In this day of telephone and indefinite bridge games, many people prefer to have their cars telephoned for, when they are ready to go home.  Those who do not play bridge leave an eight o’clock dinner about half past ten, or at least order their cars for that hour.

In all modern houses of size there are two rooms on the entrance floor, built sometimes as dressing-rooms and nothing else, but more often they are small reception rooms, each with a lavatory off of it.  In the one given to the ladies, there is always a dressing-table with toilet appointments on it, and the lady’s maid should be on duty to give whatever service may be required; when there is no dressing-room on the ground floor, the back of the hall is arranged with coat-hangers and an improvised dressing-table for the ladies, since modern people—­in New York at least—­never go up-stairs to a bedroom if they can help it.  In fact, nine ladies out of ten drop their evening cloaks at the front door, handing them to the servant on duty, and go at once without more ado to the drawing-room.  A lady arriving in her own closed car can’t be very much blown about, in a completely air tight compartment and in two or three minutes of time!

Gentlemen also leave their hats and coats in the front part of the hail.  A servant presents to each a tray of envelopes, and if there is one, the table diagram.  Envelopes are not really necessary when there is a table diagram, since every gentleman knows that he “takes in” the lady placed on his right!  But at very big dinners in New York or Washington, where many people are sure to be strangers to one another, an absent-minded gentleman might better, perhaps, have his partner’s name safely in his pocket.

=ANNOUNCING GUESTS=

A gentleman always falls behind his wife in entering the drawing-room.  If the butler knows the guests, he merely announces the wife’s name first and then the husband’s.  If he does not know them by sight he asks whichever is nearest to him, “What name, please?” And whichever one is asked, answers:  “Mr. and Mrs. Lake.”

The butler then precedes the guests a few steps into the room where the hostess is stationed, and standing aside says in a low tone but very distinctly:  “Mrs. Lake,” a pause and then, “Mr. Lake.”  Married people are usually announced separately as above, but occasionally people have their guests announced “Mr. and Mrs. ——.”

=ANNOUNCING PERSONS OF RANK=

All men of high executive rank are not alone announced first, but take precedence of their wives in entering the room.  The President of the United States is announced simply, “The President and Mrs. Harding.”  His title needs no qualifying appendage, since he and he solely, is the President.  He enters first, and alone, of course; and then Mrs. Harding follows.  The same form precisely is used for “The Vice-President and Mrs. Coolidge.”  A governor is sometimes in courtesy called “Excellency” but the correct announcement would be “the Governor of New Jersey and Mrs. Edwards.”  He enters the room and Mrs. Edwards follows.  “The Mayor and Mrs. Thompson” observe the same etiquette; or in a city other than his own he would be announced “The Mayor of Chicago and Mrs. Thompson.”