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."
"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."
Special
thanks to Emily Post on her wonderful tips on
etiquette and invites.
