Page:Far from the Maddening Girls.djvu/104



“Like those of angels, short and far between.”

As a rule, the man whom you invite with pleasure, because he appreciates your wit, you dismiss with pleasure, because he takes exception to your politics. There is not one in a hundred who leaves your house as admirable in your eyes as when he entered it. Little eccentricities crop out to annoy you, little tricks of manner or of speech manifest themselves, and, in general, you are disappointed in him. You can’t resent them — that’s the worst of it. There is only one situation more trying than entertaining, and that is being entertained.

Yes, although it is said that to be an ideal host is hard, I think that to be an ideal guest is harder. The host end of the problem is comparatively simple, after all. You have only to find out what your guest wants to do, and let him do it. But as a guest you must first find out what your host is accustomed to