at such a tea. Delicate sandwiches of different kinds, a light salad, rolls, and tea, coffee, and chocolate should be supplied, together with the inevitable ice-cream and cakes. A bowl of lemonade or punch should be placed in the dancing-room, for dancing is thirsty work, and often warm work if the hostess is not wise enough to keep her dancing-room full of fresh air, really cold air, till her guests arrive.
Instead of the old-time receiving line the modern hostess asks some of the girls or young matrons to assist her at the dance, and upon these devolves the duty of seeing that other girls are not wallflowers, and that even stout matrons have partners. Also, that there is some one to introduce the shy man to the shy girl, and see that they have tea and cakes. All these little duties are necessary at the thé dansant, and they cannot all be performed by the hostess.
At the larger and more fashionable of the teas it is now customary to have a pair of professionals to dance if tea is to be served to every one at once. This gives the guests a chance to watch the dancing while they eat, and even where no professionals are to be seen the hostess often asks some especially clever young couple to do a dance for the other guests to break the endless round of One Step, Hesitation, and Tango.
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