The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1960-05-27

getting her address and look
ing her up.
Looking her up might
mean anything from coming
in from a ways out in the
country, to riding hundreds Of
tiresome miles across noun
tains and deserts; or even
flying Distance didn't mean
anything when they determin-
ed to drop il.
But it is her role as hostess
Id like to talk about. We are
told now foday's "wife.and-
mother is expected to have
the Art of being a perfect
hostess" The slick magazines
play it up as THE Thing
There was the hostess who is
said to have built the most
popular salon of her day on
two expressions. To arriving
guests she breathed an almost
exhausted, ga last" To The
departerS, a dismayed, $50
soon?" You'll admit that's
pretty good
But the hostess I'm talk
ing about was far and away
the most perfect hostess Of
the year-any year, that Is.
1t is how she attracted peo-
ple-it is her technique we'd
like to learn.
Evidently she knew how TO
take the very shortest cuts TO
successful entertaining. One
OF her secrets seems TO have
been simply TO give every
body something - the thing
they were wanting most.
WHAT COULD a WOMAN
OF her slender resources pos
sibly have to give away? Well,
at wasn't anything perishable,
you can depend on that. But
the wise man has told us
that perishables are substi.
tEtes for real gifts. Ii you
had what this hostess had,
you'd have no need for sub
stitutes.
Maybe il was all decided,
the form her hostessing was TO
take, with the first caller we
know anything about. He was
easily the most distinguished,
being himself an ArehangeI.
And he had come 70 consult
her.
Probably that set the tone
for all that came later. Being
equal TO receiving Gabriel
would mean being equal TO re-
ceiving anybody.
The next guests were some
sheep people from out in the
country. Our hostess must Ger
tainly have noticed the differ
ence in social status between
the two types Of visitors. But
their visits all seemed TO
have been wonderful. The
sheep people had the most eX.
citing news to tell, and she
seemed to have enjoyed them
thoroughly. And they went
away, perfectly enraptured.
A LITTLE LATER, we see
her dressed in her best, her
Son dressed in the best she
had for him, going up to the
Temple. And there she is, lay
ing her son in the arms of
an old man whom she may
never have seen before in her
life. And then an old woman
because they asked her. Both
of them so lottery il looked
like they could hardly hold
themselves up, let alone the
most precious baby. But you
see her habit ~ give people
what would please them. Give
them the gladness il was hers
to give.
The next thing we hear, she
Is entertaining Kings. Three
of themi Listen! Few, far and
few, are the women Of any
age who have had three kings
in their house at one time.
Yet, there is our hostess, with
her accustomed aplomb and
grace, making them forget the
hard trip, making them feel
more rested than they ever
felt in their lives before; and
leaving. at last, feeling more
alive than they ever dreamed
possible.
And anybody who thinks OF
that visit inclusively as the
familiar tsbleau Of royalty
standing TO give; kneeling to
adore, and then moving away
well, they wouldn't know
our hostess, nor royal curlos'
ity for facts and details. Dc
you imagine the Three Kings
went away before they sal
down at her table for a meal.
and for the most fascinating
conversations And tearing