BREAKFASTS.
The difference between a breakfast and a luncheon is very slight. On the invitation the word breakfast is used instead of luncheon, and the hour is earlier than for a luncheon. Also men and woman may meet together for a breakfast, and therefore a few more solid courses are advisable. Otherwise one may be guided entirely in giving the entertainment by the rules which apply to a luncheon.
TEAS.
A tea is the simplest and easiest kind of an entertainment to give, for the only essential requisites for its success are prettily arranged receiving-rooms, with as many flowers as one can afford; a gracious hostess, who stands during the hours of the function to receive her guests and is properly dressed in a becoming high-necked house dress; a few other women, who also receive in pretty dresses; and a dainty tea table, which may be presided over by a woman friend or two of the hostess. It is only necessary to serve a modest menu of tea, chocolate or bouillon, assorted sandwiches, fancy cakes, and bonbons. The other factors to the tea’s success are pleasant weather and well trained servants, who may assist in serving the tea and are alert to open and close the door for the guests.
At a formal function of any kind the guests leave their wraps in dressing-rooms, where one or more maids should be on hand to assist women in their dressing-room, and a man to perform the same services in the men’s dressing-room; but at a small tea, where, as a rule, the guests do not remove their street wraps, it is only necessary to have a maid in the entrance hall to be ready, if called on, to do any service.
It is not customary to offer refreshments to casual evening callers; but if one has a regular evening for receiving, she may have a tea table in the drawing-room, and serve tea, chocolate, sandwiches, cake, etc., as in entertaining on the afternoon of a “day.”
RECEPTIONS.
On the day of the reception, the hostess, with her assistants, should receive the guests, standing at the door of the drawing-room. The refreshment tables should be spread in the dining-room, and prettily decorated with flowers, candles in candelabra or candlesticks, dishes of bonbons and cakes, plates of sandwiches, and platters of salad. A bouillon urn may stand at one end of the table with cups, and coffee may be served from the other end. All that is necessary for the menu is bouillon, easily prepared in the house from canned bouillon, jellied tongue, chicken salad, and sandwiches, ices and cake, fruit, and candies. Coffee and lemonade will suffice for beverages. If one can afford to have a few pieces of music, so much the better. The musicians should play from some hidden nook. One or two servants in the dining-room, and one to open and shut the front door, will be all that is necessary.
DANCING PARTIES.
For the form of invitation refer to [Chapter II].