CHILDREN'S PARTIES.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 132, 27 February 1908, Page 3

CHILDREN'S PARTIES.

• -In the '.'Manchester •. Guardian'.'.:; Evelyn Sliarp, the i charming ' writer."", of .' ' 'childroh's storios, discourses" on . children's parties. 'There is the grand children's partjS-rtliat' is,' too grand to bo inside a house at all; fiut has :to bo held in a hired .'"hall,- where 'vast' numbers iof children who", "do hot; go, to . the same school or the same dancing'class, and ■therefore, have.'no mutual interests, -wander about unhappily. in search ' of : somebody -to play with until they aro caught'' by sonic grown-up ■ stranger and put': in to a seat to watch an .espfflisive ; entertainment. "There is always a v^ry'grand slipper at this kind of hired children's party;' and a ' horrible risk of getting , a caviare'sandwich "'and being obliged to "eat it . because nursery riiaiincrs forbid its coiicdalment'undbr.the edge of the plate where crusts -aro'' hidden. 1 rather agree with .'tho, littlo boy who said, ;ori returning from one "of these entertainments: "It: wasn't a . party; .it was just:ishowing off." : .Of.'course the,hostess who gives her parties in this way pretends that- sho does not want to v upset her own house;, and if people are so grown-up that they' niiss the whole point; of, a: party;_ which consists in looking forward .to it, 1 and 1 having' 1 early dinner in tho library or any other, unorthodox room', that happens to; bo vacant, : and seeing tho .wliole house, usually' most uninterestingly tidy, strewn'.with cracker paper iand sugar there is nothing ;niore to be'said.'

; Some people, no doubt, go to tho other extreme, and boast of "making no- difference'' when they give a children's party.' .That is not at. all an attitude to be encouraged.: A party cannot be properly called a p'arty unless some diffcrenco is made, unless'the furriituro is taken out of tlio room and piled up in another, . unless cornflour, shapes for once aro creams, and • a general dispensation, is granted in the matter of beginning with bread .and butter. • o,no, likes to feci, directly ono, enters a party house, that some' subtle change has come over * it, transforming'it. from- an everyday, les'son-tiihe' sort, of dwelling into a, fairy palace, wherd people' always dress' in muslin, or black velvet, according to.'.their ,sox. as'' princess'cs 'or princes,'and nover eat anythifig but sugared cakes. It is impossible to feel all this if' the' hostess -has made no difference for her' guests. ' * i . r :

. But the,'right sort ,of hostess knows. She may not be able to afford a grand conjurer, who produces beautiful presents .'for one, out of-'the.'hat; of the father.'- ! oi the' house.. She may; not be ablo to ' order a grand supper from . the.. local' - confectioner.' The ices may'be ! ;home-made, and the sand•wiches; slightly dfy, haying been cut before' she went to cliaiige' her dress. : But i tho siibtlo feeling will bo'there, directly; the first .guest -crosses'-tho threshold, and has her' wraps unwound; by the/ borrowed maid from next door. The furniture will bo piled up in heaps .. somewhere ready for ■ hide-and-seek; :tjiere will be ;ra .potent smell of • coffee' and hot lir-treo:and eandle'grease, all .mixed together, and . there, will be lio difficulty in dejecting' the hostess, becauseshe will-bo .as' •glad to see her. guests as they are to seo : .her..:" At tile right sort of. : children's, party nobody ever: feels that tho- party has been given because the children wanted a party; everybody knows, it has been given because the children's mother wanted a'.party; and at ;the end'of the .evening it is ! tho .hostess who really- wants to. say "iit the top of her voice, "Good-bye, and. thank ' yori very much.!" In a house where there is' ; that kind of-, mother the children are always left to .mind ■. their own business with complete success, though the wooden, gate J may stand wide.dpen. . GiWrfi the right party spirit, then, the rest is'easy enough. ; Any conscious attempt at entertainment generally falls flat with children. • On .the other hand, unless definite games or dances aro arranged, the party may degenerate into hooliganism. This' is the - point at which grown-up; intervention, if not aggressive, becomes im- . ooftant. . " . .