mise and come early.
You look at her elaborate toilet, and think your old friend has become
extravagantly fond of dress if this is her reception of half a dozen
people. An hour, almost an hour by the marble time-piece, drags on. Not a
visitor appears. At length, you are refreshed by a faint tinkle of the door
bell. A lady shortly enters, saying, "Don't think me a Goth for coming so
early." After she is introduced to you, a stolen glance at the clock.
Early! It is half-past eight. What time do they intend to come? But now
they arrive faster and faster, and each more elaborately dressed than the
last, it seems to your startled eyes. A triple lace skirt glides in. You
look at your dark green cashmere in dismay. Low neck and short sleeves!
Yours is up to the throat. But you mentally thank your mantua-maker for
inserting undersleeves; they are quite consoling. Dozens of white kid
gloves! You have not even mitts, and your hand is fairly red with the same
blush that suffuses your face. In fine, it is an actual party, dancing,
supper, and all, given to you; and yet there you sit, among entire
strangers dumb from annoyance, and awkward for the first time in many
years, perhaps.

But you will not be caught so again. You are wiser from fearful experience.
A similar invitation is met with an appeal to your very best party dress,
and you go armed _cap-a-pie_, even to white satin slippers. The clock
strikes nine as you enter the room, and there is your truth-loving hostess,
with her half dozen plain guests, who had given you up, and are sorry you
cannot stay long, "as they see you are dressed for a party." Capital
suggestion! Make the most of it, and retire as soon as possible under that
plea.

We appeal to you, ladies, whether this is a fancy sketch; and yet sometimes
it is not the fault of the hostess--you really do not know how you are
expected to arrange your toilet. It is to obviate this evil that we propose
giving a few plain hints on evening dress.

We once knew a very nice lady, who had come to town for the purpose of
taking music lessons. She was entirely unfamiliar with the etiquette of the
toilet, and living at a boarding house, there was no one she felt at entire
liberty to consult. A gentleman invited her to the opera. She was wild with
delight. It was a cold winter's night, and she dressed accordingly. She
wore a dark merino dress and cloak, a heavy velvet bonnet and plumes, and
thick knit gloves, dark also. The gentl