The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-10-08
ENTERTAINMENT.
SUGGESTIONS FOR "PRoPOSAL, :"
 GOSSIP"
"spInster" and "Baby Parties'-FOr
 LuncheOns.

The SucceSSIul hostess LII tO-NdJ hAu0| provide for her guests something more than the conventional dinner, reception. luncheon, card party or dance of the day of our grandmothers.
 It is the indoor functions which tax rnilady's ingenuity and originality; the summer diversions, consisting of gar- den fetes, launching excursions, pie nics and porch parties, are not difficult to arrange Winter and autumn are the strenuous seasons of the ambitious hostess.
 The cotillion, or old-fashioned ger- man, is always a delightful form of en- tertaining a large number of people and always may be made clever and original by the selection of faVors. Each season and holiday brings it's new figures for use in the cotillon. For Christmas or Valentine day. Thanks givng or Washingtons birthday cele- bration nothing is as appropriate or so easily arranged as cotillon. This form of entertainment is more or less expensive, but it need not be elaborate to be successful, and often two or more people entertain together, sharing the expense.
 An amusing evening may be spent at a gossip party. For this an even num- Der of girls and men must be present, each receiving card with numbered list of subjects for conversation written upon it-a lively piece of social news of the day, the announcement of cer- tain engagement, a. striking or con- spicuous costume in which Mrs. So and So'' appeared recently or anything which might be discussed for a few minutes. There must be as many sub- jects as couples.
 About the various rooms the hostess has arranged tete-a-tetes, each with a number above it. Beach guest is ask ed to draw a number from a recepta- cle of some description, there being du- plicates of each number one for the man and one for the woman. These numbers are matched with those above the tete-a-tetes until each guest has seat and partner with whom to gos- sip. When every one is seated the hos tess taps bell and announces the first topic on the card, and for five minutes that particular bit of news is discussed. Again the mistress of ceremonies rings her bell and reads the second subject aloud. Each man then says au revoir to the girl with whom he has been talking and moves on to the next num- Der to gossip about the second topic. This continues until the subjects are exhausted, and at the same time each man has talked with every girl in the party.
 Pencils and slips of paper are dis rtbiuted at the conclusion, and the girls write the name of the man who has gossiped with them most entertaining ly The men do likewise, and the prizes are given to those voted most proficient in the art of gossiping.
 This form of entertainment may be made pretty and picturesque by giving a garden or out-of-door effect to the rooms. Palms, flowers, hammocks, porch chairs and other outside access sories scattered about over green canvas floor covering or imitation grass rugs lend a pretty lawn party ef- feet. In case the latter idea is em- ployed the invitations may read, "A arden Gossip Party" more or less startling invitation in the midst of win ter. Summer gowns add to the warm weather effect of this sort of entertain ment.
 Proposal parties are new and clever when properly introduced. Ths hostess, when her guests have arrived, informs the men that they must propose to ev- cry girl in the room within stated period of time. She also tells them they must do it in proper style. and take her off to one of the cosy corners or se- cluded hooks she has arranged about the rooms. She then takes her women guests aside and gives each of them half as many little red hearts of paper flannel silk, or any convenient mate rial, as there are men in the party. She also gives each girl an equal number of tiny white mittens.
 At the signal of the hostess every man selects a girl and asks her to mar ry him, pressing his suit until he is forced to leave her by the jingle of the hostess bell. He then proposes to an- other girl, and so on until he has laid his heart at the feet of every one in the party. The girls distribute the hearts and mittens, a heart for we'll told confession of love, mitten for the less impressive tale.
 At the end of the stated hour the mems collection of hearts and mittens are counted and prizes are given them. The man with the largest pile of init tens is consoled with a pair of white wooden mittens.
 The men fare best at a proposal par ty, as the prizes go to them.
 For an afternoon entertainment a "Spinsters' at Home" is a good idea. Each guest arrives attired in the gar ments of her grandmother, and with an abundance of hair hanging about in corkscrew curls or equally ancient style. She may wear hoops and walk with tiny mincing steps, or she may have powdered wig. patches and a much be1owered and beruff1ed gown. In any case she must represent the spin ster of whom we read and, if she likes, may bring with her parrot or cat.
 After she has put by" her bonnet, strengthened out her flounces, and ad- justed her spectacles. each guest gets out her knitting" and over 1t each spinster must tell how it happened that she never married.
 Afternoon tea and prizes for the best