The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1925-09-03
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EXCURSIONS IN
RESPONDEN
By THOMAS ARKLE CLARK
Dean of Men, University of Illinois.
Formal Notes and Invitations

- - - . ~ y
Formal Notes and Invitations
THERE IS a certain dignity and for
4 mality about a wedding or a dinner
party, like an affair of state. thai
makes it fitting that an invitation ia
such a function should take on a some.
what formal exterior in KEEPING with
the character of the event. Marriages.
and births. and dinner parties. have in
them much that makes for ioy and han
piness, but not any one Of them is a
picnic, nor should it be treated so.
There have come to me within the last
year or two, from certain Bohemian
centers, poster-like invitations to wed.
dings, or announcements of them. cot.
ten up like the advertisements of q
hre sale, or an auction Of household
goods. Possibly these sheets are
funny, but marriage is so sacred a
thing that we are wise, whenever we
can dignity it by formality, to do so.
Ii you are inviting friends to a for
NAL function such as a dinner party,
OF a wedding, or a musicale, the invita-
lions may be written, if the number to
be invited is small; otherwise, they
should be engraved. The formal invita-
ton, like the formal announcement. is
written in the third person, and words
n figures are usually spelled out, and
no authorizations are used, excepting
MIR" and Mrs" Even the year may
be spelled out.
These invitations may be written or
engraved upon a correspondence card,
though a double sheet is more common
ly used. The printed invitation is not
used by people who are careful to
follow custom, and to respect conven
tional form.
Invitations to any formal function
should be sent out ten days, or two
weeks before the event takes place, in
order that those invited may have a
chance to adjust their engagements, to
fix up their wardrobes, or to do such
things as are necessary to permit one
to look his best. Many people, women
especially, like to have a gown for a
wedding, or an important dinner party,
and even a mere man sometimes wants
to have a white vest dry-cleaned for
the occasion.
The reply to a formal invitation
be sent Immediately 1t is a
.iiscourtesy to the hostess to do other
wise. She must know as, soon as pos
sible who her guests are to be, and
low many. If some of those first in
7ited do not find it possible to accept
Ter invitation, she may wish a definite
at her party, and so should
De given time to invite others. If it
S a dinner party she is giving, she
must arrange the order of their seat
ng at table, and decide as to the
mount of refreshments to be prepared.
All this takes time. No social blunder
S cruder than delay in replying to a
iormal invitation.
The reply in each case should follow
he form of the invitation, and should
-lso be in the third person throughout.
The exact choice of words may be
eft to you. You may be delighted"
r pleased or charmed" to accept,
s you wish, and you may decline with
qualification of ~"regret" that oc-
urs to you, but the conventional form
hould be followed in any case.
In making such a reply, correspond
nee cards may be used or folded
ouble sheets. The more simple, and
the stationery, the better, and
possible, it should be white. In
lese notes the names should be writ J
out in full, and all titles may be :
We say "Mr. John Lloyd .
not "Mr. J. L. Jones'" :
A written invitation to a wedding :
aads: :
MI. and Mrs. Joseph Noble Enyart :
equest the honor of Mr.. James. Brown :
presence at the marriage of :
leir daughter Jane Emily to Mr.. Rob :
It Edward Mcintyre on Saturday eve E
ing the twentieth of November at :
.ght o'clock, Central Presbyterian :
lurch, Jacksonville, Illinois,
If the invitation is engraved, how :
7er, as is usually the case, the pro- :
"your" will need to take the :
ace of the name of the person in =
ted. In England a blank space is :
# for writing in the full name of :
-ery individual invited. The reply to =
oh an invitation would read: =
"Mr. Henry Duane Gordon accepts e
it'll pleasure the invitation of Mr.. and =
rs. John Noble Enyart to the mar =
age of their daughter Jane Emily, on =
evening the twentieth of No =
mber." =
If all the persons concerned in these e
rmal invitations live in the same =
wn, then only the street number need e
given in the notes, and in case of e
even that may be omitted; e
.erwise the street number, city, and =
ate should be indicated. =
If you want to gain a reputation for e
cial courtesy you will acknowledge e
cry formal note you receive on the =
y in which you receive it, even e
Won NAV he uncertain whether =