The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-05-29

MX3$I girl in one of the big Eastern
cities who was known by the
sobriquet of THE UNLIMITED Guest" Ac-
cording to the newspaper columns, the
young woman appeared day after day for
period of several weeks, at various func-
lions to which had never been invited.
None of the hostesses whom she honored
even knew who she was, but that little
drawback did not dampen the spirits OF
the girl, and she appeared as cheerfully at
small and exclusive luncheons as at big
brushes.
The unlimited guest is perhaps a prize
specimen; but for all that, she represents
in her exaggerated way, a type that is not
so uncommon might be wished Every
city of any size-every village, perhaps,
too; probably every place where there is
any social life whatever-knows the society
puSher of whom the prize bloom Is the
UNLIMITED Guest.
Indianapolis happily is not metropolitan
enough to have an UNLIMITED Guest OF her
own; but unlimited guests she has not
infrequently indianapolis hostesses tell
queer tales-quite in confidence-as to what
happens now and then at their parties.
Having been told in confidence, the one
to whom the tales are told does not repeat
them-eXcept in confidence; so that 1t Is
seldom that an Indianapolis woman forces
her way into party to which she was not
invited, that the fact is not known within
a few days to all her dear tive hundred
friends.
One indianapolis girl gave very large
card party one afternoon last winter. She
had not entertained for some time; and
as she is a popular girl, her Indebtedness
was very large; so she concluded to wipe
it all off at once, and she gave a monster
card party to which she invited every
body who had entertained her and most OF
the people with whom she had a calling
acquaintance, beside. There was one girl
w hQ
the hostess. whose name was not put on
the invitation list. The morning after the
invitations went out the girl called up the
prospective hostess.
Il understand you have sent out invita-
tons for very large card party she
said, and L was told that you We're asking
almost every one you knew. Two or three
of the girls you aren't as well acquainted
with as with me have received invitations
but have none"
Mo-" said the prospective hostess, faint
No. ] haven't received one-and / knew
it was to be such large party-so l
thought it must be an oversight.
AS the girl talked the prospective hostess
gathered her spirit together. She had de-
liberately left the. girl off the invitation
list; and she didn't propose now to back
down. There was nothing faint about her
voice as she returned:
"Oh, mott wasn't an oversight
"Oh-well-I just wanted to know said
the other girl confusedly, and then she
hung up the receiver.
1t might be supposed that to be told
with perfect frankness and clearness that
your not being invited to party was IN
territorial, would settle such matter, but
the girl who asked for information took
the party The hostess told number of
her dearest friends of the matter, and
most of them happened also to be dearest
friends of the unlimited girl: but none of
them has ever had the assurance to ask
her how she happened to come to the
party after having been informed that she
not only was not invited, but that the
hostess had no intention of inviting her.
There is another Indianapolis hostess
who had an experience somewhat similar.
though in her case the guest was invited
to limited extent. Mrs. Hostess was Civ
ing large reception and she had, after
the custom of hostesses, asked a group of
her dearest friends to assist her. Among
the guests invited. merely for the fifteen
twenty minutes and melted ice that
big reception usually means, was young
woman who has recently come to Indian
apolis to live. She has acquired in her
brief residence here something OF repu-
tation for pushing and the fact that she
was invited to the reception at all was by
way OF being IL measure proclama-
ton of her success. as Mrs. Host
ess is rather exclusive in the matter
of entertaining. But the young woman i'm
/
her success in being invited. even three
or four hundred others were invited. She
arrived early in the afternoon of the re-
ception, went upstairs to the dressing room
and when she descended IL was seen that
she had laid aside not only her wrap. but
her picture hat. She greeted Mrs Hostess
who stood by the door, with the prettiest
manner of effusion.
Dear Mrs. Hostess, IL was so sweet OF
you to ask me to your tea she said, land
I'm just going TO stay all afternoon and
help you if you will let me- Mrs. Hostess
bowed acquiescingly; the situation seemed
to be out of her grasp; the women of the
assisting party who stood near gasped. and
the young woman stayed. Of course every
body who came to the reception saw her
assisting and she went up degree higher
as being SO intimate friend of Mrs. Host
ess 10 be numbered among her assist
ants.
But IL isn't always the guests that do
the funny things. Sometimes the .hostesses
do strange things that make people won
der. Several times in recent seasons invita-
tions have been sent out for large parties.
and few days before the event they have
been recalled. Sometimes a reason is Civ
en-: sometimes MOTOR various reasons
The invitations were not reissued: but
women In making out invitation lists recall
that they were invited to Mrs So-and-
Sos party and so they favor Mrs. So-and-
So with a card to their own parties The
A<~l l. - l. 80" II