The Hawaiian gazette., 1885-08-12
LIE Roi S'amuse

EDITOR IAkEIII =" lnt chamberlain OF tue
Household is commanded by His Majesty to invite
- 10 a DANCE, at Iolani Palace, Friday
evening tue 9TH inst, at o'clock.
This seems TO read pretty plainly, as 10 admit of
no misinterpretation; and yet there are people
who do not seem TO understand what the word
duHcs implies this particular invitation. A
morning paper used the words " Grand Ball in
stead Of dance apparently utterly Ignorant of
the difference tins change of words makes. When
His Majesty the King issues Invitations for a
dance the very word implies that there Is abso-
lusely nothing official in connection with the
tertainmeut. Ills MaiestY's personal staff are in
plain clothes at dance; mt a grand ball " they
would all be in uniform. At dance" his Maj
esty receives his guests at the door of the Throne
Room, at n grand BALI His Majesty would stand
tn the dais At - dance " there is no ceremonial
when the dancing commences, when the music
strikes up the floor is for the first comers These
differences may seem trivial TO some, but they are
exactly what constitutes the distinction between a
dance" and " ball, or grand ball. as some
are pleased to call 1t. Passing from this point,
the question may be- and has been asked: "Why
Is il that His Majesty the King should be treated
with infinitely less respect when be gives an enter
tainment of this sort, than private individual
under the same circumstances" When the head,
or heads of household propose 10 entertain their
friends list of guests TO be invited is made out
according 10 the nature and object of the enter
tainment, and from the moment of the issuance of
the invitations, that part Of the ceremonial is
over and done with. Taking last Friday as an eI-
ample; His Majesty the King wishing TO offer q
politencss 10 a lady and gentleman, personal
friends of his on visit to Honolulu, decides to
give "a dance IN their honor, list of such people
as His Majesty considers will assist 10 make the
evening pass of pleasantly Is drawn up, submitted
TO- and revised by His Majesty, and according to
that list are the invitations issued from the office
Of His Maiesty's Chamberlain. The visitor to
Honolulu, and the gentleman whose own affairs
for him sufficient occupation may fancy that
after this the way is clear This is Just where all
the trouble begins. From the afternoon of the
issuance of the invitations for Friday evening last
until two hours before the music struck up on that
evening. cards were asked for on all sides, some
with pertinacity working OF the book agent fiend
If the dance ha6 been at private house would
these invitations have been asked fory No, for it
would have been considered, TO put it mildly, very
impertinent TO do so. Why then, when His Mai
esty entertains some of his friends, should he be
treated with less respect than a private citizen?
Why should people who have been invited wish TO
thrust others who have not been invited on the
Kings hospitality, when they would be ashamed,
and even drop hint 90 attain the same ends at a
dance vt any private gentleman's houseg How is
il that people who have not been invited at all,
are so lacking in good breeding as personally TO
present themselves as candidates for an invita-
tiong Tho mere fact of their doing SO is enough
10 show that the invitation was very properly
withheld.
There are, however, two cases in which it is ad-
yisabe to ask for cards. l. II in a household the
members of which have been invited, lady is
staying, who Is not a regular member Of that
lady. .. II ladies' owing to adverse circumstances,
are deprived of escort, they may ask for an invi-
tatiUn for gentleman TO act in that capacity.
some cases IN point, aprupOs of Friday evening
last. Smith tlet him be called keeps a store in
town, and smith has a clerk IN his store. On
Thursday Smith telephones to the office of His
Maiesty's Chamberlain for an invitation for his
clerk. Mhyg Why indeed Smith has never taken
the trouble TO find an opportunity for his clerk TO
write his name in the visitors book at Iolani Pal
ace. Smith has never himself taken his clerk, or
induced him, to call on many of the families that
constitute Honolulu society," and vet Smith DOES
not seem TO see that there is anything out of the
way IN ielephoning for invitation for his clerk
TO dance given by His Majesty to some of his
friends What do You thinkY
The head of a Government department GOES 10
Majestys private ofios tj ask for au invita-
ton for his secretary. Has the head OF depart
ment any right 10 make snoh a request Is it
polite, or grossly impolite, to do 80 Is His
his Majesty, with the assistance of His Chamber
lRin's Oifce capable to invite and entertain his
friends without the suggestions and advice of
Government officials and the outside public, or
not
Government official happening 10 bo in Homo
lulu on Friday, and hearing of the dance on two
occasions at different parts of the town, accosts
HIS Majesty's Chamberlain, asking HIM for "a card
OF invitation. Both times the matter is thus e1-
planned to him: Dear Sir, the number now asked
exceeds by good many the number actually pro-
vided for IN the first instance. This dance is for
some personal friends of His Majesty, now in
can be issued Surely for any man with any pre-
tentions 10 the title of gentleman, this was amply
sufficient. This special case, however, presented
himself in His Malestys private Office some three
hours before the dance, and asked for a card 10
take home to his wife Among the first TO arrive
after O'Clock was this very man, bringing a lads
who was not his wife Comment Is utterly useless
IN this case. What do you thinkY A large per
centege of the people Of Honolulu and elsewhere
who accept His Majesty's hospitality and attend
his entertalnments-dances and luaus more espe-
cially--are not aware that good sprinkling of
those present are there on the merits of their own
or some one else's begging powers. This is not as
1t should be. IL shows want of respect to His
Majesty; IT is an abuse Of his hospitality that
seems to have become custom. II ought to be
put an end 10 at once as u breach of good manners
discreditable TO Honolulu society. One more word
concerning dances IN general. II seems TO be con-
sidered by the gilded youth OF Honolulu-the
male gilded youth be 1t understood-thht n mark
Of excessive manlinees, recognized stamp of gay
Lothario. Don Juan. or whatever their ideal may
be, is to be able TO say to each other frequently
dnfing the evening Say, old boy. I've Just had
another hd, or "Come along, let's take hdr
The average dance in Honolulu lasts from $50 10
l2.3Q, and why these occasions should be chosen
hs special chances for drinking hdsn is quite in
comprehensible. Dancing in this climate is Ger
tinly more or less OF an exertlon but surely four
hours is not very long for boy or young man
or brandy this is altogethar leaving out the fact
Of being in ladies' society.
1t is very noticeable that boys and young men
are far the greatest alcohol consumers at parties
and at times the result Is unfortunately very ap-
parent. At houses where the host has had tie
the Rilded youth hard stuff " II Is not uncommon
70 hear boy with an apology for mo1stache on
bis upper Up, and no Testiee of beard, put down