The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-01-07

and pleasing one, changing its form to
certain extent az time passes on, but al
ways expressing the same idea OF start /
ing out hand in hand. as 1t were, with |
ones friends to 20 through with the new
tale of months that begins again every
FIRST OF January. In the old time almost
every home was open with a bountiful
store OF turkey. ham. jellies. custards,
cakes. nuts. fruits and wine laid out In
tempting array on a long table sometimes
in the back parlur- sometimes in the dim
Ing room, and the amount of food eaten
and vine drunk during the day was sim
ply astonishing. Nous ayons change tout
celia.
The idea Of Capitalization OF power
seems to have penetrated social circles
for now the plan has obtained OF concen-
tratlng forces into a few houses, making
them especially attractive and enabling
the callers to kill good many birds
with one stone. The saving OF time is
great and a clever man might be able TO
make every woman In the house believe
his call was made especially TO her. but
as general rule this plan Will not be
success and the compliment OF the call is
necessarily diminished In degree. The
money formerly layished on the table is
now used IN the decoration -and perhaps
that Is an Improvement from a hygienic
point OF view The pleasure OF looking at
beautiful flowers is one easily digested.
while many one has suffered grieyously
in the past from tho amount OF food they
were tempted TO consume In the day 8
round.
But the greatest Improvement and one
that redeems all faults in the new way Of
keeping the day, is in the fact that there
is 50 much less drinking done. Naturally
3 man can not drink as much in FIVE houses
os ne can in twenty, and there Is not al
ways wine in all Of the Ave. Last Mon
day there was wine only in two houses
out Of the FIVE thrown open and then only
IN the punch a glass OF good wine on a
cold day is an excellent thing in fact
or warm one but II Is not every man,
young or old, that knows how to gauge
his glasses. aud IL is a difficult matter
10 accept a glass AT one house and refuse
At another. The amount OF wine offered
and drunk in the old times was simply
dreadful when one considers that So
many OF the callers were young men, not
accustomed 10 much drinking, and the
difference In that one point Is an object
lesson in the improved morality Of the
world. In the good old days many 4
man was taken home in a beastly state oil
intozication after his days round and nc
harm done TO his rsputation-now that
fact would be distinct disgrace to him
And It should be. OF course, there arr
Instances OF men and women. too-GoC
help us-who have drunk wine enough
al social functions 10 cloud for the mo
rient the mind given them for high pur
poses and 10 lower them. II only for a
hour or two, from the standard OK man
illness and womanliness that should neve
be forgotten, but | am more than happ
To say such Instances are rare In Hous
ton. That they leave scar on the repu
tation of those who make the exception
very certain.
The homes thrown open last Monday
those OF Mrs. r. S. Loyett. Mrs. w, c
Van Week. Mrs, Henry Henke. Mrs. Rot
ert Brewster. Mrs. Robert Keyworth ar
Miss Hurley. were even more beautiful
decorated than is customary, the accou
given In detail in the Tuesday Post beir
entirely Inadequate. II seemed impossib
10 give an idea OF the charm OF the beal
tiiul ideas. so artistically carried out
Mrs, Loyett's home the classic idea W
chosen with garlands and wrsaths su,
as are seen in pictures OF the interiors
early Greek and Roman houses, and I
effest was simply delightful
In Mrs. Keyworth's was tho Joy al
Van Weeks the graceful bower-lilte
feet wrought by the lavish use OF win
and the purity OF white flowers MI
Henke. for was told by her mother tn
TO her was due all credit for the who
affair--except what she divided with t
friends assisting her made her home e
tremely attractive without expressing a
special idea She knew well enough III
the crowd OF girls that were with h
would blind the callers TO any spec
plan OF decoration. but there were bea
tiful flowers and ferns and vines TO ma
hitting background for the group.
Mrs. Brewster's house never look
brighter or gayer, and Mrs. Brewster h,
self was never more entertaining,
younger women about her looked on W
admiration as che kept crowd interest
and delighted by her bright and emit
tanning conversation. The Spinsters W.
fortunate In their selection OF place
receive In. Miss Hurley's home being
well adapted to entertaining. Among W
attractive surroundings they recei,
their friends during the day. and In
evening gathered them all together
wind up the day In novel and agreen
way. They had geographical evenir
and when they were all arrived each q,
tlernan was given the name Of state q
each lady the principal town. so that pa
ners were found by the bringing togetl
questions were then given them to
swer, such as What State Is rellgi
ceremony" the answer being MAS:
and so On. bringing out many amusing
clever answers.
One Of the terrors OF society edItc
lite Is a Hat OF names. What with be
'that druv" many times that the s. !
mind u not exactly clear. and with
Intelligent compositor" naturally
rayed against the writer. and names
given and names given over the pho
and names Just naturally lost In
shuttle a society editor has hard 4
OF H. There were some gricvous err
"a the several lists of receiving part
which would like to correct. Mrs. Y
liam Christian and Misses Hattie aud
liza smith were among the irst chosen
Mrs. l.oyett 10 assist her. and yet by st
unfortunate series Of chances the We
was mot told OF the fact by me, Then
u. A. Abercromhie OF Huntsville. and
n. A. Landes and Mrs. Charles y, Wa
OF Galveston. who we're asked BY N
Loyett 70 receive with her. could only
the latter know on sunday that they CO
b. here 80 their names were not on
list On the other hand. Miss Efhe jol
who was prevented BY death IN her Il
lily from taking any part or lot IN