Letter To Kitty

Southland Times, Issue 22472, 7 November 1934, Page 5

Letter To Kitty

My dear Kitty, Holiday time is coming —that delightful time when days are sunny and spent on the tennis court or the beach, when meals become moveable feasts and comfortably slapdash, and when friends occupy the spare room. That brings me to my point, my dear, the art of being a good hostess—a difficult art to acquire if you are not bom with it. First and foremost, Kitty, put careful thought into the preparation of the spare room. Put the bedding out in the sun for a few hours, so that the freshness, which it has lost through disuse, will come back to it, then make up the bed with your nicest linen. A habit worth cultivating, is to put an extra blanket or rug over the end of the bed in case your guest feels the cold and needs extra covering. A vase of flowers, dainty ones matching the colour scheme of the room, on the dressing table is a happy thought, and don’t forget, if your guest is a smoker, to have one, if not two, ash trays in her room. ‘When your guest arrives, Kitty, welcome her, but don’t gush; the fact that you show her into a carefully prepared bright room is welcome enough. Chat brightly at the same time, remembering that your visitor'also has things to talk about so be interested. One other don’t, my dear! Don’t press her to things she doesn’t want—in your enthusiasm don’t overload her plate or expect her to drink two cups of tea when she definitely says no; you will tire her out if you do and she will get to a stage when she looks forward to meal-time with something akin to horror. Another good idea is to have a few magazines (new ones) on the bed side table; most people like to read before going to sleep and a light magazine passes the time pleasantly, and, Kitty, deny yourself the paper so that your guest may have it—all visitors like to have news of the place they are staying in. They would have their papers if they were in their own homes, so why not when they are with you? Humblest apologies, my dear, for filling this letter with don’ts. I know I have a shocking habit of hurling orders at your good natured cranium. Praying for forgiveness. Jane.