The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-04-26

The emaled iplomatists. planners u
OF matches for Laura and Jane,
The ice, of her ladyship's manners!
The ice, of his loruship's champagne"
The season in London extends from MAJ
20 August, often longer if parliament is il
session. In Paris it is from May to tn
..crand prix." when it is supposed to ent
about the 10th of June.
But in New York and Washington it i
all winter. from November l to Lent witt
good E~piscopalians, and from November t.
Nav with the rest of mankind.
1t then begins again in July with the peo-
ple who go to Newport and Bar Harbor
and keeps up until September. when com
In Tuxedo and the gayety of Long Island
and the Hudson. Indeed, with the gayety
of country house life. hunting and lawr
tennis and driving. it is hard to say wher
the American season ends.
There is one sort of entertainment which
is a favorite everywhere and very conven'
ient-it is the afternoon reception, or party
by daylight.
The gas is lighted, the day excluded
the hostess and the guests are in beautiful
toilette, their friends come in street dresses
and bonnets, their male friends in frock
coats. This is one of the anomalies of
fashion. These entertainments are very
large and a splendid collation. is served.
The form of invitation is simply:
Mrs. Brown at home Thursday.
From three to six.
and unless an r. s. V. p. is appended, no
reply is expected. These receptions are
with h]ousekeepers az they save the
servants from staying up at night.
The drawback to the reception is that in
sur busy world of America very few gentle
men can spare the time to call in the day
time, SO the attendance is largely feminine.
On entering, the guest places a card on
she table, OF if she cannot be present at the
reception she should send a card in ar en-
velope.
After these entertainments which are
a lady should call. 1t is a 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 %punctual, as
doubtless they are to be seated, and that
takes time.
NO laUV WHO gives Il nuSIChlo SlOulO Ii
vite more han she can seat comfortably.
and she should have her rooms cool and her
lights soft and shaded.
People with weak eyes suffer dreadfully
from a glare of gas, and when music is 60
ing on they cannot move to relieve them
selves. The hostess should think of all
this.
Who can endure the mingled misery of a
hot room, an uncomfortable seat, q glare OF
gas and a pianoforte solo?
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 and
convenient medium, and no one feels Of
Tended if an invitation arrives with a two
cent stamp IN the envelope. There is no
''loss of caste' in sending an invitation by
post.
Then comes the ball, or, as they always
say in Europe, "the dance. which is the
gayest of all things for the debutante. The
popular form for an invitation to an even
ing party is to ''request the pleasure Of"
MRS. HAMMOND
Requests the pleasure of
Company on Tuesday evening. December %,
AT nine o'clock.
Dancing. R. s. V. P.
The card of the debutante (f the ball is
,iven for one is enclosed.
If these invitations are sent to a new ac-
quaintance, or to strangers in town. the
card of the gentleman is lnclosed to gentle
man, that of both husband and wife to
other ladies and gentlemen.
If a hostess gives a ball at some public
place, like Delmonico's she has but little
trouble. The compliment is not the same
as if she gave II IN her own house, how
ever.
If there is room. a ball in a private house
is much more agreeable and of greater
honor to the guest. The ball room shou d
be brilliantly Lighted, we'll ventilated and
not too hot.
Gentlemen who have not an acquaint-
ance should be presented to the young
dancing set first, of course, to the cha
peron.
AS, however, the hostess cannot leave her
post while receiving, she should have two
or three friends to help her. And great
care should be taken that there be no wall
flowers, no neglected girls. A great draw
back to balls in the United States is that
there is a lack of conveniences for
ed. In Europe. where the elderly
are first considered, seats are
placed around the room, somewhat high,
for the chaperons. and at their feet sit the
%debutantes. These covered sofas in three
tiers run round the bathrooms in palaces
and are let out az we hire small chairs fol
musicales. | have often wondered why
they do not become the fashion in our cit.
les. They not only add to the comfort o.
the sitters. but they are very becoming tc
the room, the chaperon making a distin
Rulshed background.
Supper is served in two ways, either
buffet kept open all the evening, with serv,
ants behind the table, or at small tables
Tn hostess enters first with the most dis
$ir, trlaI ENACT Hot nyutnru hnnnI TIM
keys, salmon salad, gan1e-patties, ices
%iellies. fruits and champagne. punch ane
liquors are offered.
A yonng lady should never be careless al
to her ballroom engagements; she shoult
not refuse one partner and tax another
Such things give more lasting otfense thai
one cares to give. A young man is bounc
by all the traditions of gentle breeding tt
remember his engagements.
All those gratultous attentions to lool
around and see if any one has been neg
lected, any lady not taken down to supper
all that is part of his duty to his hostess.
The first persons asked to dance shoul'
be the daughters of the house, to them an,
to their Immediate relatives and friends
must the first attentions be paid by gentle
men who are invited.
1t is not wise for young ladies to join il
every dance, MOI should a young chaperon
dance leaving her ptotege sitting.
A mother sh ould try to attend her dauph
tiers to every ball and stay as long as the
40. But many mothers are not invited, a
they take up too much room. and one youn
chaperone Is asked to do duty for man,
This is a great mistake. Let a lady Civ
two or three balls if she has not room fe
the mother; if it be necessary to Inn
the invitations, let the whole family /
left out. An American hostess if 81
wishes to improve the art of entertain