AS SEEN THROUGH WOMEN'S EYES.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XIX, Issue IX, 21 August 1897, Page 286

AS SEEN THROUGH WOMEN'S EYES.

DINNER INVITATIONS.

Dinner invitations depend for their form and date of issuing upon two things: the number of guests and the formality of the occasion. For a small and informal entertainment a note in the first person should be sent to the guests from a week to ten days before the date settled upon. Some such form as the following should be used in the invitation : Mv Dear Mbs Bbownb. Tk ° O ... .. Mr Jones and I hope that you and Mr Browne will dine with us on Wednesday evening, the thirteenth, couahT 00 oc^ meet Mine Black, our charming English With kind regards. Cordially yours. Carolina B. Jonbs. October 4th, 1897. It is unnecessary to add • quite informally ’ after the * dine with us,’ as the first person note shows that the affair is to be small. It is a good rule to never use third person invitations except to formal affairs, as the character of the entertainment is at once thus shown. In all informal invitations to married people the hostess writes to the wife, mentioning her husband’s name with her own in extending the invitation, and inviting Mr Guest through his wife. In formal invitations, on the contrary, both husband’s and wife’s name appear equally as hosts and guests. The acceptance or declination of a dinner invitation must be sent at once, by return post if possible, at latest within twenty-four hours. It must follow closely the form of invitation, and should repeat—as many embarrassing errors may thus be avoided—the date and hour of the dinner. An acceptance of the informal invitation should read about as follows: My Dear Mbs Jones, The Terrace. ... Mr Browne and I will be delighted to dine with you and Mr Jones on Wednesday evening, the thirteenth, at seven o'clock, and to meet Miss Black. Always sincerely yours, .. . . Martha Bbownb. October sth. A declination of a similar invitation should, if possible, give the reason for refusing. Its form is about as follows: — „ The Terrace, My Dear Mbs Jones. Mr Browne and I regret very much that a previous engagement will prevent us from dining with you on the thirteenth, though we hope to meet Mies Black on some other occasion. Sincerely yours, „ , Martha Browne. October sth. For a formal dinner the invitation shou’d read as follows, and should be issued two weeks in advance :— ‘The Firs.' Mr and Mrs Henry Jones request the honour of your (or ot Mr and Mrs Browne's) company at dinner, on Wednesday evening, November the tenth, at seven o’clock, to meet Miss Black. October 27th,1897. These formal invitations are almost invariably written, though some very extensive hostesses have blank cards, in s'ze about x inches, engraved : ‘The Fire,' Mr and Mrs Henry Jones request the honour of your company

and would use these in issuing dinner invitations. Two blank lines are left for the date and further description of the entertainment. R. s. v. p., another initialled abbreviations of a French phrase—‘ Repondez sil vous plait * —is not used to any great extent upon invitations of late years, as it is considered both unnecessary and discourteous to remind people of their duties, the necessity for immediate acknowledgment being tacitly understood. The acceptance of the formal invitation must be sent promptly and should read as follows:— The Terrace. Mr and Mrs William Browne accept with pleasure Mr and Mrs Jones' kind invitation to meet Miss Black at dinner, on Wednesday evening. November the thirteenth, at seven o’clock. October 28th. 1897. The declination should be sent with equal promptness. The following is the most usual form :— The Terrace. Mr and Mrs William Browne regret that a previous engagement will not allow them to accept the kind invitation of Mr and Mrs Jones to meet Miss Black at dinner on Wednesday evening And it may be added that the call after a dinner must never be omitted.

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