This sort of thing, while often tolerated at
less formal "stag" poker-parties, is seldom, ever, permissible
when ladies are present. The young man was simply ignorant of the
fact that Hoyle and not Herman the Great is the generally
accepted authority on cards in the "beau monde."}
INVITATIONS
The whole spirit of Hallowe'en is, of course, one of "spooky"
gayety and light-hearted ghastliness. Witches and ghosts run
riot; corpses dance and black cats howl. "More work for the
undertaker" should be the leitmotif of the evening's fun.
The moribund spirit can be delightfully observed, first of all,
in the preparation of the invitations. I know of one hostess, for
instance, who gained a great reputation for originality by
enclosing a dead fish with each bidding to the evening's
gayeties. It is, of course, not at all necessary to follow her
example to the letter; the enclosure of anything dead will
suffice, providing, of course, that it is not TOO dead. There is
such a thing as carrying a joke beyond the limits of propriety,
and the canons of good taste should always be respectfully
observed.
Another amusing way of preparing invitations is to cut out
colored paper in the shape of cats, witches, etc., upon which
appropriate verses are inscribed. Such as:
"Next Monday night is Hallowe'en,
You big stiff."
or
"On Monday next comes All-Hallows-Even,
My grandmother's maiden name was Stephens.
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