A written answer should be returned directly the invita-
tion is received, using the same personal form that appears
in the invitation. If the invitation is accepted, and any cir-
138 ■ PRACTICAL AMERICAN COOKERY.
tumstance arises to present attendance, the hostess should
be informed at once ; but no trivial affair should be allowed
to interfere. Formal invitations and replies to dinner-invi-
tations should be sent by hand : other invitations may go by
post. After a dinner a call is imperative : a card is not a
proper acknowledgment. Invitations to dinners of more
than ten persons should go out two weeks in advance of the
date chosen. A husband is never invited without his wife,
or vice versa, unless one is known to be an invalid or out of
society, except where there is sufficient intimacy to warrant
this departure from formality when some expected guest dis-
appoints at the last moment : the affair should always be
clearly understood even then.
The social duties of the hostess ar& too clearly defined to
admit of any deviation from them ; but according to the
number of her guests, and the degree of intimacy with
them, she may give them more or less personal attention, —
the fact being understood, that there is ample attendance to
insure every one's comfort ; after that, she may permit her-
self to take some degree of pleasure in the society of her
special favorites, although she never may give any one but
the guest of honor such attention as to be conspicuous. At
least half an hour before the time named for dinner, the
hostess should be dressed and ready to receive her guests,
although they are not expected to arrive much before the
dinner-hour. Her place should be near enough the door to
permit her to welcome each one who enters. To the ladies
she says a pleasant word, and establishes them comfortably,
chatting with them between the arrivals ; to every gentleman
she at once indicates the lady whom he is to take in to din-
ner, introducing him if the parties are strangers. At large
and formal dinners, each gentleman, as he passes from the
entrance-hall to the drawing-room, receives from an attend-
ant a small envelope, presented upon a salver, containing a
THE ETIQUETTE OF DINNERS. 1 39
card bearing the name of the lady he is expected to escort,
and usually a small boutonni'ere : if he does not know the
lady, he must at once inform the hostess so that the neces-
sary introduction can take place. The short interval be-
tween the arrival of the guests and the service of the dinner
may be spent in greeting acquaintances and in pleasant chat
about passing events or subjects of general interest : all din-
ner-talk should be light and amusing, but even common-
place is more acceptable than silence. The wise ones avail
themselves of this opportunity to approach those to whom
they wish to speak, because they know that during dinner
conversation is possible only between neighbors, and after it
is over all are likely to be engrossed in following up dinner-
table topics, or the departure of guests may render inter-
course impossible.
Page 80
Presented as published in 1885. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
A written answer should be returned directly the invitation is received, using the same personal form that appears in the invitation. If the invitation is accepted, and any cir-
circumstance arises to prevent attendance, the hostess should be informed at once ; but no trivial affair should be allowed to interfere. Formal invitations and replies to dinner-invitations should be sent by hand : other invitations may go by post. After a dinner a call is imperative : a card is not a proper acknowledgment. Invitations to dinners of more than ten persons should go out two weeks in advance of the date chosen. A husband is never invited without his wife, or vice versa, unless one is known to be an invalid or out of society, except where there is sufficient intimacy to warrant this departure from formality when some expected guest disappoints at the last moment : the affair should always be clearly understood even then.
The social duties of the hostess are too clearly defined to admit of any deviation from them ; but according to the number of her guests, and the degree of intimacy with them, she may give them more or less personal attention, — the fact being understood, that there is ample attendance to insure every one's comfort ; after that, she may permit herself to take some degree of pleasure in the society of her special favorites, although she never may give any one but the guest of honor such attention as to be conspicuous. At least half an hour before the time named for dinner, the hostess should be dressed and ready to receive her guests, although they are not expected to arrive much before the dinner-hour. Her place should be near enough the door to permit her to welcome each one who enters. To the ladies she says a pleasant word, and establishes them comfortably, chatting with them between the arrivals ; to every gentleman she at once indicates the lady whom he is to take in to dinner, introducing him if the parties are strangers. At large and formal dinners, each gentleman, as he passes from the entrance-hall to the drawing-room, receives from an attendant a small envelope, presented upon a salver, containing a
card bearing the name of the lady he is expected to escort, and usually a small boutonnière : if he does not know the lady, he must at once inform the hostess so that the necessary introduction can take place. The short interval between the arrival of the guests and the service of the dinner may be spent in greeting acquaintances and in pleasant chat about passing events or subjects of general interest : all dinner-talk should be light and amusing, but even commonplace is more acceptable than silence. The wise ones avail themselves of this opportunity to approach those to whom they wish to speak, because they know that during dinner conversation is possible only between neighbors, and after it is over all are likely to be engrossed in following up dinnertable topics, or the departure of guests may render intercourse impossible.