Waterbury evening Democrat., 1895-03-28

uI:liko it iHu, VG, though they sharo in It because thvIr fvmiEino kindred persuade them to. And then they recognize the i'm propriCty of women going out alone. But women do not need any escort to a tea, which generally occurs during daylight, and their natural protectors do not seem impolito or ungallant in not accompany ing them. Many a husband and a father, therefore, praises teas without stint; thinks them beneficial, interesting, delightful; hopes that in timc they will supcrscdo every other form of social entertainment, etc, for no other reason than that ho keeps clear of them. Who has not heard men say they would be rCjuiccd if society might bo carried on by one sex alone?
 The wish is natural, but the thing is impossible. Afternoon teas, however, ap- prOach moro nearly to tho wish's realiZa- tiOn than any other kind of social cOnvo- cation has yet done. Not n few women arc haunted by dread that tho slow but steady increase of masculine absentecism may wreck teas utterly, But so long as thcro is sprinkling of mon this sort of function will he saved. They are constant ly bcsuught tu go, and somc of them yield and may continue 10 yield indefinitely. They may be flattrrcd by solicitation and by the fact that their paucity is suro to mako them welcome. A man could scarce ly bo SO diSagrceablc I imagine, as to be uninvitablc to a tea.
 If men generally did not abominate so- ciety in all it's variations, they could hard l ly condemn teas, so mild, so diluted Hro these. A tea appears to Do innocent and l empty enough. Tho men come in light trousers, Prince Albert coats, in street ! costume merely; the women in walking | gowns and bunuCtS, only tho hostess deem | ing it, wi;huuf fitness or consistency, in | diSpCnSablC tD hC triCkCd out as for a ball. 1 Whether this is designed as raimentIl 1 sarcasm or as an intimation that she ! could, if she wished tu, afford something | better, more Ulahuratc than n tea nobody can tell. l, may bo intended as a hint that she alone enjoys tho affair, and that she must thrr, fur,' ,!r,ss up, ar down. |" her | enjoyment. Her feminine guests certainly ! iouk very p,alr, sUluiVr, furlnrn in their l plain garb CulnParJl with her SumptuOuS exterior. Or it may sO advertise the cir | CumsianCV tLat >ho iS tho hostess, and that every hudy must pay UbrisanCo to her, first and ln>t.
 Thl dut:,S Ia ho discharged at n tea are very slight and urCd occupy very little ! time. All CIlr needs tu dn is la grCct the hostess and l.rr hu>hlnd if he F." alivo oI present. walk through the drawing room,
 
 nS one may find, decline rcfrrShmcntS il ufTrr,~l. take leave of the hostess and de Iart. Must guests Iln murr than this, tC fc sure. but nrurr is not Cnj"in"Sl. They stand around. prattlc, gossip, exchange insinCCre, meaningless compliments, drink a cup of tea, nibhlc q biscuit. perhaps swallow an icO and then bCtake them selves to dinner. Few remain beyond an hour at furthr>t; most of them not beyond half an hour; som" hut 10 ur h minutes. At large tea they come and go cOntinu- ally. It is remarkable how many may be Invited without suffucation. The rooms are packed at intervals, but they are speedily relieved; the prrs>uro is never long. \ tea is given sn that s'Cial nhliga i tiuns may he discharged at small cost. Ar | ordinary house will acCuInmndate srvCra hundreds in thrrr hours when they COul( i not get into an evening reception simul tancOusly. This is one of its grcatGst ad vantagcs and its chief excuse for being Nobody need be excessively bored at tea and the reason men detcst it Is that il claims to rcprcAsnt society, commonly odi ous to tho SEX.
 JUNIUs HENRI BROWNE