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.or Mrs.Jones,  Your car, sir, or  Your car, madam, and holds thedoor open for her to go out, or he may say,  Your car, Miss, if the Gilding carcomes first.147DINING-ROOM SERVICE AT PRIVATE ENTERTAINMENTSSupper at a ball in a great house (big enough for a ball) is usually in charge of thebutler, who by  supper time is free from his duties of  announcing and is able tolook after the dining-room service.The sit-down supper at a ball is served exactlylike a dinner or a wedding breakfast; and the buffet supper of a dance is like thebuffet of a wedding reception.148At a large tea where the butler is on duty  announcing at the same time that otherguests are going into the dining-room for refreshments, the dining-room service hasto be handed over to the first footman and his assistants or a capable waitress isequally able to meet the situation.She should have at least two maids with her, asthey have to pour all cups of tea and bouillon and chocolate as well as to take awayused cups and plates and see that the food on the table is replenished.149At a small tea where ladies perform the office of pouring, one man or maid in thedining-room is plenty, to bring in more hot water or fresh cups, or whatever thetable hostesses have need of.150FORMAL SERVICE WITHOUT MEN SERVANTSMany, and very fastidious, people, who live in big houses and entertainconstantly, have neither men servants nor employ a caterer, ever.Efficient womentake men s places equally well, though two services are omitted.Women never (inNew York at least) announce guests or open the doors of motors.But there is nodifference whatsoever in the details of the pantry, dining-room, hall or dressing-room, whether the services are performed by men or women.(No women, ofcourse, are ever on duty in the gentlemen s dressing-rooms.)151At an evening party, the door is opened by the waitress, assisted by the parlor-maid who directs the way to the dressing-rooms.The guests, when they are readyto go in the drawing-room, approach the hostess unannounced.A guest who maynot be known by sight does not wait for her hostess to recognize her but says atGet any book for free on: www.Abika.comETIQUETTE IN SOCIETY, IN BUSINESS, IN POLITICS AND AT HOME119once,  How do you do, Mrs.Eminent, I m Mrs.Joseph Blank ; or a young girlsays,  I am Constance Style (not  Miss Style, unless she is beyond the twenties ); or a married woman merely announces herself as  Mrs.Town. Shedoes not add her husband s name as it is taken for granted that the gentlemanfollowing her is Mr.Town.Chapter XIII.Teas and Other Afternoon Parties1TEASExcept at a wedding, the function strictly understood by the word  reception wentout of fashion, in New York at least, during the reign of Queen Victoria, and itssurvivor is a public or semi-public affair presided over by a committee, and is aserious, rather than a merely social event.2The very word  reception brings to mind an aggregation of personages, veryformal, very dressed up, very pompous, and very learned, among whom theordinary mortal can not do other than wander helplessly in the labyrinth of thespecialist s jargon.Art critics on a varnishing day reception, are sure to dwell onthe effect of a new technique, and the comment of most of us, to whom a paintingought to look like a  picture, is fatal.Equally fatal to meet an explorer and notknow where or what he explored; or to meet a celebrated author and not have theleast idea whether he wrote detective stories or expounded Taoism.On the otherhand it is certainly discouraging after studying up on the latest Cretan excavationsin order to talk intelligently to Professor Diggs, to be pigeon-holed for the afternoonbeside Mrs.Newmother whose interest in discovery is limited to  a new tooth inbaby s head [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]