Fifty years ago an entertainment in which men were not included was an unheard-of thing. While the lords of creation had what the youths of to-day term "stag-rackets," that is, dinners, suppers, and theatre-parties from which the gentler sex were excluded, their wives, sisters, and daughters never thought of retaliating in kind, and having "a good time" without the men. Indeed, the fair beings would have doubted the possibility of carrying such a plan into practice.

Consequently, as men are seldom at liberty before 5 p.m., daylight gatherings did not exist except in the form of picnics, for which mild dissipation men were occasionally prevailed upon to leave office and desk and revel in sylvan joys in the form of sunburn, a lunch on the ground, shared with unprejudiced impartiality by ants and spiders, and a jolting ride home at the end of the longest and hardest day in the year.

At last the woman's luncheon was suggested by some sister exceeding wise in her generation, and the desert places of the weary housewife's and mother's life blossomed like the rose. Hitherto the woman with a houseful of little children often found it impracticable to leave her brood after dark, or she was too weary from a day of toil to think of going out; and month after month dragged its lagging length away without a single break in the monotony of her daily life.

A veritable drudge must that woman be who cannot spare two or three hours in the middle of the day to attend a luncheon. Even a very young baby can-be left with the nurse at noon-time, while mamma will be made brighter and fresher for the little while spent in the society of pleasant and chatty women.

A luncheon is an especially easy method of entertainment for the housekeeper with many cares. Coming as it does in the middle of the day, there is the whole morning in which to make ready, and the afternoon in which to clear away the remnants of the feast and wash the dishes before nightfall.

A table groaning beneath the weight of viands set forth upon it is a figure of speech not used in these modern times. At our luncheon everything may be served from the sideboard, and the only eatables upon the table will be small dishes containing olives, salted almonds, bonbons, radishes, pickles, or jelly, and fancy cakes, or one large ornamental loaf.

There is such a great variety of tablecloths and napkins suitable for luncheons that the housekeeper may use her own judgment as to plain white or colored damask, hemmed, hemstitched, or fringed borders. One exquisite cloth has embroidered violets dropped at intervals all over it, and would be very beautiful for a violet luncheon.

The cloth laid, place in the centre of the table a round, square, or long embroidered centre-piece upon which may rest a circular mirror (if you are so fortunate as to possess one), and on this stand a bowl of flowers. If you are to have flowers for your guests it is a pretty notion to let your floral centre-piece be composed of large pink roses - one for each woman present. To every rose is attached a wide pink satin ribbon, which passes to the appointed place of the guest whose name appears on the ribbon in gilt lettering. If you paint, you may easily decorate these ribbons yourself, and, if you wish, may add the date to the name. The repast ended, each woman pulls her ribbon and draws her rose toward her. The ribbons are pretty souvenirs of the feast.

Never practise the hideous hotel plan of distorting a napkin into fancy shapes. The square of damask should be plainly folded and laid by each place. A Vienna roll or finger-rolls may be put by the napkin, .the knives on the right hand, the forks on the left.

The woman who lives in or near a town may order fancy dishes from a caterer. Olives and bon-bons must be bought, but the almonds are cheaper and often better if salted at home, while pate-making is a simple matter if one has a good recipe and a moderate degree of skill.

The following is a good, and not expensive, menu for a woman's luncheon.

If quails are out of season, and consequently unavailable for the game-course, broiled chicken may be substituted.

Luncheon Bill-Of-Fare

Little Neck Clams, or "grape-fruit," or oranges cut in halves, or a bunch of white grapes tied with narrow ribbon.

Bouillon.

Creamed Lobster.

Sweetbread Pates.

Filet of Beef. Green Pease.

Quail on Toast.

Tomato and Lettuce Mayonnaise.

Ice-Cream.                    Cake.                    Fruit.

Coffee. Crime de menthe served in tiny glasses.