, or whatever period is selected. This is
because other plans have to be made by the owners of the house, such as
inviting another group of guests, or preparing to go away themselves.

=WHO ARE ASKED ON HOUSE PARTIES=

Excepting when strangers bring influential letters of introduction, or
when a relative or very intimate friend recently married is invited with
her new husband or his bride, only very large and general house parties
include any one who is not an intimate friend.

At least seventy per cent of American house parties are young people,
either single or not long married, and, in any event, all those asked to
any one party--unless the hostess is a failure (or a genius)--belong to
the same social group. Perhaps a more broad-minded attitude prevails
among young people in other parts of the country, but wilfully
narrow-minded Miss Young New York is very chary of accepting an invitation
until she finds out who among her particular friends are also invited. If
Mrs. Stranger asks her for a week-end, no matter how much she may like
Mrs. Stranger personally, she at once telephones two or three of her own
group. If some of them are going, she "accepts with pleasure," but if not,
the chances are she "regrets." If, on the other hand, she is asked by the
Gildings, she accepts at once. Not merely because Golden Hall is the
ultimate in luxury, but because Mrs. Gilding has a gift for entertaining,
including her selection of people, amounting to genius. On the other hand,
Miss Young New York would accept with equal alacrity the invitation of the
Jack Littlehouses, where there is no luxury at all. Here in fact, a guest
is quite as likely as not to be pressed into service as auxiliary nurse,
gardener or chauffeur. But the personality of the host and hostess is such
that there is scarcely a day in the week when the motors of the most
popular of the younger set are not parked at the Littlehouse door.

=PEOPLE WE LOVE TO STAY WITH=

We enjoy staying with certain people usually for one of two reasons.
First, because they have wonderful, luxurious houses, filled with amusing
people; and visiting them is a period crammed with continuous and
delightful experience, even though such a visit has little that suggests
any personal intercourse or friendship with one's hostess. The other
reason we love to visit a certain house is, on the contrary, entirely
personal to the host or hostess. We love the house because we love its
owner. N