Book of Etiquette, Volume I

by Lillian Eichler Watson

Mrs. William B. Harris
The Misses Harris
At Home
Friday Afternoon, October fifth
from four until seven o'clock
Thirty-two Amsterdam Avenue

If the reception is for the purpose of introducing a young débutante daughter, the hostess would issue cards similar to the one above, except that the débutante's name would appear immediately below her own. It would be merely "Miss Harris" with no Christian name or initial. If a second daughter is introduced to her mother's friends by means of an afternoon tea, the cards are also like the one above, except that the name of the second daughter is inscribed in full beneath that of the hostess. Thus invited guests would know that "Miss Harris" is the elder and introduced to society first, and "Miss Merian Harris" is the second daughter to be introduced to society.

RECEPTION IN HONOR OF A SPECIAL GUEST

When the purpose of the reception is to honor a special guest the fact should be indicated on the invitations. If the invitation is written on a card, the words, "To meet Governor and Mrs. Frank Curtis" should appear. The proper form for the engraved invitation follows:

To meet
Governor and Mrs. Frank Curtis
Mr. and Mrs. James Melvin
request the pleasure of your
company
on Thursday afternoon, June fifth
from four until seven o'clock
Eighteen, Washington Garden Heights

No acknowledgment other than one's presence on the day of the reception is necessary to this invitation. However, if one is unable to attend, the visiting card should be mailed so that it arrives on the precise day of the entertainment, or if an unexpected happening prevents one from attending, a messenger may be dispatched with a card in an envelope, forwarding it to the hostess while the reception is in progress.

INVITATIONS TO GARDEN PARTIES

When the garden party is very formal, the invitations are engraved in black script or block lettering, on white note sheets or large white cards. The invitation is usually issued in the name of the hostess alone, and the most fashionable stationers are to-day printing cards that leave a blank space for the name of the person to be invited to be written in by the hostess. For instance:

Mrs. Maurice Bronson
requests the pleasure of
........................
company on Friday afternoon
May tenth
from four until seven o'clock
Garden Party Holyoke, West Lake

In society, the formal garden party holds the place of an at-home held out of doors. Thus the following invitation is considered the best form, better even than the form shown above, although either may be used in good taste: