Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-03-18

party, dHu many OIL tIlc Aicu wa
ready coming in for it.
1t is bit embarrassing to receive
set of guests for another affair while
saying good-by to other guests VINO
were not invited to that affair.
Many women insist upon knowing ex-
actiy how long they should stay. 1t Is
very hard to guide any one in this mat
ter. Stay as long as you are having
a good time, which is a girls dancing
motto, and may fit here.
Only don't overstay your time.
If many of your friends are at this
tea it is easy for you to prolong the
conventional half hour into an hour,
and there is no reason why you shouldn't
stay that long. 1t is always pleasant
for a hostess to have the presence of
persons who show they are having
good time. 1t gives zest to her zeal, and
encourages her to entertain often. Moth
ing is so great sign of success as an
atmosphere of laughter, chatter and
good nature.
1t is natural that one guest is inspired
by another who is having a good time.
The infection of joyousness spread. And
people go away saying: Didn't we
nave SOOu tlIIle. i 10 nope sic WILL
invite us there soon."
And that hostess and her house gets
to be a fad.
One stupid tea or one stupid ball or
dinner often gives a hostess a black
eye for the season. Those who are in
vited to an affair there say, II hear
you have such a stupid time there and
I am not going"
OF course. where an affair is very large
many of the guests are apt to be strang-
ers to each other, and this it not good
way to start a jolly afternoon. This
happens dozens of times in great city.
1t is not liable to happen once in a
small town.
To get down to details, rather than
the general side.
When you enter the door, place your
card on the tray that is presented to
you. In this country we have no man to
announce each guest as they do in Eu-
rope. Your card is merely left for the
hostess to see when she runs over them.
The number of cards to leave at such
an affair is changed with the seasons.
1t is not now considered necessary to
leave the whole pack" as some young
person phrased it. One card of your
own. and one of your husband, or broth
er, is quite enough. 1t was not so diff
ficult to leave the conventional number
of cards when only one person gave a
tea. But now, when it is the common
thing for five names to appear on an in
vitation, it grows cumbersome to carry
out the letter of the law. The spirit is
about all you can attend to, considering
the tremendous number of teas each
season brings out.
One of the maids or men who serve
will tell you where the dressing room is
as you enter the front door.
If you wish to go upstairs and remove
your wraps and arrange your hair, you
may do so. 1t is not necessary. You
are supposed to do as you please. WO-
men who are used to round of teas
never think of going to the dressing
room. 1t takes up toe much time.
If handsome cloth suit is worn with
furs, the jacket is simply unbuttoned,
thrown back. and the furs either car
ried on the arm or loosened from the
neck.
If one is afraid of taking cold by
keeping on wraps in the intense heat
of such reception rooms, the coat may
be removed in the dressing-room or
simply left on the chair or table in the
hall as you enter,
One does not remove a jacket this sea-
son unless the suit beneath is of one
color. AS separate blouses and skirts
are not considered dressy, a woman
prefers to keep the suit. She shows as
much of the blouse as possible by
thu owing back the jacket.
If. as is often the case this season, she
wears an entire suit of thin and light
cloth with long coat over it, she removes
this coat. If it a superb affair of fur
or plated taffeta, or embroidered
broadcloth, she may keep it on.
But it isn't in as good taste as to take
it off.
Women VINO drive to these houses
leave such a coat in the carriage. Those
who ride in the car or walk are apt to
leave them in the hall. This she may
consider as risk, for their safety is
not guaranteed as it is upstairs,
where maid is responsible for every
thing.
On entering the drawing-room door
one greetS the hostess first. She pre-
sents the guests to those who are re-
ceiving with her.
To make this easy for each guest it is
now customary for hostess and her
party to stand in line with the side of
the door. The hostess stands directly
at the door. At large teas many persons
are asked who often have not met the
hostess, who simply know some other
member of the family. Therefore, it
would be a little difficult for her to dis
tinguish the hostess from others receiv-
ing, unless she did stand in this posi-
ton.
Suppose you have not met the hostess.
Your name is not called at the door.
You cannot say to her, as that ire
sistibly funny man does in "Floro-
dora: "Allow me to present you my
card" But you can say, or rather you