In a small country house where dressing-room space is limited, the quaint tables copied from old ones are very useful, screened off at the back of the downstairs hall, or in a very small lavatory.  They look, when shut, like an ordinary table, but when the top is lifted a mirror, the height of the table’s width, swings forward and a series of small compartments and trays both deep and shallow are laid out on either side.  The trays of course are kept filled with hairpins, pins and powder, and the compartments have sunburn lotion and liquid powder, brush, comb and whiskbroom, and whatever else the hostess thinks will be useful.

=THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF GUESTS=

The butler’s duty is to stand near the entrance to the reception or drawing-room, and as each guest arrives (unless they are known to him) he asks:  “What name, please?” He then leads the way into the room where the hostess is receiving, and says distinctly:  “Mr. and Mrs. Jones.”  If Mrs. Jones is considerably in advance of her husband, he says:  “Mrs. Jones!” then waits for Mr. Jones to approach before announcing:  “Mr. Jones!”

At a very large party such as a ball, or a very big tea or musical, he does not leave his place, but stands just outside the drawing-room, and the hostess stands just within, and as the guests pass through the door, he announces each one’s name.

It is said to be customary in certain places to have waitresses announce people.  But in New York guests are never announced if there are no men servants.  At a very large function such as a ball or tea, a hostess who has no butler at home, always employs one for the occasion.  If, for instance, she is giving a ball for her daughter, and all the sons and daughters of her own acquaintance are invited, the chances are that not half or even a quarter of her guests are known to her by sight, so that their announcement is not a mere matter of form but of necessity.

=THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF DINNER=

When the butler on entering the room to announce dinner, happens to catch the attention of the hostess, he merely bows.  Otherwise he approaches within speaking distance and says, “Dinner is served.”  He never says, “Dinner is ready.”

At a large dinner where it is quite a promenade to circle the table in search of one’s name, the butler stands just within the dining-room and either reads from a list or says from memory “right” or “left” as the case may be, to each gentleman and lady on approaching.  In a few of the smartest houses a leaf has been taken from the practise of royalty and a table plan arranged in the front hall, which is shown to each gentleman at the moment when he takes the envelope enclosing the name of his partner at dinner.  This table plan is merely a diagram made in leather with white name cards that slip into spaces corresponding to the seats at the table.  On this a gentleman can see exactly where he sits and between whom; so that if he does not know the lady who is to be on his left as well as the one he is to “take in,” he has plenty of time before going to the table to ask his host to present him.