_Ill._
_Miss Ida A. Thornton._]

NOTES OF CONGRATULATION OR CONDOLENCE.

Notes of congratulation and condolence should be brief, and the letter
should only be sent by near and intimate friends. Do not allude to any
subject except the one for which you are offering your congratulations
or sympathy. Such notes should be made expressive of real feeling, and
not be mere matters of form.

INVITATION TO A RECEPTION.

For a general reception, invitations are printed on cards. Their style
is like the following, and do not require an answer unless "R.S.V.P." is
upon one corner.

[Illustration:
_Mrs. J.L. Ashton,_
_At home,_
_Wednesday Evening, Jan. 6,_
_No. 248 James St_
_8 to 11 P.M._]

INVITATION TO A BALL.

The "At Home" form of invitation for a reception is often adopted for a
ball with the word "Dancing" in one corner, though many people use the
"At Home" form only for receptions. For balls the hours are not limited
as at receptions. When the above form is not used for a ball, the
invitation may read as follows:

"Mrs. Blair requests the pleasure of Miss Milton's
company at a ball, on Tuesday, February 7, at 9
o'clock."

Invitations to a ball are always given in the name of the lady of the
house, and require an answer, which should not be delayed. If the
invitation is accepted, the answer should be as follows:

"Miss Milton accepts with pleasure Mrs. Blair's
kind invitation for Tuesday, February 7."

If it is found impossible to attend, a note of regrets, something like
the following, should be sent:

"Miss Milton regrets that intended absence from
home (or whatever may be the preventing cause)
prevents her accepting Mrs. Blair's kind
invitation for February 7."

INVITATION TO A LARGE PARTY.

The invitation to a large party is similar to that for a ball, only the
words "at a ball" are omitted, and the hour may be earlier. The notes of
acceptance and regret are the same as for a ball. If the party is a
small one, it should be indicated by inserting the words, "to a small
evening party," so that there may be no misunderstanding. A large party
calls for full evening dress, and it would be embarrassing for a lady or
gentleman to go to a house in full evening dress, expecting to find a
large party