CARE OF THE HOME

Southland Times, Issue 19634, 30 September 1922, Page 14 (Supplement)

CARE OF THE HOME

THE PUBLIC HOSTESS NEW AMERICAN PROFESSION. There is but one definition of a hostess. She is a person who first of all .rii'es everyone present at case, says American correspondent, m the .London Daily Telegraph. Then come the little intimate touches which she gives—grace, sincerity, genuineness, and her unrestrained personality. In the United States the role of hostess has pushed and extended far beyond the confines of the private gathering. It may sound crude to those who do not yet feel the need for a “public hostesg” to say that a “public hostess” is now a commercial enterprise and is a person holding a highlyspecialised position which few persons would be capable of filling. For some years the public hostess has been one of the features of the first-class hotels of America. The fact that she is needed at all indicates that the idea is not crude, but, on the contrary, means that hotel life is some of it» commercial aspects and is becoming “domesticated” by the presence of a person possessing the talents of social life. The hostess is an ever-present help in tiny troubles for the man who is far from home, a little bored, and wishing he were any place except where he is; but it is in the woman’s realm that she has become indispensable. Women go abroad by themselves more in America than in any other country. Many girls travel thousands of' miles to attend school and college, and, the distances being too great for them to re-

turn home for holidays and week-ends, they' flock to the cities for their vacations, it is a great relief when parents can make arrangements for their children at hotels that have a hostess. The hostess receives a telegram that Miss So-and-So will arrive on a certain train. The girl is met at the station and is received by the hostess when she arrives at the hotel. Then all the little needs of a stranger in a great city are ministered to. At night, after the opera, wedding, or ball, there is no anticlimax in a lonely “coming-home” to a great empty hotel, for the hostess (she may or may not have retired) is informed that Miss So-and-So has just taken her key and is .stepping on the elevator. The hostess meets the at the elevator floor, and they go down the hall together, asking and telling aboqt the prima ponna, the bride,or the ball gowns. A guest may never have any idea of needing human relationships, for the very word “hotel!’ means to some that for a time they must live among disinterested strangers. But there-is comfort in the knowledge that somewhere in the terrible mechanism of an hotel there is at least one person you can call upon and one sympathetic Listener with whom you may break the silence of the passing crowds. DOMESTIC JOTTINGS. NICKEL. Stains on nickel may be removed by rubbing the places with a rag dipped in ammonia. Then polish with a leather and, after a while, the nickel will be quite bright. DRESSING-TABLE MATS OF LEATHER It may seem# unusual to have mats made of leather for the toilet table, but they are extremely effective when used for this purpose. The mats are made in several shapes. A fringe is cut from the edge and a design is painted on them. The fringe and parts of the design are glided or slivered, for leather is of a texture that takes gold or silver paint well. The seat of Ihe dressing-table stool or chair may be decorated in the same manner. TO CLEAN\GILT FRAMES. To remove tarnish from gilt frames it is an excellent idea to use a little gin. Take a fair-sized camel's hair brush and with this apply' the gin, working it into all parts of the frame. Where, the tarnish is of long standing, a little patience is needed, but eventually all traces of it can be removed. After the gin has been applied the frame should be polished with a soft cloth. TO KEEP EMBROIDERY THREADS FROM TANGLING. Instead of letting your silks lie loosely in sewing basket, cut neat squares of cardboard and, wind silk round these, pasting the shade number on the end in each case it is necessary to match a shade. You never get a needleful of silk wasted by taking this precaution. A PICNIC HINT. It is a great mistake to put a kettle right down on to the picnic fire. Placed in this way, the water takes a long while to boil, and the handle becomes so hot that it is almost impossible to hold it. When it is desired, to remove the kettle it is easy to take thetends of the cross stick without burning the hands.