Ring Lardner
Oakland Enquirer.February 4, 1919
“Does a hostess suggest games or does the company?” one Frances inquires of Dear Miss Blake, and Dear Miss Blake replies that a successful hostess has the entertainment of her company all planned before the guests arrive.
“Of course,” continues the Dear, “if it were an impromptu party the guests could supply suggestions, but invariably parties left to the guests’ direction in this line drag and are unsuccessful.”
Well, Dear, THE WAKE has always been a great admirer of your column, and until now has regarded its utterances as oracular. But we take it that a party, to be regarded as successful, must be enjoyed by the guests rather than the hostess and hoset; otherwise, when it broke up it would be thee hostess and host and not the humble guests who were expected to mumble something about a wonderful time.
Well, then, Dear, there was a party once at your manor where the hostess had planned two tables of bridge at nothing a point, but one of the company suggested an eight-handed p. g. with deuces wild and when it was over the company and its wives, one of whom was always a bit hazy about the relative values of a straight and a flush, had $74.50 of our jack, and I’ll say the party didn’t drag, and all the guests said they’d had a dandy time and you could see they were sincere.
We claim that no fixed rules can cover all cases. If the hostess knows all her guests intimately and is cognizant of their tastes in entertainment, perhaps she is competent to do the planning. But if there be, among those invited, some who are comparative strangers, THE WAKE asserts they should not be forced to participate in a sport without first being afforded a chance to say whether or not they care for it.
For instance, you ask ten people to your home. You know that seven of them, close friends, are mad about some lively game like “Here Come Three Dukes A-Roving.” Instead of calling up the three doubtfuls and asking them if they like it, you take a chance and force it on them. Well if happens that the three would rather be with the A. E. F. in Russia than compete in the roving dukes; in fact they had only accepted the invitation in the hope that the evening would be devoted to halma. Well they are unable to disguise their loathing for the dukes and their evident distaste makes everybody else so miserable and you are lucky if the party doesn’t break up in a brawl.
Our slogan is parties of the people, for the people and by the people, and when you give one to which we are invited, Dear, we demand membership on the program committee.
Explained
Mr. Ford’s paper, the first issue of which appeared yesterday, was supposed to come out a fortnight ago.
“But,” says Al Weeks of Detroit, “one page was reserved for the publisher’s ideas and for several days there was no type.”
The Archive 