Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 151, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 June 1913 — Notes and Comment [ARTICLE]

Notes and Comment

Of Interest to Women Renders

OLD FABHIONED AFTERNOON. Tea, Knitting and Pleasant Conversation Instead of Bridge and the Usual Society Gossip. "Come and spend an old fashioned afternoon with me,” a woman well known socially telephoned the other day to a friend she had not seen this winter. “No, it isn’t a party at all. I just want to see my friends, and we are all so deep in engagements that we get no more than glimpses of each other. I don’t like that, and so I mean to stay at home to-morrow afternoon, and I want you to come just as early as you feel like, and bring your knitting, or any other work you have. It’s a real old fashioned time, such as onr grandmothers used to hawe.” A couple of big teas, and a reading the woman invited had on her engagement list for the next afternoon she crossed off, and about halfpast three o’clock she arrived at the bouse of her friend. Two other women were there, and in a few moments two more arrived, making six in all. Bach had brought some fancy work, and they seated themselves before the open fire in a big, comftrrtable library. “You see,” said the hostess, “if we all keep on going at the present rate we shall never have five minutes’ consecutive conversation together. We are never in our own homes, and when we meet in the houses of our friends we all are on the wdng. It seems to me a pity, for it’s hoc .unsatisfactory, and so I hays decided to grab Time by both hands and ! really visit with my friends. Our (grandmothers used to take their knitting and go out to spend the afternoon, and a very good idea it seems to me. I mean to reserve one afternoon -.each week for my little tea party, ahdvJ do not intend to ask more than five? persons at a time. I mean to choose the groups so they will be/ congenial, and I think I at least shafll enjoy it hugely.” Certainly her guests off that afternoon did.

They really talked on; -.matters in which they were interested. A current topics class to whidh all belonged offered one theme. A new book, which several women present had read, was discussed at length. Also a new play, which scandalized some, and was defended by> others. A recent picture show iwhich all but two had visited,/was so&thoroughly reviewed that the had not been there began tofeeliaa though they had seen thepictures. At half-past four o’clock* tew was brought in, with sandwiches and cakes, and the hostess’ small daughter was permitted to come and hastnd \the cups, on the theory;that a child*. might be present when such Mends' were gathered together. It was half-past five o’clock the last guest left* and aUnagreedlvthey had spent one of the motet delightful afternoons experienced for isnany years, and each declared that she meant to follow the example in* her own home. —Rosanna Schuyler.