The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1874-05-21
BOCIAL UsAGKs.

age that are so childish, and, wlth.l, 90
lncongenient and burdensone, as to de-
mand public denunoistion. Nobody
likes them, everybody desires to b. re.
lieved of them, and all seem 70 be pow
erless to reform them. Their burden
someness forms a seriYus bar 70 social
intercourse, and tteir only tendency Is
to drive some men and women cut Of
society altogether, and to worry and
weary those who remain subject to
them.
A person is invited to 40 ''iuformal'
reception. Special pains m.y be, and
often are, taken to impress him with
the idea that suoh reception is, 10.
deed, "ioforma]." The idea is very
good. The proposition is to bring TO-
gether a circle of friends in . familiar
way, without expensive dress on the
Part Of the guests, or an expensive en-
tersalnmeDt 90 tie part of the Hostess.
1t is an attractive sort of invitation.
but woe to the man or woman who as-
cepts it according to it's terms. The
man and the woman who attend in
anything but full evening dress will find
themselves singular, and most unsom.
Portable. They have taken their host.
esq at her word, and find, instead Of .
party of familiar friends, who can sit
down and enjoy an hour Of social in.
tercourse, highly dressed "jam,"
which comes late aud departs late, and
which fiods itself treated to an slabor.
ate supper. People have, at last, learn.
ed that if there is anything that must
be dressed for elaborately, it is IN din.
formal reception,' and that there is
really no greater cheat than the invita-
tion which called them together: The
consequence is that We have no really
informal gatherings of men and women
in what We call 'tsociety."
Again when We invite a guest to
dinner at six, We expect him to come
at, or before, that hour. It is connted
the height Of impoliteness fora gusst
to keep dinner waiting . moment.
This is just as it should be-; but when
We invite guest at eight clock, to q
reception or party, what then !? Why,
We do not expect him until nine, We do
not ordinarily get him until half.past
oine, and are bot surprised at bis en-
trance at any subsequent hour before
the company breaks up. Why the
rule should be good for the dinner
that is not good for the assembly does
not appear. except that in the case Of
the dinner it Is question of hot or
cold soup that is to be decided. AT
eight the host and hostess are ia their
vacant rooms, be-gloved and waiting.
They are there for an hour, wishing
their guests would come. At last one
makes his appearance, and With guilty
look whips up stairs. Theo be waits
until another joins him, and another,
and another, and so at last he descends.
All have lost the ouly opportunity they
will have TOR pleasant chat with those
who have invited them-lost, indeed,
the only chance they will have Of 8
look at the flowers, at the pictures, and
the enjoyment OF an undisturbed chat,
with comfortable seats and surround
ings. All dread to be first, and 50 all
wait, and thus thrust far into the night
their hour Of departure. The company
that should be at home at eleven, and
in bed at half-past eleven, do not find
their beds until one the next morning.
70 the man of business such hours
az mingling in social lite imposes are
simply killing. They are the same to
women Who have family duties to per-
form. They wipe the bloom Of youth
from the cheeks Of girls in from one to
three seasons ; and thus social life in
the great cities, instead of being
blessing and delight, as it should be,
becomes a burden and a bore. Many
are driven by considerations of health
and comfort out of social life altogeth-
er, and those who remain rely upon the
rest Of summer to restore them s1f6-
c'ently to stand another campaign: We
submit that this is an unexaggerted
representation of the present state Of
things, and protest that it demands Re.
form,
Every hour that man spends out
of his bed after half-past ten 1t night
is violence to nature. They have
learned this IN Germany, where, in
many towns, their public amusements
terminate at half-pass nine, and, in
some cases, even earlier than this. It
is in this direction that reform should
be effected in America, so far Is every
variety ofpublio and social assembly is
concerned An invitation a Ais he
should mead what it says, and bs hon.
oIed in its terms. In this way social
life would be possible to many 70 whom
it is now practically denied, and BE-
come a blessing.to all.-Scribaer.
A YOUTHFUk. VIEW OF OXEN.
A little boy iu the Bishop Scott
Grammar School At Portland, Oregon,
has gotten of the following luminous
view Of "oxen." His "composition'
is given verbatim ct literatim:
Oxen is very slow animal. They
are very good to break up ground. I
would rather have horses if. they didn't
have collie which they, say is wind col.