The Invitation By Telephone

Custom which has altered many ways and manners has taken away all opprobrium from the message by telephone, and with the exception of those of a very small minority of letter-loving hostesses, all informal invitations are sent and answered by telephone. Such messages, however, follow a prescribed form:

" Is this Lenox 0000? Will you please ask Mr. and Mrs. Smith if they will dine with Mrs. Grantham Jones next Tuesday the tenth at eight o'clock? Mrs. Jones' telephone number is Plaza, one two ring two."

The answer:

" Mr. and Mrs. Huntington Smith regret that they will be unable to dine with Mrs. Jones on Tuesday the tenth, as they are engaged for that evening.

Or

" Will you please tell Mrs. Jones that Mr. and Mrs. Huntington Smith are very sorry that they will be unable to dine with her next Tuesday, and thank her for asking them."

Or

" Please tell Mrs. Jones that Mr. and Mrs. Huntington Smith will dine with her on Tuesday the tenth, with pleasure."

The formula is the same, whether the invitation is to dine or lunch, or play bridge or tennis, or golf, or motor, or go on a picnic.

" Will Mrs. Smith play bridge with Mrs. Grantham Jones this afternoon at the Country Club, at four o'clock? "

" Hold the wire please * * * Mrs. Jones will play bridge, with pleasure at four o'clock."

In many houses, especially where there are several grown sons or daughters, a blank form is kept in the pantry:

These slips are taken to whichever member of the family has been invited, who crosses off " regret" or " accept" and hands the slip back for transmission by the butler, the parlor-maid or whoever is on duty in the pantry.

If Mr. Smith and Mrs. Jones are themselves telephoning there is no long conversation, but merely:

Mrs. Jones:

" Is that you Mrs. Smith (or Sarah)? This is Mrs. Jones (or Alice). Will you and your husband (or John) dine with us to-morrow at eight o'clock? "

Mrs. Smith:

" I'm so sorry we can't. We are dining with Mabel."

Or

" We have people coming here."

Invitations to a house party are often as not telephoned:

" Hello, Ethel? This is Alice. Will you and Arthur come on the sixteenth for over Sunday? "

" The sixteenth? That's Friday. We'd love to! "

" Will you take the 3: 20 train? etc."

ToC

" A gem of a house may be no size at all, but its lines are honest, and its painting and window curtains in good taste... and its bell is answered promptly by a trim maid with a low voice and quiet, courteous manner." [Page 131.]