SURPRISE PARTIES.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1764, 17 July 1888, Page 3

SURPRISE PARTIES.

The Home correspondent of an exchange writes:— When a new hobby is started in this little city by the sea you generally find it is ridden to death. Such is the condition just now of the "surprise party " which was set going just one month ago here. To the uninitiated it might perhaps be interesting: to know the plan of action. It is necessary to take one member of the household into your confidence—l mean the household you intend to surprise, otherwise when you land there you might find your "guests" flown elsewhere A meeting place is fixed, and there the hosts and hostesses assemble and march in solemn procession two and two to the house of their distinguished "guest." A while ago I received an intimation that we wore to be invaded—this was several days before the intended invasion, and all that time I kept the secret locked in my heart. When the dreaded evening arrived, I sat for hours on tenter-hooks, trying to look as if nothing were on my mind. By and bye I heard Bounds of the coming invasion, which swelled louder and louder until they burst in the front door —thirty souls in all, of different shapes and sizes. I was greeted with expressions such as " Good evening Mrs B! Am very pleased to see you! Hope you will enjoy yourself! Tou must make youraelf at home!" I might hav<s retaliated that I wished they were there. However, I assured them that I was never more surprised in my life! They then spread themselves over the house, and provided a most hearty evening's amusement for themselves and us. They took possession of the dining room, bundled out all intruders and laid out an excellent supper, at the top place of which they seated me and drank my health as the " guest of the evening." It really was most gratifying. Then followed a short carpet dance, and then after putting the whole house in order again they departed in the same way as they had come, leaving to me the remembrance of a most delightful evening and the longing for a repetition of it at some future time. I was sorry, though, for a little misfortune they had just as they were leaving, which is really too amusing not to be told. They were solemnly marching pair and pair, when in going down a gentle declivity the front couple tripped up and kissed mother earth, the second couple followed in their wake, and so on until the whole party sprawled like ninepins. The road was a mass of struggling arms and legs, which made an amusing wind-up.