WHEN ONE IS A HOSTESS

Hutt News, Volume 3, Issue 29, 11 December 1930, Page 4

WHEN ONE IS A HOSTESS

If you are entertaining during the Christmas holidays you -will find much to interest and assist you in this article. Hospitality—that delightful, intang- " ible quality which some homes radiato as the sun its warmth and lightcomes from a genuine interest in the guest and a hostess's ability to express that interest in a cordial and pleasing fashion. Many people can never bo i .truly hospitable because they are so selfish, so absorbed in themselves that as a consequence their guests feel like intruders upon their privacy. Then .there are others who are so anxious ,to make the visit a success that they, plan • something to do every moment of the -time, with the result that their guests, wsu> had hoped to have leisure to read -a little, write a'little, and rest a great .deal, find themselves rushed from one thing to another with no breathing .space between. Somewhere between extreme selfishness and ovor-solicita-vtion is the happy medium that, might well be our ideal when we are enter- . taming guests. j :■.■ ,= ' The hostess's first task is to make tor guests feel, that they arc welcome, that she is glad to see them and;. to ; .hear the news they bring from their worlds. Hor second task is to make., . them comfortable, happy and at homei .ghe does this by sharing quite simply .and naturally whatever good things sh,e has—her house, her interests, and her friends—and by leaving them free to take as much as they wish. ' The clever hostess knows that largeJy on her shoulders rests the', success or failure of the visit, therefore, she tries to be at her best—rested, poised, .rradiant and equal to the occasion. In -other words, she does hot wear herself i-out with preparations so that she is fit only; for bed when the last flower is .-arranged and the last order given. She is roady before her guests arrive, consequently free and at ease to receive thorn, unhurried arid unworried. Even, if guests come earlier than she expects she never lets them feel, that their .air-; rival has been! at a wrong; moment./ Perhaps the supreme test ©f:\her cleverness is her abitfty to smile, ignore, and forget when things go wrong. In inviting house guests a hostess ■ should plainly state the date and approximate hour of arrival, the train •schedule and any necessary cnange en route, when and where the guests will be met or, ;if they are coming ... l?y motor, the best roads to take; and the length of time for which they; are invited. Such a time limitation is not rudeness, but on the contrary politeness, for both the guests and hostess ■can then plan without any possible chanoe of misunderstanding. A hostess should be careful not to in- ! -vite more guests than she can accommodate comfortably, not to.ask them ?to stay too long, or to cnoose guests that will not ©nioy e*«h other. An uncongenial crowd is more dampening to the spirits than rainy weather or Jack of. things to do. Whether a guest room ia one of many suites.in a mansion or only a spare room with painted furniture and muslin hangings, it should be as comfortable and attractive as skill and thought- , fnl effort can make it. The first requisite is a comfortable bed, immaculate, freshly made and furnished with plenty of blankets. Lights should be conveniently placed so that a guest may soe in the mirror. Drawers and cupboards should be empty. The little things that add to a guest V comfort and which any hostess can afford are a waste paper basket, a whisk broom, plenty of coat hangers, a pin cushion, and a tiny sewing kit containing thread, needles, thimble and scissors. In addition, a dock that runs, a long mirror, a really comfortable chair and a. writing desk of table equipped with paper, ink, blotter and calendar are welcome. 'Tf possible have a few flowers in fhe Qtifi.ot. roo-m—flvprr one /bJoseom in a sixpenny bud vase /will do. It gives a welcoming touch that aotifc* ing else tarn. ' One thing that should be bone in mind is that the minute a guest a*» xivee, her room becomes her own private domain. No one in the household should intrude on its privacy or enter it-without knocking. /' ' A perfect hpatess never apologises. There is nothing more tiresome and tactless than a hostess who 1b "so !

sorry" or constantly apologetic. She makes guests feel like removing themselves and so relieving the situation. It's a pretty compliment to guests to remember their little preferences —how they tako their tea or what is their favourite .dessert. , It is a wise -hostess who knows her own guests and plans their entertainment accordingly. If she knows..that hor guests do not enjoy bridge or tennis she does not suggest their playing. .; Whenever it is possible, she gives them a choice of amusements. The perfect hostess always reinombers that the little attention at her guests' departure are quite as important as those daring their .visit- —inquiries about train connections/ arrangements for taking guests aud their luggage to the station, «a magazine to read en route and undivided attention at the station until the train pulls out.