The times., 1898-01-30
A CUTE CUPID cOT|LLOn
Homemade CherubS as Ushers
at a Valentine Dance.
SHOTS AT A RED HEART
If You Have No Four-Year-0ld Tots
to Dress Up With Wings, Bows
and Arrows, Borrow or Rent "A
Few-Cotfll.en Partners Defer
nined by "Fate."


February Ia for the romantically in
clined TO issue invitations for a val
entine. party.
III the company is not to be a very
large one. there is also time to design
appropriate cards upon which to in
scribe the invitation. Heart shaped
foundations with Cupids playing
snatches of familiar love songs-the
music of which may be written out in
couple of decorative bars-lever's
knots, wedding rings and, perhaps,
bells are all good schemes or such an
occasion. If, however, party OF thir-
Jy or forty is TO be invited, it would
be better to defer the arduous task OF
decorating cards. and to keep them for
the evening when the great event oc-
ours
one the invitations are issued. the
prospective hostess may devote all her
time to preparations for the entertain
ment OF her guests. and the more orig
inal ideas she can gather, and the more
unique, and at the same time appro-
PIRATE, each form of amusement may
appear, the better for Iser reputation
as hostess.
One of the leaders of the social set
in this city has already planned a CO.
Jillion for the celebration of the day.
She has chosen to make Cupid the
theme of decoration. and around him
she viii weave all the variations of de-
sign which her OWN and her friends
ingenuity can devise When her guests
arrive. they Will be admitted as US
ual. by a cclored porter, but on step
ping Inside they will be greeted by
Cupid himself. who directs them. with
the aid Of an arrow where to go to re-
move their wraps.
cupid, in this ease, is the hostess
little four -year-old daughter dressed in
fieSh-coloTed lights and wings, and With
her cherub face and curly head, she viii
look the part to perfection. Anyone
who is not blessed with such daughter
can usually borrow one from friend.
Indeed, for her chorus OF six Cupi6s.
the clever hostess above mentioned has
hired half dozen chubby little five
year-olds from the mission school
These she will cIothe in pink tights,
with a sash running from the right
shoulder and tying at the left hip, and
from it viii suspend quiver of arrows.
She Will personally train her improyis-
ed Cupids TO sing a ravishing love song
appropriate TO the occasion at stated
intervals during the evening.
Appropriate Valentine cotillion faNors
are boutonnieres of flowers whose sig
nificance is explained on a tiny fold of
paper, concealed between the blossoms
which must not be opened until after
the partner is chosen and receives the
favor. whereupon he unfolds and reads
the words therein inscribed, to his own
satisfaction, and perhaps to the confu-
sion Of the fair donor. A pink carna-
ton, for instance. means a wonan's
1.
such incidents as these Were fraught
with the most fateful conse,iuen -nS, for
if the maiden happens to feel any Of the
sentiments thus fiorally expressed.
there is danger that she may betray
the fact when suddenly confronted with
the chance coincidence.
One of the games. which is somewhat
suggestive of the donkey party. is both
amusing and exciting. for the winner
not only receives a prize but also an
assurance that she will be the first of
the company to wed. 1t is played with
tiny bows and arrows. which can ca
silly be made at home. Only two bows
are needed, one for the men and one
for the women of the party. If nothing
better can be found of which to make
the bows, pieces of whalebone will
serve. AS many arrows as there are
guests will be needed. and they may
be made into attractive souvenirs with
little care in whiting and deeorat-
ing them They are incest when made
OF wood with strings Of hearts done in
red ink and the initials or full name
Of the guest for whom each is intended
inscribed with lead pencil. If all the
arrows are not perfectly made how
ever. 1t is better to leave them unlabel-
ed. allowing each to choose an arrow,
upon which the name may be written
before using. Each arrow is provided
with a pin at the end which sticks
10 whatever il strikes in the shape of a
target The target in this case is a
big, red heart cut from turkey red
print and fastened on q large sheet
that is tackled to the wall. In this mat
rimonial contest the young women
have the first trial Each one takes her
turn, standing at q distance of about
s feet from the heart and, after max
ing her arrow. aims ii at the very cen
ter of the target. After all have had a
trial the punctured heart is inspected.
and the one whose arrow struck near
est to the center wins the prize as well
as the congratulations of her friends
for being the first prospective bride of
the company
The men next have an opportunity
to test their Workmanship in archery
and matters of the heart If by any
chance the winner on this side of the
party should happen TO be interested
in the prize girl in the contest. their
friends will find great deal of amuse-
ment in the circumstance
The real event of the occasion. how
ever, is the choice of partners of VAL
entines for the evening. This is done
10y lot or perhaps it would be more in
keeping with the spirit of the day to /
say by fate" In a room adjoining |
that in which the refreshments are
there viii be a large bowl filled |
with envelopes containing valentines /
for everybody. There will be pink en- |
Telopes for the girls. and whites ones /
for the men. Inside each envelopes is
a card decorated with cupids and 9TH
eT levery-dovery things, and inscribed |
with puzzle or conundrum which. /
when guessed. stands for the name of |
some member of the party After, /
drawing. everybody begins to guess. |
and each man. upon discovering the |
fair ones whose name is thus enigmati- /
caIy expressed. invites her to take re- |
freshments with him and be his Val !
entine for the remainder of the even
ing. The envelopes which the young !
women draw contain the names of !
those upon whom they are to bestow |
the first favor of the coti1lion
At a similar party given last year |
this method of choosing parners was T
found both amusing and satisfactory. |
Some of the plays upon the names of |
guests We're decidedly clever Miss |
Waters was fittingly designated as
he daughter of the Mississippi a |
logical deduction from the term. Faith
pr of Waters commonly applied to the
grand old river. Miss Parks. who is |
small and from Boston. was called "a |
OH OF cultured nature. Sometimes it
was necessary TO divide q lnusr mama |