double or triple scale.
Perhaps that lis what has struck these
porch entertainments. 1t used to be,
in the old days, that family could
entertain friends without keeping the
whole neighborhood awake. To-day 1t
seems necessary to make noise to be
happy,
Evidently. unless the neighbors know
you are entertaining, the entertain
ment loses its appeal. The restless
methods of modern publicity have in
vaded the home. with the result that
we must advertise to the world that
we have company"
To have company and none of the
neighbors know about it---why, the very
idea Is absurd, Genevieye. (Scurry Of
feminine readers to determine If their
first names begin with G., and there
fore TO see II shoe fits them" and.
II they think II does, to go through
initial movements Of being horribly Of
Tended But we never write about par
ticular cases, only types: so there you
are.)
There are thousands of families hold
Ing these porch parties. and they ace
all alike in their noise-making abilities.
Perhaps 1t would be nearer to the truth
TO place the blame where 1t belongs
on the dear guests. Was there ever a
party of any description that didn't
have a wild woman in It?
This term wild woman" in this case
involves no lit" or similar manifesto =
tions, but simply describes the lady
with the loud laugh or the irritating
Riggie. There is always one In every
party.
No such gathering would be complete
without the loud laugher AS you
snugele your left ear down into you:
pillow. trying your best 10 WOO slumbrr
by drowning out the racket, you hear
her tuning up.
'Ee-ee---ahl"
The carrying power OF her soprano Is
remarkable. 1t slaps against the sides
OF houses, bounds off. re-echoes. tumbles
around In the darkness and finally
brings up smack dab against your sur
fering ears.
1t Is a peculiar thing, the difference
that sound has upon one who Is trying
to sleep and the one who is actually
sitting by the side Of the charmer no
doubt that fellow over there drinks In
those delicious gurgies greedily.
II your mental structures against
that voice could suddenly be thrown
upon a luminous screen at the end g.
the porch he would be fighting mat.
He would be willing to do battle to vim
dicate that voice.
You, on the other hand, might be
willing, nay, eager, to do murder