Recalling An Invitation

If for illness or other reason invitations have to be recalled the following forms are correct. They are always printed instead of engraved, there being no time for engraving.

Owing to sudden illness

Mr. and Mrs. John Huntington Smith

are obliged to recall their invitations

for Tuesday the tenth of June.

The form used when the invitation is postponed:

Mr. and Mrs. John Huntington Smith

regret exceedingly

that owing to the illness of Mrs. Smith

their dance is temporarily postponed.

When a wedding is broken off after the invitations have been issued:

Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Nottingham

announce

that the marriage of their daughter

Mary Katharine

and

Mr. Jerrold Atherton

will not take place

Formal Acceptance Or Regret

Acceptances or regrets are always written. An engraved form to be filled in is vulgar—nothing could be in worse taste than to flaunt your popularity by announcing that it is impossible to answer your numerous invitations without the time-saving device of a printed blank. If you have a dozen or more invitations a day, if you have a hundred, hire a staff of secretaries if need be, but answer " by hand."

The formal acceptance to an invitation, whether it is to a dance, wedding breakfast or a ball, is identical:

Mr. and Mrs. Donald Lovejoy

accept with pleasure

Mr. and Mrs. Smith's

kind invitation for dinner

on Monday the tenth of December

at eight o'clock

The formula for regret:

Mr. Clubwin Doe

regrets extremely that a previous engagement

prevents his accepting

Mr. and Mrs. Smith's

kind invitation for dinner

on Monday the tenth of December

or

Mr. and Mrs. Timothy Kerry

regret that they are unable to accept

Mr. and Mrs. Smith's

kind invitation for dinner

on Monday the tenth of December

In accepting an invitation the day and hour must be repeated, so that in case of mistake it may be rectified and prevent one from arriving on a day when one is not expected. But in declining an invitation it is not necessary to repeat the hour.

Visiting Card Invitations

With the exception of invitations to house-parties, dinners and luncheons, the writing of notes is past. For an informal dance, musical, picnic, for a tea to meet a guest, or for bridge, a lady uses her ordinary visiting card:

To meet

Miss Millicent Gilding

Mrs. John Kindhart

Tues. Jan. 7.

Dancing at 10. o'ck.

350 Park Avenue

or

Wed. Jan. 8.

Bridge at 4. o'ck.