The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-04-26
LIFE IN THE SEASON
The Daylight Party or Afternoon
Reception.
DUTIES OF THE CHAPERON
Methods Of Serving Refreshments-How to
Give Garden Party-American Society
in Transition State.

NEW DIRK, April %, 1S91.-[Special cor
respondence of The HERALD. l.
Good night to the seasonsi the dances,
The filings of hot little rooms,
The glancings of rapturous glances,
Inc fancylngs of fancy costumes;
Ihe pleasures which fashion makes duties,
The praisings Of fddles and flutes
The luxury of looking at beauties,
The tedium of talking to mutes;
The female dlplomatists planners
Of matches for Laura and Jane,
The ice of her ladyship's manners!
The ice of his lordship's champagne.
The season in London extends from May
to August, often longer if parliament is in
session. In Paris it is from May to the
grand prjx," when it is supposed to end
about the Goth Of June.
But in New York and Washington it is all
winter, from November 1st to Lent with
good Episcopalians, and from November to
May with the rest of mankind.
1t then begins again in July with the peo
pie who go to Newport and Bar Harbor, and
keeps up until September, when come in
Tuxedo and
THE GAYETY OF LONG ISLAND
and the Hudson. Indeed, with the gayety
of country house life, hunting and lawn
tennis and driving, it is hard to say when
the American season ends
There is one sort of entertainment which
is favorite everywhere and very convent
emit; it is the afternoon reception, or party
by daylight.
The gas is lighted, the day excluded, the
hostess and the guests are in beautiful toll
cite, their friends come in street dresses
and bonnets, their male friends in frock
coats. This is one of the anomalies of fash
ion. These entertainments are very large,
and splendid collation. is served. The
form of invitation is simply:
Mrs. BrOlOntOn at home Thurs
days, from to 6.
And unless an r. S.V.P. is appended, no re-
ply is.expected. These receptions are ia
vorites with housekeepers, as they save the
servants from staying up at night.
The drawback to the reception is that in
OUR BUSY WORLD OF AMERICA,
very few gentlemen can spare the time to
| call in the day time, so the attendance is
largely feminine.
On entering, the guest places a card on
the table, or if she cannot be present at the
reception she should send card in an en-
velope.
After these entertainments, which are
parties, a lady should call. 1t is different
thing entirely from afternoon tea, after
which no call is expected. If the reception
is given to some distinguished person, the
lady stands beside her guest to present all
the company to him or her.
If on the card the word music is added,
then the guests should be puuctual, as
doubtless they are to be seated, and that
takes time.
No lady who gives musicale should in
vite more than she can seat comfortably and
she should have her rooms cool and her
lights soft and shaded.
People with weak eyes suffer dreadfully
FROM GLARE OF GAS,
and when music is going on they cannot
move to relieve themselves. The hostess
should think of all this.
| Who can endure the mingled misery of g
hot room, an uncomfortable seat, glare Of
| gas and pianoforte solos
A very sensible reformation is now in
progress in regard to the sending of invita-
tions and the answering of the same.
The post is now freely used as a safe anG
convenient medium, and no one feels offended
if an invitation arrives with 2-cent STAMP
on the envelope. There is no loss of caste
in sending an invitation by post.
| Then comes the ball. or as they Away:
say in Europe, "the dance" which is thu
gayest of ali things for the debutante. Tht
popular form for an invitation to an even
ing party is to request the pleasure Of"
MRS. HAMMOND