River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1895-01-24
HOSTESS AND euEcIs.
Some of the Unwritten Laws That cee1ra
the House Earfx

the House Parry.
The practice of giving house rarties
during the late autumn mo1hs has
been so much part of American social
lie, that few rules governing them
may not be out of place.
The average invitation IS for four
nights, from Tuesday 70 Saturday and
only intimate friends arc invited to re-
main beyond that day The hour of
arrival Is not left entirely to the dis
erection of tie guests. and the hostess
either mentions the hour at which the
most convenient train will arrive. OF.
requests them to tell her by what train
she may expect them. When a long
notice IS given. these details are ar
ranged with IN n week Of visi.. p,,t Z,
is an understood thing that quests
should arrive between > 3-.d o'clocl.
P. m, If possible and not early in the
afternoo..i Neither should they ave il
doubtful as to what time Of me dav
they intend arriving. as it would be
an awkward coEtretemrs to Enc the
hostess not at home o. arrival ana To
have anticipated her Welcome by
couple of hours.
Punctuality at meals Is one Of the
eanons Of good taste on the part OF
guests. At 4 dinner party. either in
town or country, host and hostess
have to submit to the inevitable and
wait with what patience they can for
tardy arrivals; but guests under the
roof OF hosts and hostess have no such
latitude allowed them. and at the see
ond sound of the gong they are expect
ed 10 assemble and await with their
entertainers the announcement OF
dinner, which follows within FIVE to
ed through the house. Early rising IS
50 much of a characteristic of the
times, that to be punctual to breakfast
IS scarcely merit, and il is no longer
considered ultra-faShionablet to app.
long after the recognized breakfast
hour. Ten minutes grace is
tacitly conceded, not that the
host and hostess wait for
these guests at this meal, but that no
excuse Is needed for so slight delay.
Again, at luncheon guests are ex-
pected to obey the call Of the gong to
the minute. even if they have not
already fouEd their way to the draw
ing room before The luncheon hour has
struck. Afternoon tea demands only
semi-punctuality, but guests seldom
take advantage of this. and are pro-
verbally true TO the tryst. The gentle
men of party, on the other hand, are
seldom in at luncheon TIM, and their
appearance at the tea hour IS not To DO
counted upon. \ late return from
shooting in grimy and maucv coudi-
ton often induces them 10 hide and
rest in the smoking room rather than
TO array themselves for conquest.
There are men, however. who would
not miss the tea hour with the ladies',
and so make hasty toilet after days
shooting to Join them.
As with the meals OF the day, so
with every engagement throughout il;
guests are expected to Ice ready at the
hour named for whatever expedition IS
set on foot and not TO keep their host
ess and others of a party waiting their
tardy appearance. Providing that
guests take the trouble TO be punctual,
their individual idiosyncrasles do noB
strike their hostess unpleasantly if any
such come TO the front. They are part
of a party, and their individuality i'm
presses itself more upon their fellow
guests than upon their hostess; the re-
verse IS tine case when hostess has
but one guest in place of many Then
it is that the bearing of a guest makes
a visit a success or a failure, as
far as the pleasure derived from
it by hostess IS concerned.
Almost every hostess has come
across a guest who has proved
impossible, difficult to amuse
and please, and selfshly inconsiderate,
and who contrasted unfavorablv with
some sweet, charming and cousiderate
one who had Immediately preceded
her and whose departure was FELT with
as keen regret as that of her prede-
cessor's was hailed with relief. it
might be supposed that ladies when
guests in house would make the best
of adverse circumstances, to wit, the
weather; but. as a fact. they compare
unfavorably with the men of a party,
who, although shut up in a house, and
6ebarred from shooting by reason of
weeping skies and wailing winds, yet
find solace when no striking or lovely
feInsle element is present ir the smoll-
ing room, where they envelope them
selves in clouds OF tobacco smoke, and
give no anxiety as regards what to -
with them, TO either host or hostess.
Guests are expected to follow tho
lead Of their hostess on every occasion
from morning TO evening. She gives
the signal and takes the initiative,
whether in the dining room after each
meal, or in the drawing room at the
different hours of the day, and at its
close she makes the move for the gen.
eral dispersal, which rests with her
and not with her guests.
Although it IS the rule for host to
send to the railway station for his
guests, yet when the party is a large
one, he can only convey a certain NUM-
Der, and not all; should this be the
case. fiys have TO be ordered before
hand by the guests themselves when
made aware that it S not possible 10
send to meet the train by which they
travel. but it IS prin cipaliy the single
men of party who are thus obliged to
find their own conveyances. Boston
Herald.