ee in a country dance, or in the Tempete, or in "Sir
Roger de Coverley."

Not longer than an hour is devoted to dancing, and this is usually
followed by games.

Impromptu charades is a favourite pastime with children; but to avoid
the juvenile audience becoming weary and impatient during the
preparation of the charades it is as well they should be amused with
some quiet game, such as "forfeits," "cross questions and crooked
answers," "proverbs," etc. At Christmas and New Year's parties the
distribution of presents is a very important feature; Christmas trees
are now rather discarded in favour of greater novelties. "Father
Christmas," "Santa Claus," "The Fairy Godmother," "The Fairies' Well,"
or the "Lucky Bag" and "The Magic Log," are some of the many devices for
the distribution of presents; these popular characters are represented
by grown-up persons, and provoke much wonder and admiration amongst
children. The presents are usually given at the close of the evening.

* * * * *

=Light Refreshments= are provided in the dining-room--lemonade, wine and
water, every description of cake, sandwiches, crystallized fruits,
French plums, figs, almonds and raisins, oranges, etc. Bon-bons
containing paper caps, etc., which afford children much amusement, are
usually provided.

When a juvenile ball is given a supper is provided; otherwise light
refreshments are considered sufficient, and are served twice during the
evening. Sometimes the children of the family, if old enough and clever
enough, act a little play--some nursery fairy tale, condensed into one
act, such as "Beauty and the Beast," "Cinderella," etc.--which lasts
about an hour, and is followed by dancing.

When a juvenile fancy ball is given, one or two fancy quadrilles are
arranged beforehand, to be danced by the children in costume.

CHAPTER XXX

WRITTEN INVITATIONS

=Writing Letters of Invitation=, and answering letters of invitation,
often occupy far longer time in the composition than the writers would
care to confess. The difficulty does not lie in an invitation itself or
in accepting or refusing it, but rather in the form in which either
should be couched, the words that should be chosen, and the expressions
that should be used; one person is afraid of being too _empresse_,
another of being too formal or too stiff; one is fearful of saying too
little, another of saying too much.

When invitations are issued on d