Evening star., 1937-05-08
Best WaV
To Divide
Long List

| Long List
Be Careful Not to
Hurt Your Friends
| Feelings.
BY EMILY POST.
DEAR MRS. POST: My house is
~ not large enough to invite the
number Of people that I would like
to il they must all be invited for the
same hour. Will it be all right If
invite half the group to come in,
let's say between 3 and 4, and the
rest to come in between and S?
Answer-I don't see how you are
going to separate the two groups.
At general afternoon parties people
pay very little attention to time and
those invited to come early would
certainly feel privileged to stay to the
end. I think the best way to do
when your list is too large for a
single afternoon party Is to send out
| invitations for two separate days.
You can of course divide your list
and invite half on one day and half
on the other, but unless you cut
straight through the middle Of your
list according to alphabet, people
who are asked on the first day are
sure to feel hurt because they were
not asked on the second and vice
versa On the other hand, II you
send out Invitations to every one for
both days, writing, will you come
in on Saturday the 18th or on the
| 23d?" there is a fair chance that
your list will divide itself more or less
evenly.
DEAR MRS. POST: I am having
bridge party. and inviting II
friends. Four Of this number play
auction. I hadn't thought this fact
was any particular drawback since I
planned that there would be two
tables of contract and one of auction.
Mother, however, thinks that since
the party is being given in honor Of
one Of those who plays auction, all
of us should play auction on this
particular afternoon. I'd like your
opinion?
Answer don't see that it matters
at all as long as you are sure that the
four players at each table like to play
the same game. For example, you
must not expect contract players to
sit all afternoon and play auction,
nor can you expect auction players to
know how to play contract.
DEAR MRS. POST: I'm giving a
shower for the daughter of friend
Of mine, who is soon to be married.
Her mother will be there and several
older sisters, and naturally her closest
| friends. I don't know any one in
the mans family but one OF his
sisters, and I'm planning to invite
her. But what about several other
sisters I don't know and his mother
and grandmother who lives with them
Answer-If you are asking some
older people, then I think it would be
nice to invite the grooms family too
Probably there are friends Of your
own, who are also fond of the bride,
who would like to come?
DEAR MRS. POST: When one has
received a formal invitation and
properly accepted in the third person,
and it later develops that unavoidable
reasons make it necessary to leave
town on the day Of the party, is
another note of regret in the third
person written, or something less
formal?
AnsWer-Write in the second per-
son and say that you are very sorry
and explain why you cannot keep your
engagement. Or, II your engagement
was for dinner, lunch or bridge, in
which case some one must be found
to I'LL your place, telephone at once
and then also write the note of ex-
PLANTATION.
DEAR MRS. POST: I'm new
conner in neighborhood, and
none of my neighbors has rs yet
called on me. The other afternoon
however, the lady across the street
telephoned and asked me to drive in
the country with her. She asked me
to come across to her garage, since
the street in front of our hous, is
torn up. Should I consider this in
vitation in the light Of visit and &c
to see her some afternoon.
Answer-By all means, but since
in this case the visit should be an in
formal one, do not leave your card
unless she is out. If she is at home
you tell her, Il came to thank you
for my very pleasant afternoon" II
she is out, then write this message on
your card and leave It,
|DEAR MRS. POST: My husband
- has already gone to establish
himself in q new position and am
to follow him in week or two. As
he left hurriedly, we could not 60 to
see many Of our friends to whom we
would like to bid personal good-byes
shall go alone to see people now
and naturally shall explain to those
who arc at home why my husband
couldn't say good-by personally. In
cases where people are not home
should I leave our Mr.. and Mrs
card, or If they happen to hear that
he left several weeks ago, could they
feel that I had been dishonest with
them?
Answer-It is always proper that a
wife leave her husbands card when
paying visits, and your visits are
properly intended to say good-by for
him ~ well a. for yourself.