nal
disputes were always arranged in this way the representatives of
nations having complaints against each other might more often than now
discover unexpected ways of adjusting their differences. Why should
such matters invariably be remanded to formal conferences and set
speeches? The preliminaries, at least, would probably be better
arranged at dinner parties and social functions. Eating has always
been associated with friendship. "To eat salt" with an Arab forms a
most binding contract. Even "the serpent" in the book of Genesis
commenced his acquaintance with Eve by suggesting a meal.

It almost seems as if there were certain unwritten laws in American
society, assigning certain functions to certain days in the week. I do
not believe Americans are superstitious, but I found that Thursday was
greatly in favor. I remember on one occasion that Mrs. Grant, widow of
the late President, sent an invitation to my wife and myself to dine at
her house some Thursday evening; this was three weeks in advance, and
we readily accepted her invitation. After our acceptance, about a
dozen invitations came for that same Thursday, all of which we had, of
course, to decline. Curiously enough we received no invitations for
any other day during that week, and just before that eventful Thursday
we received a letter from Mrs. Grant cancelling the invitation on
account of the death of one of her relations, so that we had to dine at
home after all. Now we Chinese make no such distinctions between days.
Every day of the week is equally good; in order however to avoid
clashing with other peoples' engagements, we generally fix Fridays for
our receptions or dinners, but there is not among the Chinese an
entertainment season as there is in Washington, and other great cities,
when everybody in good society is busy attending or giving "At Homes",
tea parties or dinners. I frequently attended "At Homes" or tea
parties in half-a-dozen places or more in one afternoon, but no one can
dine during the same evening in more than one place. In this respect
America might learn a lesson from China. We can accept half-a-dozen
invitations to dinner for one evening; all we have to do is to go to
each place in turn, partake of one or two dishes, excuse ourselves to
the host and then go somewhere else. By this means we avoid the
seeming rudeness of a declination, and escape the ill feelings which
are frequently created in the West by invitations being