The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1877-08-16

tcntion to some minor points of ever,
day etiquette:
Take, for instance, the fact that lad,
bows first TO gentleman in the street
an action positively forbidden TO him
and you see in itsthe whole theory o
the superior innocence OF woman.
man keeps his place in society, and hai
the eptree of respectable houses, when
il is possible, his life has become ques
tionable; the innocence of woman OF any
such conduct Is asserted and maintained
by giving her the right TO say who shal
be her acquaintance 1t is safe guard
OF society if he chooses lower women
he cannot have her.
And thus many things that seem trlt
ling have in reality important bearings
Among these let US mention the circum
stance that previous permission is need
ed before the introduction OF tho friend
who may be walking with you 10 the
friend whom you may meet, and that II
equally necessary TO know if IT be desir-
able TO the other party; unless this rs
understood, the friend who is with you
will walk on few PAGES slowly, should
you find it necessary to stop and speak.
of course cases arise where this rule
must be violated, but in those you prob
ably know circumstances that warrant
your taking the law into your own
hands. Permission, however, is not
needed at ball to introduce a gentle
man to lady for dance, provided that
you have the right of introduction, prob
ably for the reason that she is at liberty
in that case to continue or end the acquain-
lance next day.
A letter of introduction is still more
carefully guarded than common intro
duction, for it is an Endorsement, re-
concentrations trust. 1t should be ask
cd only by an extremely intimate friend,
and should be addressed only to one
equally intimate. 1t is piece OF in-
science to ask a mere acquaintance to
give you letters of introduction. You
put Yourself under great obligation in
accepting such letters, but you put the
person who gives them to you under
greater, for the letter Of introduction,
duly honored, causes the person receiv-
ing it to accept it in the place of the
friend who has written ii, and TO afford
you all the aid, encouragement and en-
tertanment possible. A letter Of intro
duction will, of course, be like any other
letter, the date ia the upper right hand
corner, the address in the space of two
lines lower, the opening paragraph be-
ginning directly under the punctuation
point of the address, the name and resi-
dence of the person to whom it is writ
ten set in the lower left-hand corner on
conclusion; on the enyelope,if the letter
~ very precise, the word"For" mot quite
over the supcrscription, and in the lower
left-hand corner of the envelope the
words, "Introducing Mrs. So and-So."
When given at all, the letter Of introduc-
ton should always be given to the per-
son requesting il, unsealed.
For Introductions in general we have
already spoken OF the fit form-the in
terior TO the superior, the gentleman to
the lady, even if it were the President of
the United States himself; he is simple
gentleman, so far az any lady in society
is concerned.
Another of the small points of social
usage upon which not half enough at
tention is bestowed in general, is the
giving and taking OF presents. Almost
everybody likes to give, few are able 70
receive with quite so good grace. In
offering a gittone should act as if she re-
ally meant TO give pleasure with it, and
took pleasure herself in the opportunity,
or even as if the the receiver conferred
favor upon one in receiving it, and
should let her enjoyment be visible, not
as if she were throwing bone To dog,
who might take il or leave it. On the
other hand in receiving a gilt, one should
not be IN too much of hurry to return
it, il one only bides her time, the occas
ion will surely come; but on no account
should ono manifest a disrelIsh of the
present. dislike Of receiving it all, or q
with it and whatever is
the part of the giver, it is not the part OF
the recipient to act a. II comforting a
favor in receiving To refuse u kindly
offered gift is one Of the heights of rude
ness and vulgarIty. 1t is not, however,
IN ',good form" to offer gifts of great
value; they seem to impose the obligation
of their worth, and presently, perhaps,
If one does not care for obligation, the
necessity of returning their worth. 1t
is better to give often and less; books,
flowers, sheets Of music, an atom of bric-
a bac, embroidery and articles OF your
own manufacture game of your own
shooting or fish of your own catching, if
the giver be gentleman countless tri-
fies that have cost thought, and which
are moro welcome TO most than presents
which have cost money. A young lady
can receive no presents from any gentle
man not relative, other than tho one
she is engaged to marry, as il can easily
he seen that the Indebtedness il gives her
is troublesome but married lady is at
liberty To receive trifcs of acknowledge
ment from gentlemen who have been
her guests, or who may be under obliga.
lions to her husband. Wedding presents
have come to be expected of almost all
ones friends, and have grown ito mon
strous proportions, and there is hardly
limit to.the cost allowed them. But pos
,ibly, when the givers are people who
marry themselves, bv and-by, or whose
,ons and daughters do, the gift may be
,etu,:od. and that with interest, as the
of tn married is so much more
ilgnitcd, usually, as ~ demand gift IN
accord, and il is in better ,este not 10