True Hospitality.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 29 August 1910, Page 4

True Hospitality.

(From "Memories of Letitia.") She was a woman of lovely dharacter and personality, was Mrs L , a minister's wife, with interest in her husband's sermons and church work. President of societies, chairman of committees, leader of music, foremost in teaohers' meetings, and withal, a model (housekeeper who did the work for a family of fouT. A geniality seemed to rajiate from everything she took in hand. "The chief satisfaction one fiiidis in the monotony of housework," she would say, "is putting the heart in it, and enjoying the results," and her home showed that she spoke from experience. How did she do all these things? I scarcely can imagine; she never seemed rushed and out of breath and temper, and her 'face was sweet and. restful to look aipon. This I do know, she did not fret and scold. She seemed to forget the annoyances of a situation in some discovered beauty or advantage incident in it. She trained her whole family to be helpful, and taught them how to enjoy their work. The sixteen-year-olr] lad could wash and put away the tea things while his mother was entertaining callers in the parlour, and the twelve-year-old lad could tidy a room as neatly as the most careful Ibousemaid. I shall never forget a lesson in hospitality she unwittingly taught me. I was a young housekeeper living in a neighbouring village, weighted with responsibility, constantly fearful lest somebody should come when the closet shelves were ompty of cake and pie—tflie luxuries of country fare. I had , entertained Mrs Y on invited l occasions, and felt comfortable over the outcome. One blustering March day I sat down at a railway station near her home to await a belated train.

I debated! with myself about going in upon her unapproaehed at the welcome wappinessakfeh luncheon hour, but the "ladies' room" was a cold, dingy place, and I knew a warm welcome would be mine. I found her re-covering a couch for the boys' room. Sine had some red-and-black brocaded wool, and with brass-headed tacks was doing a wonderfully neat job of upholstering. Everybody was gone from home but herself, and she -was going to surprise the boys with this sample of 'her handiwork and token of hei remembrance of t/heir need and comfort. She dad not flutter around and rake up the scraps and tuck them away and apologise, and run me off to the parlour to sit on a spnng-bottom chair while she went away to do her toilet-making. None or this: she gave a rocker in the midst, and while she clipped ami folded and tacked and we chatted 1 became interested to the extent of offering advice about the corners, which she acted upon with cuccess iresently she smoothed her dress, put on a big apron from a handy drawer, and flitted away. I was permitted to drive tacks until she came to take me out to luncheon. We had fresh bread, nice sweet butter, and a dish of stewed- apples, ljliere were no apologies, and the simple fare was a feast, sweetened and spiced with pleasant conversation.

! Had I been in her place T know I would have apologised, and explained how, because I was left alone, I thought it was a good time to do odd jobs; that Will would much roWei l iiad sent the couch to an upholsterer .and all that. I would have taken her off to another Toom not halt so cosy and homelike, and made uer quite as miserable as myself because "company" came and , found me unprepared. If I had Jived in a large town instead of a small one, ' mio-ht have found it convenient to be "not in." When the train whi&tle blew I came near being left, f or the time Had passed away so happily and swiftly, and; of what it-was madethas happy interval? True, warmhearted/hospitality; a feeling, somehow induced, that I Lid favoured ner with a call and had fitted into a place just waiting for me! Thi& was one of my early lessons in gen!»ne.hospitality, and it made a lasting impression.