Social Usages

l Ucro aro soino details oí social usago that are so chüdish, and.'withal, so inconvenient and burdensome, as to demand a public denuuoiation. Nobodylikes them, sverybody desires to be relieved oí' theru. Tiieir burdensomeuess forms a serious bar to social intercourso, and their only tendency is to drive somo men and w-omon aut ot' society altogether, and to worry and weary those who remain subject to [.hem. A person is invited to an ' informal " reception. Special pains muy be, and of ten are, taken to impress him with the idea that euch a recpptiou is, ir.Jeod. " informal." The idoa is very good. Tho proposition is to bring together a circle of hienda in a familiar way, without expeusive dress on the part of tho guests, or an exponsive entertainment on the part of the hostess. It is an attractive sort of invitation, but woo to the man or woman who accepts it according to its terms.- Tho man aud the woman who attend in auything but full evening dress will find themsolves singular, and most uncomfortable. They have taken their hostess at her word, and find, instead of a party of familiar friends, who can sit down and enjoy an hourof social intercourse, ahighly dressed "jam," which comes late and departs late, and which finds itself treated to an elabórate supper. Peoplo havo.at last, learned that if there is auything that must be dressed for elaborately, it is an "informal reception," and that thero is really no greater cheat than the iuvitation which called them together. The cousequence is that wo have no really informal gatherings of men and womon in what we cali " society." Again, when we invite a guest to diuum at six, we expect him to como at, or before, that hour. It is counted 'tho height of impoliteness for a guest to keep a dinner waiting a moment. This is just as it should bo ; but when we invito a guost at eight o'clock, to a roception or a party, what then V Why, we do not expoot him until nine, wo do not ordinarily get him until half-past nino, and are not surprised at his entrance at any subsequent hour bofore the company breaks up. Why the rule should be good for the diimer that is not good for tho assembly does not appdtr, exoept that in the casa ot' the dinnor it is a question of hot or cold soup that is to be decided. At eight the host and hostess aro in their vacant rooms, be-gloved and waiting. They are there for an hour, wishing their guests would come. At last ono makes his appoarance, and with a guilty look whips up stairs. Then he waits until auother joins him, and another, and another, and so at last he descends. All have lost tho only opportunity thoy will havo for a ploasant chat with those who havo invited them- lost, indeed, tho only chance they will have of a look at the flowers, at. tho pictures, and the enjoyment of an undisturbed chat, with coiufortabloT3eats añd surroundings. All dread to be first, and so all wait, and thus thrust far into the night their hour of departure. The company that should be at home at eleven, and in bed at half-past eleven, do not find their beds until one the next inorning. To the man of business such hours as mingling in social life imposes are simply trilling. They are the saine to woraen who have family duties to perform. They wipe the bloom of youth trom the cheeks of girls in trom one to three seasons ; and thus sooial life in the great cities, instead of being a blessing and a delight, as it should be, becomes a burden and a bore. Many are driven by considerations of health and comfort out of social lifo altogether, and thoso who remain rely upon the rest of suminer to restore them sufficiently to stand another campaign. We submit that this is an unexaggerated representation of the present state of things, and protest that it demands reform. Kvery hour that a man spends out of his bed after half-past ten at night ia a violence to nature. They have learned this in Gerinany, where, in many towns, their public amusements termínate at half-past nine, and, in some cases, even earlier than this. It is in this direction that a retorm should be effected in America, so far as every variety of public and social assembly is concerned. An invitation at eight should mean what it says, and be honored in its terms. In this way social life wpuld bo possible to many to wbom it is now, practically denied, and becomo a blessing toall. It is not hard to instituto a reform of this kind. All it wants is a leading ; and half a dozen of our social queens could do the work in a single season. It used to be deemed essential to a social assembly that a huge, expensive supper be served at its close and this at an hour when no man or woman could afford to oat a hearty meal. We have uieasurably outlived this in New York. It ia "quite the thing" now to serve light and inexpensive refreshments. The man who dines at six ceeds no heavy supper before he goes to bed. Ho not only does not need it, but ho cannot eat it without harm. lts expensivenoss is a constant bar to social lite ; and let us be thankful that this abuse, at least, is pretty well reformed al ready. Other abuses and bad habits can be reformed just as easily as this, because reform is in the line of the common sense and the cotumon desire. The leading, as we havo said, is all that is wanted, and when wo commence another season such leading ought to bo volunteered. Somethinj surely ought to bo done to make social life a recreativo pleasure, and not a severo tax upon tbc vital torces as it is at