=RECALLING AN INVITATION=

If for illness or other reason invitations have to be recalled the following forms are correct.  They are always printed instead of engraved, there being no time for engraving.

Owing to sudden illness
Mr. and Mrs. John Huntington Smith
are obliged to recall their invitations
for Tuesday the tenth of June.

The form used when the invitation is postponed: 

Mr. and Mrs. John Huntington Smith
regret exceedingly
that owing to the illness of Mrs. Smith
their dance is temporarily postponed.

When a wedding is broken off after the invitations have been issued: 

Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Nottingham
announce
that the marriage of their daughter
Mary Katharine
and
Mr. Jerrold Atherton
will not take place

=FORMAL ACCEPTANCE OR REGRET=

Acceptances or regrets are always written.  An engraved form to be filled in is vulgar—­nothing could be in worse taste than to flaunt your popularity by announcing that it is impossible to answer your numerous invitations without the time-saving device of a printed blank.  If you have a dozen or more invitations a day, if you have a hundred, hire a staff of secretaries if need be, but answer “by hand.”

The formal acceptance to an invitation, whether it is to a dance, wedding breakfast or a ball, is identical: 

    Mr. and Mrs. Donald Lovejoy

       accept with pleasure

Mr. and Mrs. Smith’s

kind invitation for dinner

on Monday the tenth of December

at eight o’clock

The formula for regret: 

Mr. Clubwin Doe
regrets extremely that a previous engagement
prevents his accepting
Mr. and Mrs. Smith’s
kind invitation for dinner
on Monday the tenth of December

or

Mr. and Mrs. Timothy Kerry

regret that they are unable to accept

Mr. and Mrs. Smith’s

        kind invitation for dinner

      on Monday the tenth of December

In accepting an invitation the day and hour must be repeated, so that in case of mistake it may be rectified and prevent one from arriving on a day when one is not expected.  But in declining an invitation it is not necessary to repeat the hour.

=VISITING CARD INVITATIONS=

With the exception of invitations to house-parties, dinners and luncheons, the writing of notes is past.  For an informal dance, musical, picnic, for a tea to meet a guest, or for bridge, a lady uses her ordinary visiting card: 

     To meet Miss Millicent Gilding

          =MRS. JOHN KINDHART=

Tues.  Jan. 7.  Dancing at 10. o’ck. 350 PARK AVENUE

or

   Wed.  Jan. 8.  Bridge at 4. o’ck.

       =MRS. JOHN KINDHART=

    R.s.v.p. 350 PARK AVENUE

Answers to invitations written on visiting cards are always formally worded in the third person, precisely as though the invitation had been engraved.