226 THE GARDEN OF A 



miliar Spirit would ask somewhat impertinent ques- 

 tions. 



" Was Evan rested by the vacation ? " for like all 

 familiar things it calls us by our first names. 



"He was amused and had an entire change of 

 scene, which is said to be the same thing," I an- 

 swered laughingly. 



"And you? How about the handshake? And 

 did you conquer the rotation of forks ? How are 

 they wearing soup plates, flat or deep ? " 



" As there are two social schools, the old and the 

 new, I must confess to you, Familiar Spirit, the 

 handshake is in a chaotic condition and the soup 

 plates also. In two cases, however, what I took for 

 bonbon scoops proved to be soup spoons, dreadful 

 utensils for high-chested dowagers inclined to slobber, 

 as well as for mustached men. But then, mus- 

 tached men are under ban, and these scoops were 

 doubtless invented to complete their extermination. 

 However, I predict gold straws for soup sucking in 

 the near future, and Saxon beards should be due 

 next winter. Listen, Familiar Spirit, but do not 

 repeat ! In spite of all my watchfulness, at the most 

 formal dinner of my stay I lost count of weapons, 

 and when at the finish I had exhausted all but one, I 

 faced the problem of lifting rather soft ice-cream and 



