The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-11-04

AT AFTERNOON TEA
How This Delightful Social
Function Should Be
Arranged.
POINTS FOR HOSTESS AND GUEST
The Subject Fully Discuased-Nest
Appropriate Dresses Chat
fer Wheelwomen.

Snail bits of pasteboa.c are now ap-
pearing in yoar morning NAH that signi-
f. the returning home OF your friends.
A home from 4 until e. sounds simple
enough; but to the woman whose after
moons III the season are not usually de-
voted to teas, 70 whom the ceaseiess
"giggle, gabbie, gobble, sit" as Dr..
Holmes translates it, of these affairs is
not a stale and oft tried recreation or
bore. as the case may be, there comes a
wee hutter of anticipation as to whether
it will be pleasant and what is expected
of her.
What time must she go? How long is
it etiquette to stay? What must she
wear, bonnet and veil? Must she keep
on her wrap? These trivial interroga-
lions may be laughed at by the woman
of fashion-she who has her tablet stud
ded with memoranda of dates from 4
until g." that must be kept for argus
eyed duty,s sake; but there are scores OF
Others, whose busy lives have not seen
the way to social functions. whom the
responsibilities Of growing households
have kept away from even so simple a
recreation for the past decade. All OF
us remember the pathetic sketch OF Mrs
Burtou Harrison concerning the hail
bedroom boarder's first big tea; Mrs.
Harrison only drew graphically from life;
there are many to whom that little card
.sfrom 4 to e. is an event, not an in
cident.
If it is a casual acquaintance, if this
is your first card to the house. go about
S o'clock and stop not over thirty min
utes; fashionable callers will not remain
over fifteen minutes; it is, however, not
a question of etiquette or time. A half
dozen more such visits wait their paying
probably.
You will wear a bonnet or hat, one
tha suits your best gown. A theatre
bonnet is bad form. What would con-
stitute your regulation visiting gown
is the correct thing. If you &c in a car
riage, that mode of transportation allows
you a little more freedom in the choice
of ~colors, but to be underdressed rather
than overdressed is the least of the two
evils.
HOW YOU WILL BE ANNOUNCED.
In such a hurry do smart women have
to attend to these things that a tailor
gown has become W at the big
gest affair of the afternoon. But you
have no excuse for thus dressings; put
on your visiting gown; don't buy flow
ers to wear, they are unnecessary; wear
your best hat or bonnet with the ex-
ceptfon before mentioned). Wear white
or gray gloves; put on your veil and
keep it on, wear you best street wrap
don't think of a light cap for such an
occasion), and with your card case in
your hand you are fully equipped for So
cial battle.
When the butler throws open the front
door he indicates which is the dressing
room; you go there, lay aside your wrap,
see to it that the wind or rain has not
spoiled your toilet, and go to the re-
ception room; as you advance a man SER
want will meet you at the door with a
small silver salyer; you drop on your
card; he reads it and your
name. Dom jump or start as you near
his tones, no one will notice the inter
ruption but your hostess. who continual
1y has her eye on her man servant.
You will advance and shake hands with
her, and then, if it is a large affair in a
large city, you will be allowed to take
care of yoursflf. Your hostess will in
g gioVed fmmsaidJns viii serve you infer-
hostess has a guest receiving with her
you win be introduced. You are not
expected to stand there and continue a
conversation with either hostess or
guest; they have no time for that. If
You have to wander off by yourself and
be in the isolated position of one VINO
ton by the process you will condemn. So
ciety ever more than before and class
its member as a rude lot: But these
laws of seeming inhospitality are well
that you have ignored society before,
and therefore know 10 one. in this
gathering to talk with; -. ,,n
This will be the probable behavior If
the affair is large and formal. But
there are hostesses who decline to send
fortably attend to, should each guest
accept; and, while you observe the same
etiquette at such a house as a formal
affair. your hostess will see to it that
hour.
Do not remove your gloves when eat
ing or do not consider that you must sit
down; you may ruin your gloves, but
candle, as the old saying goes. Dc not
consider it necessary to eat at all, il you
feel that it will be more, awkward than
BILE" without anyone to "gabble" with;
under such stress of circumstances it is
better to shortly git" and then you
som of your family. If two go together
1t is infinitely ~pleasanter.
1t is not necessary TO bid your hostess
go94d55Dyfe or unless lies Sn;n IS conveniently nd sit,
catch her attention.
It is still an undecided point of eti-
auette whether an afternoon. tea re-
quires a second call or not: but it is
better to err on the side of courtesy and
return it before ten lay have elapsed.
When your cards call for a series of
Harding is at home on Thursday in
January then no further call is needed.
She has indicated to you that she would
be glad to have your usual visit on that