Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1857-12-21
Trrom the washington states.l
Tsapes of Society at Washington.

OSd6SS vi SSS4SSJ
There are certain conventional usagcs of So
ciety which some of our newly arrived readers
may like to know. All gentlemen and ladies
are of course provided with engraved or written
visiting cards, bearing the name and address. In
case of removal, fresh cards, with the new ad!
dress, should at once be left
THE EXECUTIVE MANSION.
Members of Congress and others call on the
President of the United States Immediately at.
ter their arrival-he, of course, is not expected
TO return visits or to attend private parties
Miss Lane (who presides over the Presidents
househoI0 receives on Tuesday and Friday
mornings, at the usual hours, from twelve n.
until four P. NJ. Ladies who are here with mem
bers of Congress should leave their cards at the
Executive mansion. On New year Gay mere
will be a public reception, followed by others
on Friday evenings, which will be duly an
nounced.
Senators, as representatives of sovereign
states, claim the honor ola first visit from heads
of departments and the diplomatic corps. The
rule of course extends to the ladies OF the taml-
lies of all these gentlemen.
READS OF DEPARTMENTS.
The ladies of the different cabinet officers have
agreed, it is understood, to receive" every
Thursday morning from 10 NJ. until 4 p. N.
MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE.
Representatives pay the first visit to the
heads of departments, the diplomatic corps, and
senators; also to the Speaker of the House.
STRANGERS.
The ordinary rule that strangers in town are
to be called on, is reversed in Washington, for
obvious reasons. Strangers are expected to
make the first call, even if they are the most
privileged personaSes-"brides." eve speak
here of calls upon Congressional, Executive, Ju-
dicial and Diplomatic functionarieS and their
families. Private residents of the District, of
course. follow the ordinary usage.)
Letters of introduction, if not presented per
sonally, should be left, accompanied by a card
bearing the Washington address of the gentle
man introduced. Cards Of accompanying ladies
should. also be left, if there are ladies in the
family of the gentleman TO whom the letter is
addressed. l
RETURN OF VISITS.
Visits should always be acknowledged, either
personally or by leaving cards. Gentlemen
leave a card for the gentleman they visit, and
another for the ladies of his family, if there arc
any. Ladies only leave cards for ladies.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF INVITATIONS.
Invitations to dinner or supper should always
be promptly acknowledged by a written accep-
lance, or a written apology for declining, that
the host may know how many guests to expect.
It has sometimes happened that expensive din-
ners have been prepared for thirty guests, none
of whom had declined, yet not half of them
would appear. Had the absentees been civil
enough to have declined in season, others might
have been invited, or the table might have been
made smaller.
If invitations to balls or parties cannot he &C.
cepted, a written apology should be sent, even
if on the evening of the entertainment.
Guests at dinners or other entertainments
should call on their host within a week, as an
acknowledgment Of the hospitality.