The Dolores star., 1919-12-26

couples and parties and in droves of 80 or
more, remaining short time at each stopping
place as possible and announcing everywhere how
many calls they had already made and how many
they expected to make before they finished.
At every place they drank. The result was a
most appalling assortment of 'jags' long before
sundown
Late in the ifties the abuse came to be so great
that the newspapers and the ministers took 1t up.
and many were the editorials written and many the
sermons preached against it. This crusade speedi-
ly brought results.
1t was not many years before the smart set of
young men In most cities stopped calling The
hospitable door that had been open from morning
to evening was adorned with basket for cards.
Gentlemen were driven all town deposting
their visiting cards in these baskets. In year
so servants were delivering these cards. Then
the baskets disappeared and the mail carrier de-
livered the few cards sent out OF course this
process was not at all uniform. 1t fast in
some cities, slow in others.
A belle Of the eighties, sitting in her easy chair
thumbing over an old scrapbook filled with faded
cuttings from the newspapers of those days; her
husband, beau of the same period, in slippers
and dressing gown, smoking and listening she
spoke and read, now and then noddng his head
and smiling at some memory recalled and the
daughters of the house. planning for the watch
party festivities of 1920. listening with curious
terest and laughing and chatting about how odd 1t
all seemed now-such scene doubtless to be
witnessed in many city all the country
with the closing days of 1919
1--WE didn't go in much for the watch parties
in those days" the maron said. "The whistles
blew and there was some noise it is true, among
the downtown folk. but girls. a rule, retired
early--we had to save ourselves for the trying
ordeal of the next day, for New Years day was
the great social event of the year 1t 'receiv-
ing day in all the homes of the town. We called
it keeping open house
'It was Il day of lavish entertainment and the
doors supposed to be open to everybody that
called, whether friend stranger. We prepared
for it weeks in advance 1t period of great
conviviaty. Aside from the fact that the con-
viviaty was somewhat overdone, at times, that old
custom of the New Years open house was quite an
odfashioned, sincere expression of good fellow
ship friend and neighbor and visiting strangers
opening the portals of the New Year, as 1t
wcre with greeting and home welcome And
as n social function 1t was most delightful-it
helped to bring people together.
at was the fashion give each of the callers n
souvenir to carry away with them and all sorts
of ingenious little devices used. Some had
silk badges with the names of the girl painted on
them; some had dainty metal souvenirs specially
struck off others ornate cards with notices. and
some went in for the oddities. like the clay pipes
that papa tells about. remember the gentlemen
used to wear these souvenirs pinned tied with
ribbons to their coats-as the knights of old wore
their ladies' favors-and late in the evening the
callers looked like foreign diplomats with all their
decorations or perhaps. like South African chiefs
would be the better simile.
"Of course, only the gentlemen called-they
were never accompanied by ladies'. The ladies
mained in their homes to receive them. The gen.
tlemen were supposed to he in full dress-the
younger set swallowtails and crush hats. and
the older gentlemen Prince Albert coats and light
gray pin-striped trousers--that the vogue.
The Sold timers, l remember. did not take very
kindly to the crush hats And everybody, of
course, had to have hack sleigh.
assistance bevy of the young girls who made up