The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-12-19

convenient and graceful way of
maintaining formal relations, but de-
cidedly inconvenient and clumsy way?
If it were not for the serious annoy
ance that it causes, it would be a mat
ter for hysterical laughter to see how
Mrs. Smith frets and fumes under the
necessity of remaining in the house on
q beautiful day because it is her day
at home, while at the other end of town
some woman is fretting and tuning
because she really feels it incumbent
on her to call on Mrs Smith, who
wishes quite as cordially that she
would stay away! And all this self
torture is for what? Because a certain
law of etiquette, not friendship, de-
m.ands it. When women are thinking
out their own salvation in other walks
Of life, it is a riddle why they should
still allow themselves in many of the
larger cities to be tyrannized over by
a custom suited only to the convenience
of earlier days. 1t seems like a mark
eddy pertinent subject here for the rea-
son that the Northwestern cities have
not shown the independence in this
particular that Eastern cities have.
There the teas" are the functions
adopted to simplify the calling system
in that they are but announcements
that the hostess will be at home to her
callers on a particular day and that
when they come or send their cards
the calling acquaintance is established
for year. This custom, with a little
modification, obtains in Cincinnati;
there lady announces to her friends
by card that she will be at home
Tuesdays, or Mondays, or whatever
day she may choose, during one month.
Each of her friends may select from
the four days that one most convenient
to herself and when she has greeted
her hostess at such a tea she is not
supposed to call again, nor is the hos
tess expected to receive her formal
callers any other days during the year.
She is thus relieved from the irkSome
restraint of being tied in the house one
day in each week. Here the tea not
only does not simplify the social prob
lem, but adds confusion to compleXity,
for, instead of taking the place of d
call, they seem to put the guest under
obligations to call again within short
time, Notwithstanding the fact that at
the tea she left her Garland in some
that there is not a lady of prominence
in st. Paul who does not feel the bur-
den of the present system of calling,
yet no one dares to start the mutiny
against the hoary tyrant.
The parlors of the Aberdeen were
made attractive last evening for the
german given by the children of Miss
Barrys dancing class. The floor was
covered with a we'll waxed canvas and
at one side stood a table leden with
dainty, quaint and fantastic favors
Wberewith to make the cotillion adjust
ments. About half past the little
guests were gathered in the ball room
and not few grown up children
found excuse to be there too, when the
music began and Miss Barry started
the rhythmic figures of the dance.
There were perhaps fifty children, but
when they were all gliding over the
floor, the gauzy, fluffy gowns of the
wee maids made the room seem full of
spirits. For such little ones they dis
played a remarkable sense of rhythm
and movement Of delightful ease.
Mrs. T. M Douglass, of the Aberdeen,
gave a reception from 3 to 5 o'clock
and from 5 to yesterday for Miss
Loughborough. The parlors were deco
rated with American Beauty roses and
ivy: the dining room with red carna-
tons and candles. Mrs. Charles Bige-
low presided at the table from to 5,
and Mrs. Furness and Mrs Archie
MacLaren from 8 to Z. Otherwise as