Wichita eagle., 1889-12-17
The Genfler Sex I'm the Whirl.
pool of Life.
THE DOMESTIC CIRCLE.
Mothers of Little Men and Women
Who May Grow to Greatness.
ARRANGING A DINNER PARTY.

and Mottoss-Mu5E tsest the fsra{n--hoW
the Work OF Woman Could BE Lightened.
Customs of the Thibetan Wcmeu-A
Word for Martha Neutrality-suspicious.
Plea for Shorter slsirts-An Example of
the Extremes of Mourning.
Young housekeepers and ladies who have
been living in retired districts where little
company is kept are frequently asking ques-
tions on this subject, therefore we Will take
the first of the questions:
How long before the dinner party should
an invitation be sent ousf
The period most in favor is from ten days
10 a fortnight, ana sometimes three weeks, If
for large and ceremenious dinner.
Cards printed for filing in may DO pur-
chased, or formal or friendly notes of invita-
ton may 90 sent, according 60 the degree Of
intimacy with those to be inv ed. TIE day,
the date and ths hour al which guests are ex-
peoted shonld be mentioned. Seven, hslf-
past and O'Clock are the times usually
named Invitations TO Dinner are sent out in
the name Of both host and hostess, and should
be accepted or declined within two days, if
possible
Dinner invitations and replies TO them can
be left by oneself, sent by sarvnnt, or sent
through the pus,, If sent by hand they are
frequently replied to while tine messenger
wits The reason why those invited should
be- scrtrpuiouslv careful TO reply at once is
that other invitations may be sent out to fiji
the places of those who declina
Having accepted, the guests should be
punct1a. rs the hostess, IN most instances,
orders dinner TO be served quarter of an
hour after the time Of invitation.
II the hostess knows that some of her
GUESTS arc ,mpunctual, IL Is safer 20 give the
Invitation for a half hour before the time
fixed for dinner; and IL is well 10 make
rule Of not wgitanfr longer than n half hour
after thc time named in the invitation as
,ands nro apt 10 suffer IL punctuality is not
observed
Brillat Ssvasm writes: 1T b Il breach of
politenese towards tiere guests who are
punotual when they arc kcpt hong waiting
for one who IL lnten
When guests arrive the gentlemen lenve
their hsts aud coats Ia tho hail. or Ia room
set apart for the purpose. Ladies, II coming
from Distance, SHOULD be asked IL they wish
30 be shown into a bedroom. II near neigh
bors, they would leave wrap In tho hall or
in the care OF servant. 1t il not fashiona-
BILE for gcatlemen 10 wear gloves ON entering
the drawing room the occasion Of din
ner, A lady wears gloves until seated at
dinner, when she removes them. The host
and hoSteas receive their guests in the draw
ing room, and at small, informal parties in
troduce guests to each othsr, unless they
know them 30 be- already acquainted The
s,.f.
should take down 10 dinner, and leads the
way TO the dining room with the lady 30
whom the most Difference should be shown,
whether through her ago or her higher social
standing II there are fewer gentlemen than
ladies, the host takes two ladies In 10 dinner,
and places one on his right, the other on his
left hand. The gentleman always offers his
right arm to the lady Sometimes name
cards are put on the table, and the guests
take then places in accordance with them:
if there is large party it is the best arrange
ment If only a small number of auestr- the
host, after seeing the lady he brings in seated
Mt his right hand, stands and indicates where
other guests are to sit The hostess enters
last with tie gentleman Of highest rank, or
20 whom most Difference shorlM be shown, !
provided he is not y relative, when this rule /
is in allegiance, that greater attention |
should be given 70 friends OF acQisintances.
The same rule applies 10 tholady whom the |
host takes in To dinner.
The placing of congenSai persons side by |
side should be as mach inatber of cons1dera-
ton for the host and hostess at dinner as the |
arrangement OF who shall go ir together. 1t |
is not considered necessary for the gentle
man to direct his conversation exclusively to
the lady he takes IN, though st would, Of /
course, be the aim of & well bred man 10 be-
attentive to her; If he failed 10 this it would
not be polite to his host
The success of dinner often depends on
the tact Of the host and hostess in making all
their p4ans beforehand To those who sell
dom give dinners let us give the following
advice both 10 host and hostess: On no &C.
count appear 10 have the least anxiety about
how things are going. if the cook waiting
maids make any mistake, and ID must come
under your notice do not let il in the least
disconcert you; If it does. 1t is at once
brought TO the notice of your guests; if it
does not, they are quite likely not to obssrvs
it-foung Ladies Journal Supplement-