It must be said that the thé dansant has taken the place of the ordinary afternoon tea to a considerable extent. Alas for the elderly dowagers who found the latter so enjoyable! There is no room for them at the dancing-tea, and they are not invited because they would be sure to come if they were! These affairs are held at Ladies’ Clubs or at private houses. A number of young girls come without their hats and act as hostess’s assistants. They mingle with the guests and help in introducing partners to the young women. As has been said elsewhere in this chapter, the hostess usually receives in the tea-room on these occasions.
III
BREAKFASTS AND LUNCHEONS
How to Give Them and What to Wear—Etiquette of the Buffet Luncheon—Entertaining Distinguished Strangers.
IN the days of our grandmothers it was the custom in this country to dine in the middle of the day or in the early afternoon. Children then, as now, carried bread-and-butter, cookies, or some light refreshment to school. The members of the family who remained at home either ate nothing between breakfast and dinner or took a light lunch if the interval were very long. It must be remembered that the old-fashioned heavy American breakfast stayed the pangs of hunger for a considerable period of time. We are shocked in these days at the idea of eating heartily in the early morning. We must not forget that in the middle of the last century the light evening tea or supper, as it was called, was much less satisfying than our modern late dinner. Hence every one was quite ready and hungry for breakfast.
Luncheon as a formal meal was then almost unknown in America. People who wished to entertain friends early in the day, and who were familiar with English customs, occasionally gave a breakfast. With the adoption of the late dinner the evolution of luncheon as a midday repast naturally followed. Lunch-parties have long been extremely popular in this country. They have completely overshadowed their older sister, the “breakfast,” so that the latter term is not often applied to midday entertainments, except under certain circumstances. Thus we speak of the collation served at a morning wedding as a “breakfast,” and the word is also used to describe club festivities. The lunch-party being usually a ladies’ affair, it is sometimes said that the presence of men changes the function to a breakfast. For the rest, the two forms of entertainment are very much alike save that the earlier meal, in order to deserve its name, should take place not later than twelve or soon after, and should be simpler and less formal in its appointments than the later one. Thus, plain linen napery would be more appropriate than a cloth trimmed with lace. A breakfast usually begins with fruit, and includes a course of eggs served in some form. Otherwise the bill of fare is very much like that of a lunch, save that it is shorter, and ices and wines are not served except at large and formal functions.
Occasionally some enterprising hostess invites a few friends to a breakfast that really deserves its name, the hour being nine or half-past nine o’clock. Travelers of distinction whose time is much occupied may still be open to engagements in the early morning. A meal of this sort must necessarily be brief and informal. Oranges, melons, or whatever fruit is in season, cereal with cream, eggs and bacon or omelette, broiled chicken, toast or muffins with orange marmalade or some other kind of jam would make a good menu. Indeed, the chicken could be omitted where only one or two guests were expected. The lady of the house should preside over the tea and coffee equipage, thus giving the personal touch of hospitality which is not possible at a more ceremonious meal. Chocolate also may be served. Breakfast plates of good size should be used, and in winter these should be warmed for the hot course or courses.
The hostess may wear a pretty morning gown or street dress (with the exception of the hat), if she expects to go out after breakfast. The guests leave soon after the meal is over. The women wear a simple street costume; or, if they are about to take part in some sport, they may appear in tennis, shooting, or other special dress. They do not remove their hats. There was an attempt made recently in New York to introduce the dancing-breakfast, the guests leaving the table and executing the hesitation waltz or the one-step between the courses. The experiment does not seem likely to be repeated.
Luncheon is, in theory at least, always an informal meal. Hence the invitations are usually conveyed in the form of a friendly note or given over the telephone. Some hostesses use a partly engraved card for their invitations to luncheon, filling in the date, hour, and name of guest. For a club or similar function the invitations are usually engraved. The guests may be few or many, as the hostess pleases. She must take into consideration, however, the size of her dining-table and of her rooms. There must be space enough for the attendants to pass around the former without crowding the guests.
The young and inexperienced house-mistress may need a word of caution about her china and glass. Unless she wishes to invest in new dishes, she should take an inventory of them before issuing her invitations. It is awkward to ask eight guests and then find your best dessert-plates are a half-dozen set. While plates, forks, etc., may be washed, and so be used a second time at the same meal, it is better to have enough on hand for the entire luncheon. Washing delays the service, a thing now considered very undesirable. For the woman who possesses a handsome dining-table it is customary to use a centerpiece and place doilies, thus showing a portion of the polished wood. A white linen table-cloth is always in good style, however, no matter what the fad of the moment may be.