The Washington herald., 1912-02-13
SUGGESTIONS FOR ENTERTAINING BOTH
YOUNG AND OLD AT VALENTINE PARTIES

| TUNED as the Queen OF Hearts, as Tita-
mia or other character appropriate to
the date.
Each guest entering the parlor on the
evening named is given a little pink bag
containing beans or small pasteboard
disks covered with gold paper, simulat-
ing money. There should be fifteen in
each bag. and each counter should repre-
| sent a dollar.
when all are on the Scene. the hostess
or auctioneer mounts a platform made
/ of grocery boxes covered with pink
: SILICA painted with red hearts. and pro-
ce.js to read aloud cards. each of which
Is numbered and each OF which describes
POLITICALLY land without naming herr
scme certain girl Of the party.
Men Do the Bidding.
Is each description is read, the men
bid for the subject Of the description,
| the highest bidder receiving the card.
The auction lasts for an hour to an
hour and a half in all probability, after
which the girls described on the cards
are led up to the men who purchased
their hearts and become their valentine
partners for the evening.
Much OF the fun OF the affair lies in
the fact that tn girls have no idea whose
description is being read, and not until
all cards have been bought In do the
maidens discover to what swalns they
belong for the evening.
In view OF the leap year 1t might be
amusing to have the girls bid In the
men. In any case II q would-be pur-
chaser find himself with too little money
for the purchase he wishes to make, he
can go into debt to the hostess by un-
dertaking 10 perform afterward such
duties as she may impose.
For instance, he might be required to
write and read aloud a valentine poem,
to sing love song, II a singer. or any
thing else in keeping.
When ali partners have been found
either by the conventional sale or the
leap year version Of Il, there might be
valentine dance, followed by a valen-
tine spread.
For the Middle Aged.
1t frequently happens that a hostess
who will have middle aged or married
persons as her guests on or near VAL
entine's Day wishes to give her function
a Valentine flavor. At the same time
the sentimental games and fortune tell
ing, which are so much enjoyed by the
young and unmarried generation, would
be unsuitable for the more sedate COM
pany.
For such an occasion 1t Is a good
plan to mention in the invitations that
part of the fun will consist In valentines
written to great personages OF the past
and present, to personiiied beings. as
Father Time, Modernity, the Spirit Of
the Age, and SO on.
Each person who accepts is requested
to get up such valentine, using his or
her own ingenuity as to the rhymes,
decorations. &C.. and to send It In to
the future hostess on the 18th Of the
month at latest.
The hostess may either select the
characters TO whom she would like to
have the valentine written. or she may
leave this also 10 the guests.
Such diverse personalities as Venus de
MILO. Jack. Frost. Queen Elizabeth. the
Sandman, Santa Claus. Leap Year. At
las, the Queen OF Hearts, and Mother
Goose can be represented, as the variety
Is in measure what makes the fun.
BY the morning OF the 18th, then. the
hostess will know what valentines she
can count on. and Will be able to make