A question that has always been asked by hostesses eager to maintain their social calendar during times of war, when their husbands, brothers, neighbors and sons are called away to fight in unimaginable conditions of deprivation and butchery, and home-front rationing has reduced the household pantry to the bare essentials, is how can I incorporate these troubled times into an evening of fun?
The answer, provided by the General Mills Home Service Staff, is to throw a Hobo Party. Why dress up when you can dress down? You and your friends can emulate the lifestyle of the vagrant who travels from town to town seeking work in return for a few spare coins or a hot meal. No need to set the table — just hand food to guests through your kitchen window and let them find a place to sit on the lawn. How amusing it is to pretend to carry all your worldly possessions in a bindle slung over your shoulder! How relaxing it is to imagine a life free from all the bother of home ownership and a steady job! How fortunate to avoid the draft!
Once your party is over, however, you are ethically obligated to entertain actual Hobos should they knock at your door. If you’re lucky, they will etch a sign on your fencepost that stands for run as fast as you possibly can.
