of more importance than rooms. With
perfect music the success of a ball is more than three-quarters assured;
without it, the most beautiful decorations and most delicious supper are
as flat as a fallen souffle. You cannot give a ball or a dance that is
anything but a dull promenade if you have dull music.

To illustrate the importance that prominent hostesses attach to music: a
certain orchestra in New York to-day is forced to dash almost daily, not
alone from party to party, but from city to city. Time and again its
leader has conducted the music at a noon wedding in Philadelphia, and a
ball in Boston; or a dancing tea in Providence and a ball that evening in
New York; because Boston, Providence, New York and Philadelphia hostesses
all at the present moment clamor for this one especial orchestra. The men
have a little more respite than the leader since it is his "leading" that
every one insists upon. Tomorrow another orchestra will probably make the
daily tour of various cities' ballrooms.

At all balls, there must be two orchestras, so that each time one finishes
playing the other begins. At very dignified private balls, dancers should
not stand in the middle of the floor and clap as they do in a dance hall
or cabaret if the music ends. On the other hand, the music should not end.

Having secured the music and engaged the ballroom, reception rooms,
dressing-rooms and smoking-room, as well as the main restaurant (after it
is closed to the public), the hostess next makes out her list and orders
and sends out her invitations.

=INVITATIONS=

The fundamental difference between a ball and a dance is that people of
all ages are asked to a ball, while only those of approximately one age
are asked to a dance. Once in a while a ball is given to which the hostess
invites every person on her visiting list. Mr. and Mrs. Titherington de
Puyster give one every season, which although a credit to their intentions
is seldom a credit to their sense of beauty!

Snobbish as it sounds and _is_, a brilliant ball is necessarily a
collection of brilliantly fashionable people, and the hostess who gathers
in all the oddly assorted frumps on the outskirts of society cannot expect
to achieve a very distinguished result.

Ball invitations properly include all of the personal friends of the
hostess no matter what their age, and all her better-known social
acquaintances--meaning every one she would be likely to invite to a formal
dinner.