The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1877-12-08
Social Etiquette.

LADIES of social equality are INTRO
duced to each other, and so also are gen.
tlemen. The latter, however, are always
presented to ladies. The distinction in
the form is an agreeable and proper
homage to womankind, which true gem
tleman is glad to pay to her.
The forms of introduc:ions and pres
entations must necessarily differ in a
country where an equality of citizenship
is established by constitutional law. The
endeavor to fix social formalities by a
judicial power becomes comical alb
surdity when attempted in New York,
therefore intellectual development, re-
fined culture, and gentleness of breeding
combine to arrange our forms of pres
entation and introduction in such fexi-
BILE ways as shall satisfy all grades of
society.
1t is probable that from the foreign
habit of announcing guests from the
thresholds of salons by a loud-voiced
servant is acquired our habit of men
tioning the name of the less important
or the younger person first. To make
this distinction appear less emphatic,
when the difference between the parties
introduced is debatable one, it has be-
come the formal custom among many to
say: Mrs. A, this is Mrs. H. Mrs. H.,
Mrs. A" A balance of respect is thus
struck, or very nearly so, by this ar
rangement.
If gentleman is presented to lady
by gentleman, of course permission is
first secured from the lady in private,
and afterward the presentation is made
complimentary by its formula: "Mr.
Mortimer B. desires to be presented to
Mrs. or Miss Fairfax"
Or if the lady or gentleman making
the presentation desires the unknown
parties to become acquainted for his or
her own personal reasons, he or she says:
"This is Mr.. Mortimer B., Mrs. Fairfax.
1t gives me pleasure to present him to
you" The married lady replies accord
ing to her inclination, of course regulating
the expression of her sentiments BY
courtesy and good breeding. If she be
glad to know Mr. Mortimer, she SAYS so
with frankness and cordiality, and she
briefly thanks the presenting party as
soon as she has accepted the new &C.
quaintance, and then the presenter re-
tires. The young lady can only express
polite recognition of the gentleman
presented by bowling, smiling and men
tioning the name Of the new acQuaint-
ance as response. The expressed graft
tication is all made by the gentleman,
and he will never fail to say some COM
plimentary thing to her in regard to the
ceremony. Two ladies may extend hands
to each other, and so also may two
gentlemen, although hand shaking is not
as common as formerly. The intro
duced parties may be as friendly as they
please to each other, although excessive
cordiality is not considered a part of
high breeding at the first meeting of
people in general society, because the
estimate in which strangers hold each
other usually rests upon fiimsy or
fictitious basis. Hearty good-fellow-
ship demands something more than an
inventory of the features of those whom
we meet
If the difference in age between two
ladies or two gentlemen be unmistaka-
bly, perceptible, the younger is intro
duced to the elder. If a publicly-ad-
mitted superiority exists, age, unless
very advanced, is unconsidered in this
formality. The unknown to fame is pre-
sented to the famous.
The single lady is introduced to the
married lady, and the single gentlemen
TO the married, other things being equal
Those persons who have been born and
reared in the best of society never make
a hasty presentation or introduction. An
habitual though momentary refec-
ticn adjusts in their own minds the
proper relation of the two who are about
to be made known to each other, and IN
pleasant mistakes thus become almost
impossible. N Y. Home Journal.