The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1906-11-02
HER DAY "AT HOME
ADVANTAGES OF A REGULAR RE.
cEPTIoN TIME.
Plan Does Away with Annoyances Of
inopportune Calls and Allows
Hostess to Be Seen at
Her Best.

now ON fdIiH am l 10 MAKE III,
duty calls If / am going to be detgine,
Ike this every afternoon querier
young Mrs. b., ~resentfully. glzini
despairingly at her mother.in-law a
the door closed on an inopportun'
caller. Every day this week w
been just on the point Of setting on
when a caller has been announced
And there Is a~nother," she exclaime,
as the whirr of the bell resounde,
through the apartment.
The elder smiled at tn
youngers cpmical expression OF dis
may. but gaid nothing until the seCont
caller had departed.
The only possible way to avoid an
aoyances Of that sort she observed
then, is to have a regular receiving
day and sec everybody at once"
But that would be such a lot o
bothcr-and SO cercmonious. too" oh
served Mrs. b., jr.. who was brought
up in a town where o~verybody who il
anybody knows everybody else.
"Ceremonious-perhaps; but a lot
Of bOther-nO. In fact, it Is the one
and only way Of avoiding misunder
standings and waste Of time In a city
community. You simply set apart one
day in the weck-pos5ibly only one
day In a mOuth-for receiving your
friends, and on that day you make a
point Of being at home, dressed in
your daiHticst gown and with your
house a very model of spiCk,and-span
ness. For the rest Of the week. or
until the next reception day comes
around, you are al liberty to come and
so as you please. and, incidentally. to
meet your own calling obligations
That this Is the only practicable
plan for coping with the formidable
question Of social calls is now gener
ally conceded. The modern woman
has so many interests clamOring for
her time and attention that she must
needs systematic her social as well
as her domestic affairs. The days
when people dropped in on one an.
other informally whenever the spirit
moved them have gone by forever.
Even intimate friends recognize the
fact that they can no longer follow
these unconventional methods without
risk Of i%ntruding; consequently, the
adoption of a receiving day, instead OF
being frowned down as an attempt to
put on airs is regarded as a neces
sary concession to modern conditions,
That there may be no mistake as to
ones intentions 1t is necessary to in.
dicate ones receiving day upon ones
visiting card. 1t may be either N
grayed or written, but must invariably
appear in the lower left hand corner.
Unless specific mention is made to
the contrary it Is inferred that one
will be at home" during the entire
day which does not, of course, include
morning, and it Is a distinct breach
Of etiquette to be out during the call
ing hours. 1t Is a good plan to state
the hours, as: "Wednesday, 8 to 6 and
s to H." 1t sounds rather business.
like, but at least it leaves no loop
hole for misunderstanding.
Most busy women receive only once
in two weeks, their cards being in.
scribed thus; First and third Wednes
days" or Second and fourth Tues.
days" For some inexplicable reason
Wednesday seems to be the favorite
receiving day; hence, If every one
should receive weekly, there would be
few left to make calls. To avoid a
conflict of days it is not unusual for
women of the same social set to con.
fer together before completing their
arrangements for the season.
Refreshments are not expected at
an informal "at home" although some
hostesses have adopted the pleasant
English custom of having tea and
wafor-thin slices of bread and butter
and cake served in the drawing room
at 5 O'Clock, whether callers are pres.
ent or not. As the duration of an
afternoon call should not exceed 20
minutes II Is clear that tea would be
an incident rather than a feature.
Evening calls may be somewhat eX'
tended, but refreshments are not gen
orally offered.
Women wear ordinary visiting cos
tune when calling informally, and do
not remove their hats, though 1t is
permissible to lay aside heavy wraps
The hostess wears a pretty indoor
gown on such occasions, or, in the
evening, a simple dinner toilet. 1t is
contrary to good form to appear In
the elaborate costume that would be
worn as a matter of course at a formal
function.