After our acceptance, about a dozen invitations came for that same Thursday, all of which we had, of course, to decline.

Curiously enough we received no invitations for any other day during that week, and just before that eventful Thursday we received a letter from Mrs.Grant cancelling the invitation on account of the death of one of her relations, so that we had to dine at home after all.

Now we Chinese make no such distinctions between days.
Every day of the week is equally good; in order however to avoid clashing with other peoples' engagements, we generally fix Fridays for our receptions or dinners, but there is not among the Chinese an entertainment season as there is in Washington, and other great cities, when everybody in good society is busy attending or giving "At Homes", tea parties or dinners.

I frequently attended "At Homes" or tea parties in half-a-dozen places or more in one afternoon, but no one can dine during the same evening in more than one place.

In this respect America might learn a lesson from China.