The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-09-28
NOVEL ENTERTAINMENTS.
Unconventional Diversions That Add
Variety to Social Life.
Philadelnhia edQer


Variety to Social Life.
Philadelphia Ledger.
The successful hostess of to-day must
provide for her guests something more
than the conventional dinner, reception,
luncheon. card party or dance of the days
of our grandmother.
1t is the indoor functions which tax MI
lady's ingenuity and originality; the sum-
mer diversions, consisting of garden fetes,
launching excursions, picnics and porch
parties. not difficult to arrange. Win
ter and autumn are the strenuous seasons
for the ambitious hostess.
The cotillion. od-fashioned german, is
always a delightful form of entertaining IA
large number of people and always may be
made clever and original by the selection or
favors. Each season and holiday brings its
new figures for use in the cotillion. For a
Christmas or Valentines day, Thanksgiving
or Washington's birthday celebration moth
ing is so appropriate or so easily arranged
as cotillion. This form of entertainment is
more or less expensive, but Ii 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 number or
girls and men must be present. each receiv-
ing card with a numbered list of subjects
for conversation written upon tia lively
piece of social news of the day, the an
nouncement of a certain engagement, a
Mrs. So and So" appeared recently or any
thing which might be discussed for few
minutes. There must be as many subjects
as couples.
About the various rooms the hostess has
arranged tete-a-tetes. each with a number
above 1t. Each guest is asked to draw a
number from a receptacle of some descrlp-
ton, there being duplicates 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 gossip.
When every one is seated the hostess taps
a 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
number to gossip about the second topic.
This continues until the subjects are ex-
hausted, and at the same time each man
has talked with every girl in the party.
Pencils and slips of paper are distributed
at the conclusion. and the girls write the
name of the man who has gossiped with
them most entertainingly. The men do like
wise, and prizes are given to those voted
most proficient In the art OF gossiplng
This form Of entertainment may be made
pretty and picturesque by giving garden
or out-of-door effect to the rooms. Palms,
flowers, hammocks, porch chairs and other
outside accessories scattered about over a
green canvas floor covering or lmltation
grass rugs lend a pretty lawn party effect
In case the latter idea is employed the inyi-
tations may read, "a Garden Gossip
Party a more less startling invita- ton
I'm the midst of winter Summer gowns add
to the warm weather effect OF this sort OF
entertainment.
Proposal parties are new and clever when
properly introduced. The hostess when her
guests have arrived informs the men that
they must propose to every girl in the room
tells them they must do 1T in proper style
and take her off to one of the coy corners
or secluded hooks she has arranged about
the rooms. She then takes her women
guests aside and gives each of them hall
as many little red hearts of paper. flannel
silk or any convenient material as there
are men in the party. she also gives eacn
girl an equal number of tiny white nit
tens.
AT the signal of the hostess every man
selects girl and asks her to marry him
pressing his suit until he is forced to leave
her by the jingle of the hostess's bell. He
then proposes to another girl, and so or
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 a we'll
told confession of love, mitten for the less
impressive tale.
At the end of the stated hour the mems
collections of hearts and mittens are
counted and prizes are given them. The
man with the largest pile of mittens is con-
soled with pair of white wooden mittens.
The men fare best at proposal party, az
the prizes go to them
For an afternoon entertainment a spin
| sters' at-home" Is a good idea. Each guess
arrives attired in the garments of hel
| hair hanging about in corkscrew curls Oh
| equally ancient style. She may wear hoop:
| and walk with tiny mincing steps or she
| may have powdered wig, patches and g
| much bef1owered and berufled gown. II
| any case she must represent the spinstel
| 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 adjusted
her spectacles, each guest gets out he
Knitting" and over it each spinster mus
| tell how 1t happened that she never mar
| ried.
Afternoon tea and prizes for the best 70
nance conclude an entertainment of Thu
| kind.
Young girls enjoy baby party whel
| they all appear in short frocks, carrying
| their dolls, and spend the afternoon talkin:
over their mud pies.
If one must adhere strictly to the fixet
rules of etiquette a girls mother must an
| little parties are given by the girls them
| selves to make their approaching marriage
| known. 1t is trifie unconventional to an
| nounce ones own engagement, and still
| more to allow a girl friend to do so
| However, this is an unconventional age.
An announcement luncheon may be car
| ried out in the following manner: The tab
4 must be dressed in sentimental designs
such as hearts, Cupids and bows and ar
| rows, and as place card little hear
| shaped booklet is used. When the guest
| are seated each opens her tiny book ant
! the girl holding page No. / reads the frs
| installment of a little love story This end
abruptly at the bottom of the page and i
girl. The last installment is the announce
| ment of the engagement of the hostess AM
may be read by herself or any one to whom
she desires to intrust the news.