The Elbert County tribune., 1919-12-26

couples plrties and in droves of 80
more, remaining as short time at each stopping
place rs 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 ffties 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 1t. This crusade speedl-
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 adorned with basket for cards.
Gentlemen driven all depostng
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 nll uniform. 1t fast in
some cities. slow in others.
belle of the eighties. sitting in her easy chair,
thumbing over an old scrapbook filed 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 nodding 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 in
terest and laughing and chatting about how odd 1t
all seemed now-such doubtless to be
witnessed in many a city all over the country
with the closing days of 1919,
1--WE didn't 20 In much for the watch parties
In those days" the matron said. "The whistles
blew and there noise 1t is true among
the downtown folk but we girls. a rule. retired
eary--we had to ourselves for the trying
ordeal of the next day. for New Years day
the great social event OF the year. II was recev-
ing day in all the homes of the town. We called
1t keeping open house
at was a day of lavish entertainment and the
doors supposed 10 be open to everybody that
called, whether friend stranger. We prepared
for it weeks in advance. II was period of great
convivIality. Aside from the fact that the con-
vivialty somewhat overdone, mt times, that old
custom of the New Years open house quite an
old-fashioned, sincere expression of good fellow
ship to friend and neighbor and visiting strangers
opening the portals of the New Year, 1t
were with greeting and home welcome. And
as n social function, 1t most delightfu-it
helped to bring people together
at the fashion TO give each of the callers
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 of 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 these souvenirs pinned or tied with
ribbons to their coats-as the knights of old
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 smile.
"Of course, only the gentlemen cnlled-they
were never accompanied by ladies. The ladies re-
mained In their homes to receive them. The gen.
tlemen were supposed to be In full dress-the
Younger set wore swallowtas and crush hats, and
the older gentlemen Prince Albert coats and light
gray pin-strIped trousers-that the vogue.
The old timers. I remember, did not take very
kindly to the crush hats. And everybody OF
course, had to have hack or sleigh.
1.-THE hostess of the house usually called TO her
assistance bevy Of the young girls who made up