The Sunday morning news., 1891-12-06
WHAT SOCIETY is DOING
Entertaining Has Risen to
the Plane of the Fine
Arts.
SOME INGENIOUS DEVICES.
Studio Parties are a Recent Addi-
tion-Weddings, Receptions and
Other Events of the Week.

Entertaining has become science in
these latter days. 1t is no longer suffic-
lent to give an order to florist and caterer.
issue a certain number Of invitations and
let your guests stand around and bore
themselves. An evening party must have
au excuse for being. Large receptions,
dancing and musicales explain them
selves, but when few friends are called
together, particularly If they are young
friends, the hostess must rack her brains
for new and interesting form of enter
tainment. Did you ever attend circu-
lating library party? This is how the
deed is done:-
Each lady invited is expected to repre-
sent by her costume the title of some
book. such titles to be kept profound
secret from all but the hostess. All the
lively books assemble in a closed room,
the hostess remaining in the parlors with
the gentlemen. The latter are given pret-
tily decorated souvenir catalogues of
books, and each makes application to the
hostess, as librarian, for the book he de-
slres to draw. Then the doors open, the
books issue in body. and five minutes is
allotted the gentlemen to select from the
costumes the book each has drawn, and
inscribe the name or the maiden re pre-
senting it on the catalogues. All books
are then returned to the library and i'm
mediaJely redi5tributed to new readers as
called for. This occurs until all books are
drawn and identified. WI en- the gentleman
who has correctly Identified the entire
list is declared prize winner.
This ingenious entertainment gives op-
portunity for any amount of ingenuity
and effect in costuming. Alta charming
library party recently given in Twilight
Park, among the Catskills, "The Lady or
the Tiger" was robed In orange cambria,
with mantle of tiger skin rugs and q
tigers head mask. A head dress of stiff
paper. cut like turrer and bearing the
number Q suggested "Two on Tour"
"Homeward Bound, J" carried shawl straps
wore very long, narrow A with two
parallel lines beside it lin no sense A
broad), fashioned with yellow ribbon on
black dress; 1.-THE Wide, Wide World"
sported an apron of maps and a globe for
head dress. and the Complete Angler"
carried a net aud fish basket and looped
her gown with tiny Japanese frogs.
STUDIO PARTY.
A company of bright young people on
the Heights employed novel and mirth
provoking method of entertainment one
evening last month. As the guest of
hostess devised for his benefit ''Studio
Party" At one side of the drawing
room stood a large blackboard, and on
entering the guests were presented with
cards tied with narrow ribbon and bear
ing number, the name of an animal,
aud as many blank spaces as guests
present. These cards were to be shown
to no one. As the numbers were an
nounced each guest in turn advanced to
the blackboard and drew what he con-
sidered representation of the animal
named upon his card. Then space of
Two minutes was allowed for the COM
pany to guess what animal was in
tended by the drawing
This may seem easy-perhaps it may be
under certain circumstances but not un-
less the guests have more artistic talent
than these had. A kangaroo figured OH
the cards as rooster. a dog and a cater
pillar, while an ostrich rejoiced IN the
titles of giraffe and sparrow, and no one
correctly identified the entire number.
The holder of the largest correct list re-
ceived gay tin drum, labelled Here is
something you can't beat" while the
drawing adjudged the very worst won
toy cart inscribed "You can draw this"
MUTE SINGERS.
At a country seat on the Hudson a
larger party was recently entertained by
tne Mute singers. "A rear drawing
room, separated by folding doors, was
chosen for stage, ten or twelve bright
young people formed the company. and
four gentlemen were selected to act as
vocaIists. The guests were presented with
blank programmes. and at sig
nal the accompanies began the
motion of playing, the ''comic singer'
the pantomine of singing, while the fold
ing doors, parting, disclosed a remark
able boy and girl clad in checked pima
fores and gazing wisttully at a monde
script fruit hanging upon a property
tree. AS the silent singing progressed
the infantive pair secured and devoured
the fruit. experienced great discomfort
therefrom. and finally fell upon the stage
aud pathetically expired Then the
audience wrote on the cards what they
thought to be the title of the song repre-
sented, johnny Jones and His Sister
Sue," 'Annie Laurie" "Three Fishers"
aud even the famous "McGinty" were
represented in perfect silence, save the
laughter of the guests, and at the close
prizes were awarded for correct lists.
These are a few of the most recent de-
vices for spending pleasanc evening,
when cards have lost their charm dane
ing has grown tiresome, and CONVEX
sation needs some impetus to set it in
motion. .9s-s H----'s =