_ a little friendly conversation; while at an "at home" the
hostess has to be at her post from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., as guests arrive
continuously, even close up to the hour named for departure.

The host is expected to be present at a garden-party, and almost always
is so; but his presence at his wife's "at home" is left a little
doubtful, and his absence is often accounted for on the ground of its
being unavoidable; but the trivial reasons that many men advance to
their wives for their non-appearance prove how glad they are to escape
from the ordeal on any terms. A man in the open air is at his best, and
therefore a garden-party appeals to a host almost as much as it does
to a guest.

Although the words "at home" are in general use when issuing invitations
to these functions, yet occasionally the words "garden-party" are
substituted in lieu of them on the "at home" cards, when the gatherings
are unusually large; thus: "Viscountess B---- requests the pleasure of
Mr. and Mrs. G----'s company at a garden-party on----," etc.

CHAPTER XXV

EVENING GARDEN-PARTIES

=The Garden-Party Season= has been widened out by the introduction of
"Evening Garden-Parties" into the list of country festivities, and this
form of entertainment has found great favour with all.

Invitations are issued on the usual "at home" cards, the hours from 9 to
12 p.m. Occasionally "dancing" is printed on the cards, but not often,
as it is not usual to combine an evening garden-party with a dance,
except when only young girls and young men are invited.

Some little perplexity is felt by the recipients of evening garden-party
invitations as to the style of dress that should be worn. Should ladies
wear morning dress or evening dress? Men are equally in doubt on this
point. Ought they to wear evening dress or not? Although this is not
stated on the invitation cards, yet it is tacitly understood that ladies
are expected to appear in the usual garden-party attire--smart, pretty
dresses and hats or bonnets, and small fashionable wraps carried in
place of sunshades in the event of the evening air proving somewhat
chilly. Evening dress, when worn at one of these "at homes," looks
particularly out of place. The thin evening shoes, which must of
necessity be worn with this style of dress, suit neither dewy grass nor
stony gravel; and although at the evening concerts at the Botanic
Gardens many ladies wear "evening dress" with smart evening cloaks, this