A HINT TO HOSTESSES

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1683, 1 June 1904, Page 24

A HINT TO HOSTESSES

111 the "Fortnightly Review” Airs John Lane, an American lady married and settled in England, has a bright and suggestive article on "Entertaining” in Society. She bewails that alike in the United -States and in England the golden age of conversation has departed. But she suggests that one American fashion might be introduced here: Instead of leaving the serving of light refreshments to the servants, the Ameri- ■ can hostess chooses several of the prettiiest girls she knows, and gives them the # task of pouring out the tea, coffee, and chocolate at a centre table decorated with flowers, lighted candles, and all that coquettish art of which the American woman is past-mistrssc. The table accommodates just four girls, who, in their smartest party toilettes, are at once on namental and useful, and the centre of attraction. They take away something of the stiffness which is inevitable among a crowd of people, many of whom are strangers to each other. . .. I once asked an English girl t> "pour” tea for me, and she discomforted me exceedingly by asking why I did not get the servants to do it, and I meant to pay her a compliment. Mrs Lane admits that American Soeietv has much to learn of refinement from English, but in one respect the obligation is the other way. Why, she asks, do English folk continue so unsociable as to rofuse to speak to each, other without an introduction?