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"My dear child, it's no use asking me. I'm determined to leave everything to you children this year. Forget I am your mother. Treat me as an honoured guest.”
Workmen have come to put up the marquee for the party. One of the children asks their mother where in the garden she would like it situated. Her response shows readers that she has entrusted her children with the responsibility of planning and managing the party. “This year” shows that this is a change from previous parties. By asking the kids to forget that she is their mother and treat her like an honored guest, she changes the family’s status quo. Instead of managing, she wants to be waited on. She is quick to show that this idea is a pretense when two paragraphs later she directs Laura to tend to the workmen.
"But, my dear child, use your common sense. It's only by accident we've heard of it. If some one had died there normally—and I can’t understand how they keep alive in those poky little holes—we should still be having our party, shouldn’t we?”
After finding no sympathy with Jose about canceling the party, Laura goes to her mother, who she expects will side with her. She is surprised to find that her mother agrees with Jose. To make things worse, she seems to find Laura’s idea to be humorous. Mrs. Sheridan has a warped idea of what “common sense” is. In her mind, the accident is only a problem because they know about it. If they had not known about the accident, they would not think of canceling the party. In a way, Mrs. Sheridan believes that ignorance is bliss. Her common sense reflects a very self-centered view of the world. And by calling it common sense, she suggests that most people would agree with her. Additionally, Mrs. Sheridan shows her unwillingness or inability to understand the working poor. She doesn’t know how they live in their small homes, as if the poor live as they do by choice and not due to economic necessity.
“And, Laura!" — her mother followed her out of the marquee —"don't on any account —"
"What mother?"
No, better not put such ideas into the child's head! "Nothing! Run along."
After the garden party, Mrs. Sheridan has the “brilliant idea” of sending a basket of leftover food to the grieving Scott family. She dispatches Laura to deliver it, since Laura had insisted earlier on the family being sympathetic. Her final instructions, and final words in the story, are an admonishment to absolutely not do something. Readers cannot be sure what idea Mrs. Sheridan did not want to put into Laura’s head. However, due to her clear ideas about class division, it likely had something do with interacting with the grieving family or the deceased’s body. The inference can be supported by Laura’s failed attempts to leave the basket without entering the house, without meeting the widow, and without seeing Scott’s corpse. By interacting with the family and body, Laura gains an understanding of life that conflicts with her mother’s values.
