.

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The evening party may be as elaborate or as simple an affair as the
hostess may desire. In its elaborate form it only differs from the
ball in the one respect that dancing may, or may not, be introduced as
a feature of the entertainment, while a ball is given for the express
purpose of dancing, and is always so understood.

Invitations.

Invitations for an elaborate evening party are sent out ten days or
two weeks in advance and are issued in the name of the hostess alone.
Husband and wife may be invited together, addressing the envelope to
"Mr. and Mrs. John Doe;" and daughters, if there are several, may be
included in one invitation as "The Misses Doe." Sons, if there be more
than one, receive separate invitations, though they can be included in
one as "Messrs. Doe." But friends, even though sheltered by the same
roof-tree, must receive separate invitations. To invite "The Misses
Doe and Roe," or "Messrs. Brown and Green," or even "Mrs. Doe and
Family," would be in bad form. To invite the husband to any
entertainment where there are ladies without including the wife would
be a direct insult. Invitations may be sent by post or carried by
messengers. (For forms see Department of "Invitations, Formal and
Informal.")

Society is so complex, and there is so much ground to cover in picking
up its relations that many ladies are tempted to pay off all social
debts at once by giving one great crush of an entertainment and
inviting all those to whom they are socially indebted. To all these
one is tempted to say, "Don't." The labor is less and the pleasure
greater where two or more smaller entertainments are given at
different times.

A hostess is at liberty to invite only those to whom she is socially
indebted, and members of a large social circle from whom she has not
received recent hospitalities must not feel hurt at being left out.
Where the family is large she may invite some members and not others,
but should she courteously invite the entire group, it is a rule of
society that never more than three members of the same family should
accept an invitation to the same entertainment. Either accept or
decline such invitations at once. (For proper forms see department of
"Acceptances and Regrets.")

Receiving.

At a large evening party the arrangements for receiving guests, the
dressing rooms, etc., and duties of the hostess in receiving, are the
same as at a ball, and the supper served in t