EVENING PARTIES.

Otago Witness, Issue 1341, 11 August 1877, Page 19

EVENING PARTIES.

In an article on evening parties, the Queen gives a hint which party givers and ball managers here might lay to heart with advantage. This ia in reference to dance programmes. At fimt sight, the dance programme appears an unmixed good, but it is nob so. Young men who cannot be amongst the very first to arrive at a ball, or who have not the means of ascertaining who among their feminine acquaintances are likely to be at the ball or party, find on reaching the ball-room that all the desirable partners are " booked " for the whole evening, many having filled up their programme days before. This booking business has reached such a pitch that " at home " it has been found necessary to do away with programmes altogether. The Queen saya :—: — "Programmes are unknown in good society, especially in London. If they sometimes are seen at private balls in the country, it is either because the hostess herself knows no better, or else sho thinks that her exclusively country guests will require them." The Queen has a good suggestion as follows :—": — " Ladies who go out much will find it a great advantage to have a cloak bag, into which to put their cloaks, as it keeps them all together (in the case of a mother and daughters), and prevents their becoming soiled," or "loBt," it might have been added.