The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-01-03
LADIES' DAY A MYTH.

II is popularity supposed that the second dav OF the
now year is devoted to the ladies and called Ladies'
Day. that they having spent The LIST OF January in
receiving the calls of their gentlemen friends spend
the second day OF tho year III returning those calls.
The idea has oltcnhbcen expatiatcd dpon and has
received such general credencs that may be almost
hazardous TO say that the whole custom Is myth.
New Years Day Is general holiday and all places OF
business are closed. Gentlemen, therefore, have
ample opportunities TO make their ''cals" The next
day, however, is not holiday, and, the shops and
storcs beng opcn the majority Of those who passed
the previous day in visiting their lady friends
gagged in their ordinary avocations and in condition
TO receive visits from the fair SEX Those gen.
tlemen who not at work are frequently In coma
tose or semi comatose state TO whom visit from
lady (using the word in its true sensc) would
be manfesly improper and ill-timcd. Necessarily
therefore, lett only ladies' TO receive the calls
oil ladies'; and as, according 10 the popular superst
ton, these ladies themselves are making their own
calls upon those ladies' who are also making their
calls empty houses only left TO render the holiday
hospitality expec,e ed upon such occasions. The whole
superstructure of The theory OF Ladies' Day" being
built upon no foundation thus tails to tho ground,
and reluctantly compelled to admit that however
pleasing the idea may be 20 tho masculine breast,
sLadies Day" is indeed myth.
THE CALLERS ARE.
The fact is that among the upper classes OF society
there is such thing as ladies unattended by some
opposesex, neither on this day or any other OF the
year The phrase had lis origin, doubtless,
Among tho servants oil faShlouaDlo famlleS
who have received the PERMISSION oil their
ployers to visit their friends the second
day OF the year, and express those congratulations
good wishes which they the employ crs) hod them
selves experienced the LIST day of January, and
among such servants there is undoubtedly custom OF
visiting and visits on January IL is, how
ever entirely confined 10 them, und The calls
made by household servants their friends
living in tcnemcDts and houses OF their own. In the
middle and upper classes the custom does not exist,
and according TO the present laws OF good society
could not exist without tarnlshing the fair fame Of
the callers. Thus by one arc our most cherished
supersiitlons and traditions dspclcd by the ruth
less iconoclasts who respect Dothing As re-
cent researches in history have shown
that Richard Ill. neither humpbacked nor
bloody tyrant; that Lucrczia Borga not devil In
fair woman's form, but rather angel OF goodness
and mercy that the heroic William Tell never made
target OF his the command OF the cruel Gesler
that Romuus and Rcmus were utterly mythical per-
sonages who were never sucked by the wolf,
modern writers have cruelty and as ruthessly
thrown to the winds this idea of Ladies'. Day" DR..
chemann has restored faith in Homer, and given lite
and breath to the wralhfui Achilles the magnanimous
Agamemnon. the pioas 4Encas and tho sorrowfu Cas-
sandra; but who shall rcvivlfy our belief IN tho fond
superstition OF modern times, tho Ladies' Day?"