JUVENILE PARTIES
=Juvenile Parties= form a prominent feature in the entertainments given
during the winter months. There is scarcely a household the children of
which are not indulged with one large party at least, while others are
allowed as many as two or three children's parties during the winter
months. These parties offer no little elasticity as to their
arrangement, varying from a child's tea party, composed, perhaps, of
five or six children, to a juvenile ball, or fancy dress ball. Some
mothers object, on principle, to the latter entertainments, on the
ground that to give a large juvenile ball provokes a corresponding
number of invitations, and that a round of such gaieties is not good for
young children, either from a moral or from a hygienic point of view.
Morally, that such amusements are likely to destroy or impair the
freshness of childhood, and to engender artificial ideas in their young
minds in place of such as are natural and healthy, and that the
imitation of the manners and bearing of their elders causes them to
become miniature men and women, and divests them of the attributes of
artless and unaffected childhood.
=The dresses worn by children= at these entertainments are of so
elaborate a character--and so much pride is exhibited when wearing
them--that a spirit of vanity and a love of dress are aroused at a
prematurely early age. From a physical point of view, late hours, heated
rooms, rich dainties, and constant excitement have a pernicious effect
upon children.
There is, of course, an opposite view taken by those who uphold juvenile
balls; they consider that children are the better for associating with
others of their own age outside of their own family circle, and that in
the case of only children such association is calculated to render them
lively and intelligent. Another argument in favour of these juvenile
parties is, that children who are in the habit of constantly attending
them acquire self-possessed and confident manners, and that all shyness,
_mauvaise honte_ and _gaucherie_, which distinguish many children when
in the company of strangers, are dispelled by frequent intercourse with
children of all ages. Thus, in place of the noisy game of romps, the
little gentlemen ask the little ladies to dance, pull costume bon-bons
with their favourite partners, and offer them similar attentions
throughout the evening. Of course, there are shy little gentlemen and
shy little ladies even at a juvenile ball; but it is the constant
endeavour of those who accompany them, whether mammas, elder sisters,
young aunts, or grown-up cousins, to persuade them to get the better of
this diffidence, and to induce taciturn Master Tommy to dance with timid
Miss Tiny. Sometimes Master Tommy is obstinate, as well as taciturn, and
his "won't" is as strong as his will. As with all things, so with
children's parties, the medium course is, perhaps, the wisest to take,
running into neither extreme--avoiding too much seclusion or overmuch
gaiety, and rendering such gaiety and amusement suitable to the ages of
the children invited. When an evening's entertainment consists of a
series of amusements, it is a mistake to crowd too great a variety into
the space of four hours, the usual limits of a child's party, for if so
the programme has to be hurriedly gone through, and is hardly finished
before the hour of departure. No little judgment is required when
organising juvenile parties. The hours usually selected for children's
parties, whether on a large or small scale, are from four to eight, five
to nine, six to ten, or from seven to eleven.
=The children on their arrival= are received in the drawing-room. In
most cases their relatives, either mothers or grown-up sisters, are
asked to accompany them.
There is great punctuality observed as regards the hour of arrival, and
tea is usually served in the dining-room about half an hour after that
named on the invitation card. The interim is generally passed by
children in watching each fresh arrival, and in greeting their little
acquaintances, comparing notes with each other as to the teas and the
parties they are going to, or in amusing themselves with the toys
belonging to the children of the house, which are usually arranged on
tables for this purpose; and mechanical toys, walking and talking birds,
etc., musical toys, picture-books, and dolls, and the latest and newest
inventions in the way of playthings afford the little visitors an
opportunity for becoming at ease with each other.
Tea is generally dispensed at one end of a long table, and coffee at the
opposite end. The governess usually pours out the tea, and one of the
daughters of the house the coffee; or failing her, the head nurse or
lady's maid does so. Dishes of pound, plum, and sponge cake are placed
the length of the table, interspersed with plates of thin
bread-and-butter, biscuits, and preserves; either the ladies of the
family or the servants in attendance hand them to the children.
When the relatives accompany the children tea is usually served to them
in another room, but frequently they do not arrive until tea is over,
and the nurses accompany the children to the house.
=Amusements.=--The arrangements for the evening's amusement are
regulated in a measure by the amount of accommodation a house affords,
premising that boisterous games are not allowed in drawing-rooms,
unless all valuable ornaments or things likely to be broken are removed
from the rooms.
If conjuring is one of the amusements provided, it generally takes place
in the drawing-room immediately after tea, and lasts about an hour. A
dancing-cloth is put down over the drawing-room carpet; rout seats or
cane chairs are arranged in rows. The youngest children are seated in
the first row. Performing birds, performing dogs, or performing monkeys
are also favourite amusements at these parties, and rank next to
conjuring in the estimation of children. Punch and Judy or marionettes
are popular drawing-room amusements, and either occupies the space of an
hour.
When a cinematograph show is the entertainment provided, it takes place
in the dining-room or library, or perhaps in the housekeeper's room, if
large enough for the purpose.
Dancing or games usually precede these amusements, and lasts from half
to three-quarters of an hour; little girls dance with each other round
and square dances, as little girls are, as a rule, more partial to
dancing than are little boys, although they one and all, great and
small, join with glee in a country dance, or in the Tempete, or in "Sir
Roger de Coverley."
Not longer than an hour is devoted to dancing, and this is usually
followed by games.
Impromptu charades is a favourite pastime with children; but to avoid
the juvenile audience becoming weary and impatient during the
preparation of the charades it is as well they should be amused with
some quiet game, such as "forfeits," "cross questions and crooked
answers," "proverbs," etc. At Christmas and New Year's parties the
distribution of presents is a very important feature; Christmas trees
are now rather discarded in favour of greater novelties. "Father
Christmas," "Santa Claus," "The Fairy Godmother," "The Fairies' Well,"
or the "Lucky Bag" and "The Magic Log," are some of the many devices for
the distribution of presents; these popular characters are represented
by grown-up persons, and provoke much wonder and admiration amongst
children. The presents are usually given at the close of the evening.
=Light Refreshments= are provided in the dining-room--lemonade, wine and
water, every description of cake, sandwiches, crystallised fruits,
French plums, figs, almonds and raisins, oranges, etc. Bon-bons
containing paper caps, etc., which afford children much amusement, are
usually provided.
When a juvenile ball is given a supper is provided; otherwise light
refreshments are considered sufficient, and are served twice during the
evening. Sometimes the children of the family, if old enough and clever
enough, act a little play--some nursery fairy tale, condensed into one
act, such as "Beauty and the Beast," "Cinderella," etc.--which lasts
about an hour, and is followed by dancing.
When a juvenile fancy ball is given, one or two fancy quadrilles are
arranged beforehand, to be danced by the children in costume.