The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1888-04-13

Hints TO wcmsD who Entertain IN
FashionabAe But simple Way.


Fashlonaoae But simple Way.
Afternoon at-nosnes have come to tAt
rescue of both the great and the little
ones of the earth. Al. feel the relic
to their purses That this modest and in
expensive form of entertainment offers,
and this will be 30 until the great pres
sure of excess of luxury and undue ex.
travaganee is removed. and until We
Ring in the nobler modes OF life,
With sweeter matters, purer laws.
Should invitations to afternoon nj
homes be acknowledged. when tn
cards do not bear the letters r. S. V
P, is question repeatedly put te us
and which we decidedly answer in th
affirmative. and to remove any lingei
ing doubts on the subject few WORT
of further explanation may not be in
appropriate,
Itis an act. of discourtesy not TO an
swer an invitation. whether it is to b
accepted or declined. for if invitation
rem Ssn unanswered, the usual conclr
sion is that absence from home is til
reason for this; and when Mrs. Brow
asks Mrs. Smith if their mutual friend
Lady Robinson. is expected. the answe
naturally is, Il am afraid not Iaske,
her to come, but / think she must b,
away, as I have not heard from her.
Perhaps Lady Robinson subsequently
arrives, and feels from the remarks of
her hostess. by whom she was evidently
not expected, that some apology is due.
and then follows: Il ought to have
wristen to you. but was rather uncer-
tain about our movements / did not
quite know what Sir John wished
me to do to-day etc. This
precisely the reason why answers
are frequently not sent to invitations
to afternoon at-homes. People are in.
clined to think that among so many
the absence of any particular individ-
nal is of little Importance. that other
| engagements might stand in the way
and render the going to the at-home
rather inconvenient Thus they study
| themselves rather than the friends who
have invited them. At-homes are so
numerous that invitations TO them are
apt to be disregarded in measure. but
| if everyone took this line a hostess
might arrange for giving tea to fifty
guests. and perhaps only ten would
| put in an appearance, whereas, if sns
received refusals, she could either in
vite others. or make arrangements on
a smaller scale. 1t is polite and con
| siderate, when acceptance Is doubtful
to state the fast. and then host could
have list of doubtfuls. rs well rs GER
I tainties, to refer to. 1t is every thing
| for hostess to know who is. or who Is
I not, coming to her at-home. so as to
regulate her list accordingly. To
| render an at-home a sucsess, the right
people should be invited to meet each
,ther, those who have something in
common. for instance. and are well ae-
| quainted. or those whose acquaintance
| it would be pleasant to make; other
wise people would consider it tliste
vas hardly any one there they knew
70 speak to. and several present that
they did not care TO know or TO know
/ more OF. F"
When lady has large acquaint- ;
! lnce, and gives a series of at-homes. if
he wishes to make them pleasant to
Ill, she issues her invitations with this
md in view, bearing in mind the preiu-
Ices and partialities of her friends;
)ut when giving an occasional at-home
her. course is not so clear. and she is
fearful of wounding the susceptibilities
If some of her acquaintances by leav-
ing them out of her invitation list.
| On the other hand. if she asks them TO
| meet each other they feel that they
nave not been asked to the large at
/ iome, and consider the invitation a
doubtful compliment; this Is dilemma
that many experience, and circum-
stances and self-Interest often influence
the decision arrived at for and against.
A little difficulty Gten presents itself
| when card is received for series of
.Hat-homes, as 10 whether the recipi-
ent is expected to go at all. If the
.sat-homes" are to take place every
week, it would be advisable to put in
IN appearance fortnightly, and to men,
ton the first date of acceptance in an
sweriRg an invitation of this nature.
But a visiting card with an ''at-
! home" day swritten on it can not be
4 regarded in The light of an invitation;
it is merely an intirnation that if the
friends of a certain lady call upon her
on given day, mentioned on the card,
they will find her at home. But this
DOES not neeessitate a call being made,
If convenient, or any excuses offered
for nonsappearance on the ''at-home"
| 1ay.-LoRdo7s Queen.