A PROFITABLE PARTY.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume II, Issue 334, 4 March 1915, Page 4

A PROFITABLE PARTY.

The following, culled from an Australian exchange, suggests a novel idea for raising funds, that might easily be adopted and improved upon:— How organising ability, allied to no special talent, can raise a considerable sum for the Red Cross Society, has just been proved very effectually indeed by two women. Neither can crochet nor knit, and even the Germans might be pitied if they had to wear such garments as they are capable of making. Like every other patriotic subject their anxiety to help is great. Their incomes are insignificant; they live in an unpretentious outer suburb, and it was not till they had actually sent in their cheque for £lO that they realised in the least where their special talent for making money lay. Like all great discoveries, this one was made by accident. The women are mature spinsters, popular, and easy-going. Like many of their kind they cherish i ideals, and it rather worried them that the absence of the usual holiday entertainments meant a number of young people in their neighbourhood whose chances of having a good time were in consequence seriously curtailed. Private dances there were none, and in any case a good many of the young people in question were still in their early teens. It was then that the idea of giving a friendly, inconsequent sort of party, that guests of all ages could enjoy, occurred to one of the sisters —the santimental onei. Simultaneously the practical one exclaimed, "And we could make them pay for it." A Novel Tea-Party. After much conversation it was arranged to give something in the nature of a tea-party. The unkempt garden was sizable, and a fair amount of verandah space was available. At one side of the ] house was a rough little paddock—a place it was hard to associate with entertainment, 1 ut which proved ultimately a big f ict i" in the success of the party. Most of the guests were invited by telephone, and to these it was explained that actual evening dress should not bo worn, and that each guest was expected to pay 2/admission. "It sounds pretty awful," commented the non-practical sister, '' but anyway its

better tlian taking up a collection afterwards, and they will know they will not have to spend anything when they get here.''

The guests were invited from 6.30, about 100 of them all told. Before they arrived, an hour or two had been spent in putting bi.! of proverbs up in more or less conspicuous places. The missing bits were written out clearly, and left to await the arrival of the guests. For instance, while the words, "a stitch in time" were written largely and roughly on a piece of brown paper and tacked to an old gum tree in the garden, the words '' saves nine'' were on a bit of paper ready to be "dipped for." All sorts of proverbs and familiar quotations were broken up in this way, and the fragments displayed on fences, shrubs, verandah posts, and all sorts of places. The only other outdoor preparation for the party consisted in strings of lanterns to be lighted 1 ter in the garden, and about 50 tiny paper lanterns fastened to sticks about two feet long—sticks sold in bundles by seedsmen.

As each girl arrived she - was given a little card, on which a number was written in blue clialk. Each man got a card with a.number written in red, and as each number had to pair off with a corresponding number, all chance of formality was hopelessly banished. Probably exchanges between partners were occasionally arranged, but as this was not against the rules, nothing was said. Each pair was presented with half a proverb, and sent out to discover the missing half. In a very few minutes the garden, the tennis court, and even the old orchard presented a scene of unparalleled activity. Everyone was apparently going in different directions, and speed being the essence of the contract everyone seemed in a liurrj'.

Piecing Out Proverbs. A girl with "Love Me" in her hand appealed to the company to know if anyone had seen her "dog," and a couple armed with "It's a long lane that" quite saw the humour of the situation when they discovered "has no turning" on a dismantled grindstone. Of course, no one was supposed to tell where missing bits might be found. Directly a pair completed one proverb they would hurry back for another, a prize going to the pair who completed most. Onlookers found the gamo almost as exciting as those taking part in it, and after three-quarters of an hour there was not a guest but had a superlatively good appetite for supper. This supper was of the simplest variety, served on long tables in the side gardens.

Long tables had been chosen for several reasons. Had the night been west they could have been placed on the verandahs, and since they, and forms, could be hired for very little, they were in keeping with the spirit of the entertainment. Across the siAe garden strings of pink lanterns were liiiug, 'giving a delighjful air of festivity to the party, and entirely transforming a most unpretentious bit-of landscape. The supper consisted almost entirely of sandwiches. There were substantial sandwiches in which minced lamb and mint sauce, ftiinced beef and horseradish, and minced mtitton and tomato sauce figured. Then there were chicken and ham sandwiches, the filling also minced, oyster sandwiches, tomato sandwiches, and. sandwiches in which egg and capers and nmyoiiaise, crayfish and mayonaise, cheese, and various other things found place. Tea, coffee, barley water, and lemonade served as drinkables. There was nothing either costly or elaborate about the supper, but the fact that guests lingered about the tables, laughing and talking, for nearly two hours proved its excellence.

As soon as supper was oyer a fresh drawing of lots for partners was instituted, and when all had been paired off each was given a stick to which a little lantern was attached, and this being duly lighted a move was made to the little paddock to look for peanuts which had been widely scattered there soon after dark. A peanut hunt is no new thing; but as nearly everyone at this particular party wore white—the men in flannels and the girls in muslin —the sight of these guests, each pair swaying a gay little lantern, was quite wonderfully beautiful, and such of the guests aS did not care to take an active part in the proceedings found ample pleasure in watching something which, to them at least, had all the charm of novelty. No one took the business very seriously, some of the most pronounced shirkers even sinking so low as to eat their booty. In less than an hour not the least little peanut had escaped the gleaners, and great was the excitement over tho final counting out.

A distribution of simple prizes naturally followed, and after this the oldest and youngest among the guests began to drift homewards. The rest grouped about the garden and verandahs, found sufficient entertainment in one another's company till coffee and cake brought the party to a close at midnight.